* Greetings,
* I have read the discussions on the listserve for awhile and am curious
* about the indicators that you use to decide if the choices you have made are
* taking you along the journey you wish; i.e. how do you know you are doing
* the right thing? I am not interested in the definition of sustainable
* since the term has been over worked; but for self/family/community/world
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>>> Lion > Kelly, you forgot something... You owe something in exchange for
asking for something. You need to answer your own questions asked as if you
were the recipient of this request from a stranger.
I am not on the "journey I wish", I am on the journey I must. Because
the
previous generation, and all the other previous generations didn't figure out
all
the answers, and left it up to this (or some future) generation to accomplish,
there are plenty of problems which won't go away. Solve them I/we must.
Unlike others, I have been exposed to a sufficiency of evidence which
convinces me that (1) there is a meta-intelligence which I will call "god"
with a
small "g"; (2) there is a coherent multiplicity of lifeforms which have the
duality
of anarchy/chaos while existing as community (gaia hypothesis with small g)
which is a prerequisite for human life; (3) there is a necessary inherent
feature
of humanity which provides a multitude of satisfactions for needs both
apparent
and ineffible; and, (4) I like all others have both general and individual
"purposes" which I am most in harmony with when I acknowledge these four
facts. My definition of sustainable is not dismissable, and requires that
there be
this specific hierarchy of value relationships.
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* since the term has been over worked; but for self/family/community/world
* what do you gauge your successes or failures by? What tests do you apply
* to your planning process when deciding on a course of action or assesment
* of what you observe after implementation of the plan? I am also curious
* as to what type of models are used. personal model/ adopted model etc.
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>>> Lion > With the proper hierarchy applied, decision making is greatly
simplified. "All boats rise with a rising tide". Intelligent support to the
right
priorities raises the tide, including my boat. The wrong priorities is
exactly
reversed, where "Every man for himself, and let the devil take the hindmost"
means that eventually everybody takes a turn as hindmost one by one. One
path leads to increase of life and one path leads to increase in death, and
either
is quantifiable. With practice one gets skilled in choosing and evaluating.
This is definately a personally constructed model, which shares aspects
of
other persons models, and is available to be chosen as an adopted model by
whomever is unsatisfied by their present alternative.
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* And if the model you use is totally embraced or you use only parts that
* seem to fit/understand/need. example: are all guidelines of IPM used or
* just what is needed at the time?
* I am interested in the transitions that are occuring with
* food systems and how models and indicators are used while these
* changes are happening and how they play a part in the success/speed/failure
* of the changes occuring. Any insights or comments would be appreciated
* Kelly Flegel
* PO Box 6
* Dryden, NY 13053
* tel. 607-844-5156
* email kwf4@cornell.edu
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>>> Lion > The model is totally embraced. It is seemingly infinitely
expansible
to cover every contingency. Rewards are at times deferred for great time
expanses, but are adequate to sustain the trials encountered.
Without this set of priorities I (and probably anyone else) would not
have trust
to make plans that bear fruit after my death. I am building institutions (see
sanet-mg-digest # 410 "Morning Star Institute of Ecological Synergy"),
planting
trees, developing techniques and technology of long-term (multi-generational)
sustainable independent farmsteads, and other projects which will live beyond
my personal journey.
I have a clear picture of the negative associated with backwards
priorities,
and enjoy the clarity for its ability to be a dependable and accurate
predictor.
Unlike statistics which can predict masses but not individuals, this practice
is
often very accurate in predicting individual behaviors and even specific
statements months in advance. Predicability also works with small groups and
larger ones. With long enough practice it begins to be reliable with
individuals
of other species. This is not to say that life is not full of surprises, or
is dull, but
rather that selfishness is never synergetic and the system is exactly
predicted by
the sum of the parts. The more you know the parts the more you can predict
the
behavior of the system.
The ecological-synergy set of principles and practices gives a portion of
all
increases up the hierarchy ("tithe" so to speak) and counts as crops such
things
as worms, songbirds, butterflies and treefrogs. An open system is by
definition
never fully predictable, but that is better than "Biosphere II" which was a
reversed priorities doomed closed system which was completely predictable.
Ecological-Synergy has multiple redundant safeguards against total failure.
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