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DAY 7: Water Conservation and Storage (PDC 2010 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton)

The world of water
The world of water by Snap®

Water Arithmetics

  • 97% of all water on Earth is salt water
  • of remaining 3%:
    • 14% is deep ground water (below 800ft) – this is fossil water that took thousands of years to travel from the surface. It cannot be renewed in our lifetime, and it can only be accessed using heavy-duty pumps. This is the water that modern monoculture farming is sucking up…
    • 11% is shallow ground water (less than 800ft deep)
    • 74% trapped in snow and ice caps
    • ONE PERCENT is lakes/ponds, forests, living systems, soils, rivers and atmosphere
  • There is a constant amount of water in the Earth system. Like energy, it doesn’t come from anywhere and it doesn’t go anywhere; it only changes its position and state. Hence, the water in my body right now could’ve in a dinosaur at some stage :).
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DAY 6: Climatic Factors to Land Ownership (PDC 2010 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton)

morning coffee at Soul Kitchen
morning coffee at Soul Kitchen

It’s Saturday, and I was trekking through the empty streets to class. Most of the usual cafes were closed, but that didn’t mean I had to sacrifice the quality of my morning cup. In fact, it made me look at surroundings more carefully, and I came upon this brilliant man.

Michael from Soul Kitchen making me a cuppa joe
Michael from Soul Kitchen making me a cuppa joe

Michael and his super cheerful Kombi like to hang out on St. Kilda street, just outside the National Gallery of Victoria. They listen to music, greet passerby’s and make some really great coffee. Made me smile.

When I got to class, it was obvious that everyone’s head was flat out. Even the most upright people began to slouch in their chairs. I suppose 6 straight days of contemplating world problems would do that to you :).

Bill and Geoff were away in Brisbane giving a talk, so the lectures were lead by Greg, who is assisting with the course. We began discussions about different climatic zones, but the conversation soon diverged to the topic of land availability, funding and government regulations. I must say, those are my top concerns as well, and I was glad to discuss it with a group. Best advice I heard was that if you want to find out about local land, go to a pub and have a beer with the locals. Makes sense.

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DAY 5: Permaculture Design Certificate Course 2010 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton

Circle Celtic Tree of Life by foxvox (http://foxvox.deviantart.com)
Circle Celtic Tree of Life by foxvox (http://foxvox.deviantart.com)

Celtic people had it right. They understood the magical nature of trees and their essential role in the landscape. Bill Mollison said today, “All trees work hard. None of them are lazy. Sometimes they even sweat.”

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DAY 4: Permaculture Design Certificate Course 2010 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton

Bill Mollison
Bill Mollison

How far down the rabbit hole do you really want to go?…

That is the question. My mind is finally settling into the subject, and I am starting to understand how much there is to know and how little we actually do know…It’s a reassuring feeling though. It carries a promise of great mystery around every corner and no opportunity to ever run out of things to learn.

The structure of the course seems to follow loosely the “Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual” book, but in reality it’s more like a tree. We pick up on a subject and then branch out to another one. Then we return to the trunk and begin branching again.

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DAY 3: Permaculture Design Certificate Course 2010 with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton

Bike rental in Melbourne
I wish Sydney had one of those 🙂

Today started with a refreshing walk (a long one, actually) from a friend’s apartment to the University of Melbourne, where the course is taking place. It’s amazing how many interesting things you see, when you walk! Like these bike rental stands located all around Melbourne. I’ve been in Melbourne for 4 days now, but I only registered what these stands are today. On my walk. Walking rejuvenates the soul.