Permaculture Green Practices

Updates

Andy Lipkis talks Harvesting the Rain in Southern California in the middle of the Western US drought

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2015/04/15/why-does-california-let-billions-of-gallons-of-fresh-water-flow-straight-into-the-ocean/

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Perma-Greening the Earth

Is that a word? Perma-greening? Well it is now ;-

We're back ! OMG, it's 2015 !!

I want to point out an interview, which follows and this line --

• Water is the new gold in the "Golden State!"

Moving Los Angeles Toward Water Independence

This interview, which features some very astute words from our friend Andy Lipkis, is really worth listening in on...

Also we should follow up on with some of Andy's recommended Australian green best practices for water saving and resilience.

Australians are among world leaders in water saving and smart water usage practices. More lessons from AU

Of course permaculture practices have roots in Aussie land in the person of Bill Mollison.

Btw, did you know that the modern Green party also started in Tasmania, Australia, like Bill. What is it about Tasmania?!

Speaking of Bill, my "Permaculture in Practice" column beckons, but I have to tell you that writing about practicing isn't nearly as much fun as doing perma-gardening.

Recently we were talking about water saving and the California drought -- the State of California under the leadership of its green governor, Jerry Brown, passed a set of laws, with Proposition One at the center of a wide-ranging plan to encourage water saving. The field of permaculture emphasizes practices that save water -- now is the time for Gov Brown and California to assist Los Angeles, and the San Joaquin Valley, one of the farming/ag epicenters of the world, to reduce their pumping down of the finite aquifer and to start implementing perma-greening, sustainable water saving practices.

Maybe it's time we return to California for another Harvest the Rain book tour -- with some tips-to-help-deal-with-the-drought !

We covered Mulch ;- last month, so now let's talk a bit about -- water saving systems !

Look at what Altadena is doing as a model.

Their Foothill MWD water department collaborated with Hey!Tanks LA and TreePeople (Go Andy!) to develop a cistern rebate program. Kudos. Going the right direction in the foothills/headwaters of what used to be the LA River and the streams that in the olden days would replenish the LA basin aquifer and resupply (perma-supply in a cycle) the water being drawn out by LA's water wells (which are a considerable percentage of the Los Angeles water supply.)

There are ideas in the works to revitalize the LA River watershed but right now let's talk Cisterns.,

Water storage systems can make great sense, their time has come (and they don't have to be ugh-ly.)

Rain barrels which catch roof-runoff can be very handy too in helping maintain hardy landscaping.

○ ○ ○ ○

BTW, speaking of water, perhaps next month we should talk about "the great American lawn" problem.

There's a program in LA to replace the turf of water-hungry lawns with water-conserving perma-practice 'lawns', i.e., nextgen 'earthscaping'...

The program to switch is up to $3.75 a square foot that the LA Dept. of Water & Power will give homeowners to rip out their turf, that old-fashioned look, and replace it with hardy, drought-tolerant plants.

Permascaping let's call it, like xeriscaping, delivers 'hardy, resilient' landscaping with permaculture practices in mind. Again, moving in the right direction.

Even the EPA is talking about water saving -- http://www.epa.gov/watersense/outdoor/landscaping_tips.html

Got to go, have to do the "Permaculture in Practice" column -- See ya'll next month !

Again, one more thing, listen in to Andy Lipkis and Los Angeles water activists on this KCRW radio interview, many ideas for water saving, reclaiming, conserving water, especially as climate change and drought conditions are impacting in historic ways, as California is now experiencing Which Way LA?

Water is the new gold in the "Golden State!"

○ ○ ○ ○

Hola

Let's begin with Worms!'

Eight Reasons You Need a Worm Farm

Now that we've smiled at 'click bait', let's move on to permaculture principles and practices ;-

Changing the world of green agriculture and more !

○

December 30th, 2014

On the cusp of 2015

○

Hi, Hola, this is Nate with a message for today and tomorrow and for all of 2015.

A permaculture principle to start with ... Mulch, mulch, and mulch

In other words, translated into whatever language, wherever you are, MULCH is the word !

Save water with mulch. Improve soil with mulch. Grow better with mulch.

○

And since we are believers in what mulch can do, here's a free Mulch Calculator to use if you're a user of online tools !

Calculate how much mulch you'll need for your land. Our current beginning map is based on the US, but get in touch w/ us if you are global and we can assess your mulch needs wherever you are...

Global greening is happening

○

Moving on, check out our Blog for more useful perma-practices -- http://permadesign.com/blog -- http://permadesign.com/store/harvesttherain

Will be back in the New Year

Carry on with your good work !

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

PermaDesign

www.permadesign.com

[email protected]