Ethics are moral beliefs and action in relation to survival on our planet. In permaculture, we embrace a threefold ethic: care of the earth, care of people and dispersal of surplus time, money and materials towards these things.

Care of the earth means care of all living and non-living things: soil, species and their varieties, atmosphere, forests, microhabitats, animals and waters. It implies harmless and rehabilitative activities, active conservation, ethical and frugal use of resources and ‘right livelihood’ (working for useful and beneficial systems).

Care of the earth also implies care of people, so that our basic needs for food, shelter, education, satisfying employment and convivial human contact are taken care of. Care of people in important, for even though people make up only a small part of total living systems of the world, we make a decisive impact on it. If we can provide for our basic needs, we need not indulge in broadscale destructive practices against the earth.

Contribution of surplus time, money and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care. This means that after we have taken care of our basics needs and designed our systems to the best of our ability, we can extend our influence and energies to helping others achieve that aim.

The permaculture system also has a basic life ethic, which recognizes the intrinsic worth of every living thing. A tree is something of value in itself, even if it has no commercial value for us. That it is alive and functioning is what is important. It is doing its part in nature: recycling biomass, providing oxygen and carbon dioxide for the region, sheltering small animals, building soils and so on.

So we see that the permaculture ethic pervades all aspects of environmental, community and economical systems. Cooperation, not competition, is the key.

by Bill Mollison

Ways we can implement these earth care ethics in our own lives include:

• Think about the long term consequences of your actions. Plan for sustainability.
• Where possible, use species native to the area, or those naturalized species known to be beneficial. The thoughtless introduction of potentially invasive species may upset natural balances in your home area.
• Cultivate the smallest possible land area. Plan for small-scale, energy-efficient intensive systems rather than large-scale, energy-consuming extensive systems.
• Be diverse, poly-cultural – as opposed to mono-cultural. This provides stability and helps us to be ready for change, whether environmental or social.
• Increase the sum of yields: look at the total yield of a system provided by annuals, perennials, crops, trees and animals. Also regard energy saved as a yield.
• Use low-energy environmental (solar, wind and water) and biological (plant and animal) systems to conserve and generate energy.
• Bring food-growing back into the cities and towns, where it has always traditionally been in sustainable societies.
• Assist people to become self-reliant and promote community responsibility.
• Re-afforest the earth and restore fertility to the soil.
• Use everything at its optimum level and recycle all wastes.
• See solutions, not problems.
• Work where it counts – plant a tree where it will survive; assist people who want to learn.

by Bill Mollison

If you would like to know more about permaculture, please join our Introduction to Permaculture Workshop. Check our What’s On? calendar for details of the next workshop.