Urban permaculture in South Africa- watch the inspiring video!

by admin on July 22nd, 2009

Vertical organic barrel garden at The GreenHouse Project.

Vertical organic barrel garden at The GreenHouse Project.

In the inner city of Johannesburg, there is a neighborhood called Hillbrow which is infamous for overcrowded accommodations and high unemployment and crime. In the midst of the intense urban hustle, there is a park that has become an oasis for the people living nearby. The GreenHouse Project has arisen to serve this community.The broad aim of the GreenHouse Project is to teach simple practices for making Johannesburg a green city. The main facility is a renovated green building surrounded by small plots for community gardening and teaching. It was built on the foundations of an old potting shed with recycled materials, including bricks, soil and windows. The small building also boasts composting toilets, greywater recycling, and the use of natural lighting. One of the walls is built of straw bales and covered with red mud.

The Project’s permaculture gardens are used to train the extensive flatland community around the Park in sustainable living. Preschool children learn to plant vegetables under plastic bottles cut in half, a method that conserves water and increases seedling survival rates. Program areas include:

Green Building and Design: exploring new ways of designing buildings, retrofitting with passive solar technology, minimizing energy use in heating and cooling, and using alternative building materials.
Efficiency and Renewable Energy: exploring an array of environmentally sound options for energy production as alternatives to coal-based and electrical sources.
Recycling Project: showcasing the idea that waste is a resource that can be utilized economically.
Organic Food Production and Nutrition: exploring urban food security and demonstrating ways for people to grow their own food in the city.

Learn more about the Greenhouse Project by watching a video from Global Oneness Project.

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What is the culture of permaculture?

It's becoming painfully clear that the culture of consumption created by the global market economy cannot sustain itself on a finite planet. Ecological and social crises are at hand, and loom larger as populations continue to grow and resources shrink. Scientists may disagree about the number of years we have to make this shift before we reach an ecological "point of no return," but it is clear that the current dominant system is leading us down the wrong path. Another way forward is being called for, and that means a fundamental shift in our beliefs and practices— a cultural shift.

Permaculture,a re-evolutionary design system evoking permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture, is about observing nature and working with its flow. It uses ecological principles to design systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Over the past quarter century it has grown into an international movement for sustainable land use practices-- a code of ethics based in the wisdom of many traditional and indigenous cultures.

What could the future look like if we make this shift toward sustainability? We believe that the culture of permaculture is pioneering a path toward a positive future, while honoring the wisdom of our ancestors. It is a growing, international group who are "changing the dream" of the dominant culture, in the shamanic sense-- shifting the cultural imagination toward an alternative way of living. They actively choose to live in a way that respects the Earth, recognizing that this change is inevitable in the face of global warming, peaking resources, and growing population.

In a modern world irrevocably shifted by human impact, what does a more sustainable culture actually look like? We decided to take our skills as anthropologist/writer (Juliana) and visual artist/activist (Louis) on the road and document this emerging culture in a book called Sustainable (R)evolution and this blog. Along the way we've connected with permaculture experts, photojournalists and activists who are also contributing to the project. Please contact us at julianapeartree@gmail.com if you'd like to get involved too.
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Support the ‘Sustainable (R)evolution’ Book Project

Have you ever wished, when explaining to someone about sustainable alternatives to our destructive global system, you had a visual, easily accessible book that demonstrated what it is all about, and what the world could look like if permaculture design systems became mainstream thinking?

We’ll – we’re making that book.

The Permaculture Research Institute is getting behind a project that would see the creation of a large format book that profiles, with creative writing and quality photographs, some of the many successful Permaculture projects underway around the world.

The final version is unlikely to look like this, but it gives you an idea….

The purpose of the book is to create a resource tool to help drive Permaculture thinking into the mainstream, by spotlighting in the most aesthetic and readable way the potential of Permaculture to solve all of the world’s current problems, by means of inspirational examples of practical, working solutions. We’re documenting a sustainable revolution that spans every corner of the globe – painting an accessible, exciting picture of the positive future that’s already here.

Blogging as We Go

Juliana, Louis, Craig and our other journalists will be blogging about inspiring sites that are demonstrating sustainability around the world, and posting them here!

Ready to Help?

If you can help with either direct support from an airline, or with frequent flyer miles, please contact Juliana on julianapeartree (at) gmail.com with the details.

Or, if you just want to donate funds directly, please click on the donate button below. All support gratefully received.

Note: All funding for the Sustainable (R)evolution book goes through our PRI USA site, as it is the fiscal sponsor for this project (and has tax deductible status for U.S. residents). Please ensure you put "For Sustainable (R)evolution book project" in Paypal’s "Add special instructions to the seller" field.

Other Payment Options: If you’d rather pay by check, see our other payment options. Please ensure that the purpose of the donation is made clear (i.e. Sustainable (R)evolution book).

The book will map some of the most noteworthy Permaculture projects worldwide

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