Connection Matters Podcast

The future is Permaculture with Andy Goldring

Episode Summary

In this episode I speak with the Chief Executive of the UK Permaculture Association Andy Goldring. Andy share’s the story of his own journey through the early days of Permaculture to the current time where Permaculture is now a huge global movement. From counter cultural beginnings to modern day mainstream solutions this podcast explores how the Permaculture Community has created valid alternatives in transport, economics, energy production, food production and much more. In this exciting discussion we learn that we really do already have what we need to make the shift from a profit before planet paradigm to a new shared story where people, all beings and nature come first.

Episode Notes

Things we talk about in this episode

• Permaculture as having moral and ethical grounding as well as ecological
• Permaculture being rooted in appreciation of indigenous wisdom as well as in innovation of science and technology.
• Permaculture as a living evolving dynamic process of working with nature to find ways of meeting our many different needs practically and otherwise.
• Permaculture works at both an individual and personal level as well as at a societal level.
• Andy shares about the many applications of permaculture across the spectrum of society.
• Examples include food production and community agriculture, transition towns, reconomy, energy projects, and transport solutions with some specific examples.
• The know how is there to create the new systems that we need.
• The move from profit before planet to a people and planet before profit model.
• Now is the time to reinvent a new story. Now is the time to adapt and redesign.
• Covid 19 as another wake up call (on top of floods and drought last year)
• Covid 19 as exposing the structural and societal inequality across the board.
• We all have agency and personal sovereignty, acting from within first and having strong ethical foundations. Choosing our project area and acting on it as thinking about it.
• Support the change makers already out there. Who is already innovating, who is already creating alternatives. How can we make connections to build on what is there.

Links in this episode

Main UK Permaculture sites

https://www.permaculture.org.uk/

https://scotland.permaculture.org.uk/

https://wales.permaculture.org.uk/

http://childreninpermaculture.com/

Permanent-Culture innovation and alternatives

https://www.joannamacy.net/

https://www.solidarityeconomy.coop/

https://transitionnetwork.org/

https://www.reconomy.com/

https://www.solhaven.co.uk/

https://www.kateraworth.com/ - Donut Economics

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Andy’s Biography

Andy Goldring is Chief Executive of the Permaculture Association, a post he has held since 1999. Significant achievements include the sustained development of the Permaculture Association and its capacity to deliver its aims, development of a national demonstration network with over 120 Centres across England and Scotland, a Diploma scheme supporting over 400 apprentices, an active and growing research programme, hosting of dialogue to take permaculture forwards internationally and a shift towards a more eco-entrepreneurial direction for the Association.

Andy lives in Leeds with his family and believes that doing is as important as thinking, so cycles to work, has an allotment, passes on his skills and knowledge through regular local permaculture courses, and is involved in a range of practical initiatives.