The future is abundant, asserts permaculture designer Larry Santoyo. His vision of living in the present provides a wonderful antidote to fear about uncertain futures. People need to rediscover that we’re part of the ecosystem, and apply permaculture design principles to the many problems we face. Larry teaches sustainable permaculture design as a discovery of the world around us. He notes that trying to be self-sufficient is really anti-permaculture. Instead, we need to develop self-reliance skills. Then as we find others in our communities to interact with, everybody gets to play! Episode 146. [www.earthflow.com]
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Hi!
What spoke to me in this was that I alone can’t save the world by living self-sufficiently, but together with the community. It’s quite hard for me, i’m very much solitary person. I love people and love talking with others, but after that i really love to go home and be by myself. Reading, drawing, watching movies and just being. So for me coming out of my box of comfort is to join.
And Janaia and Robyn thank you for these conversations they are needed, all of them.
Losing our egos and seeing where WE (humans?) fit in?? O glorious words and aspirations! What a lively dance Janaia and Larry do in this conversation. Many more elements of personal approach added to those already shared by other teachers and implementers of permaculture design. I think that great concern/fear about the future AND love of the present will be what compel us to make such changes. I have yet to perceive that only the latter would be sufficient motivation for us. Further, we are now seeing catastrophic human-activity/climate-related events resulting in devastation to human and other planetary life. Therefore, perhaps an element of fear is beneficial even if regrettably sad? I benefited from Larry’s overview–thank you! There was indeed a sense of the “eternal.”
I can see why Stuart might see this video as mostly “happy talk”, and there is nothing wrong with wanting more concrete examples of permaculture. But, truly, it’s the happy talk that fuels our world view, help focus our direction and see why we do what we do. These kinds of talks are needed in the arena of post-oil survival … after all, it’s not often you hear the message, in the context of peak oil, that we should take the time to be kind to people, or to act based on loving the present instead of fearing the future — how wonderfully true! It does change everything.
And Janaia, I appreciate your input in these conversations, which are after all “conversations”, as in “dialogues” — otherwise the videos would be called “Q&A” or “Interviews”!
Anyway, just wanted to say that these videos are exactly what they should be, and what they need to be. Thank you for all your amazing work!
Thanks, Larry, for your input. I’m trying to do as you suggest, and hope that programs taped more recently reflect this (some programs we’re producing now go back three years. For example, this one was nearly two years ago).
Thanks for watching all you do, and sharing Peak Moment TV with other folks.
Janaia
Janaiaia’s videotaped conversations now number nearly 150. This is quite an achievement, a wonderful collection. I have viewed almost all of them. But, early on I felt that too much of each video is Janaia talking. Really great interviewers prime the pump, then step aside as the water flows. The majority of the people featured in these conversations have plenty to say and talk eloquently without constant prodding.
After one has watched a few dozen episodes, one knows Janaia’s viewpoint quite well. So, her constant interruptions and unnecessary commentary distract from the otherwise excellent conversations. So, please Janaia, ask your basic questions, but let your guests do 95% of the talking.
Ya know, different strokes for different folks. One of our YouTube viewers wrote, “This is my favorite of the Peak Moment series. I wish I could make this required viewing for everyone…”
We’re sure leaning towards more tours. I like to see what those principles look like in physical reality. How they’re applied in various settings. So look for more of that in future.
I’m sorry, but I didn’t get very much out of this conversation. There seemed to be a lot of words spoken, but very little actually said. I would call this “happy talk.” I would have been more interested in some tours of places exhibiting “permaculture design.”
Well, I guess not every conversation can be a hit.