claire_58 | Self responsibility and Spheres of Influence

We live in a time of rapid change and uncertainty. The 50 year failure of the environmental movement has left us with a tangle of interconnected problems. Ecosystem destruction; freakishly high levels of pollution of the land the water and the atmosphere; and resource depletion combine to create a looming crisis of epic proportions. We are faced with increasing political and economic instability and it’s clear that there will be no large scale co-ordinated efforts to address any of it.

This blog is about what we can do, as ordinary people in families and small groups, to create lives worth living; to build a future worth having; and to be a force for renewal and regeneration in our much depleted world. I hope to provide some possibilities based on our universal human strengths and the strategies that have allowed us to thrive in the past.

If you care about this planet; the future; and your own ability to make your way in these crazy times this blog is for you.

This blog is largely informed by my training and experience as a permaculture designer and teacher. Permaculture is a systematic approach to the design of human habitats. It is the most sophisticated practical approach to human ecology currently available. The guidelines it provides can be used for personal decision making just as effectively as they are for making design decisions.

The Prime Directive of Permaculture is self responsibility. Permaculture typically emphasizes food production partly because industrial agriculture is so enormously destructive and partly because food is the easiest of the top three human needs to provide for ourselves. This doesn’t mean we all have to be farmers or even gardeners. If your skills and inclinations lay elsewhere you can still use the following ideas and suggestions to find a place for your talents within the large scope of this project. It is much more important to internalize the idea of Self Responsibility than it is to manifest any particular aspect of it.

Thinking about ways to provide for ourselves and our families and reducing our reliance on unstable global supply systems may seem overwhelming but in a world fraught with chaotic international conflict the alternatives may be worse. Systems thinking and the tools that inform permaculture design can show you where to focus your attention; illuminate the outside influences that affect you; and inform your response to the challenges we all face.

The first tool I want to introduce is “zone mapping.” In systems design this is used to plan the placement of various elements within the system depending on how much care and attention they need or how much use they get. Anything that needs daily attention goes in zone 1. Herb gardens are placed near the kitchen door to give daily access to fresh herbs. Things that need less frequent attention go into zone 2. Zone 3 is for things that need only occasional attention or maintenance. Zone 4 are the areas you may only visit once or twice a year and require almost no maintenance. Wild-ish areas that contain hiking trails, foraging spots, and restoration projects fit here. Zone 5 is the wilderness. Real wilderness. Places people don’t go.

Using the same map and applying zone planning to your time and attention and identifying your spheres of influence, it’s easy to see that what you do and how you live will have the most impact on your home and your daily workplace. Think of your daily routine as an infinite looped path. Anyone you interact with and any place you visit or spend time is your zone 1. It makes sense to focus most of your attention here where you have the most influence.

Zone 5 is probably international politics. The area where your personal influence drops to near zero. In between, zones 2, 3, and 4 your influence progressively diminishes and it makes sense to divide your energy, time, and attention proportionally. Zone 2 is your neighbourhood and your friends and family. Zone 3 is the larger community and Zone 4 may be the national political economic sphere. There will be times when any one of these zones needs more concentrated attention. However, spending all your time in Zone 4 and ignoring what’s going on in Zones 1 and 2 is not a good strategy for maintaining personal equilibrium.

The second tool is the sector map. In permaculture design this is used to determine the source of the outside influences flowing through the site. Seasonal wind directions and sun angles; slope and water flow (fire and flood sectors); and views to preserve or to block. These are things beyond your control that have an impact on your life and your choices. This includes material resources like income and food. It may include family influences or social pressure. Even ideas and social trends. Anything that is beyond your control and has an impact on how you live and your available options.

Using this tool in your life is more personal. Just as the outside influences are site specific in a permaculture design, the outside influences flowing through your life will be specific to you. There will be commonalities. Some of these things will affect the people around you in similar ways. Some of them will be unique.

Giving careful thought to the things that flow into your “system” from the outside allows you to assess them individually and make decisions about your response. Is the flow intermittent or consistent? Is the impact dramatic or persistent? Are there features of your situation that limit or distract you? Are there influences you can make use of to make yourself stronger and more resilient? Are there things that weaken you or your position that can be remedied or amended? Are there better ways to respond to the various “flows” so you are not buffeted around or taken unawares?

The answers of course depend entirely on your situation and how much flexibility you have. The point is that even if there is nothing you can do about any of it right now, these tools give you a foundation for thinking about how to devote your time and attention to weathering the storms when they come through and enjoying the sun when it shines.

Next: Getting ahead of the curve