How can we make optimum use of resources? We could say that the key to the sustainability of any society (or indeed any design) is simply to make optimum use of resources - so this is a very important subject to clarify for ourselves as designers. In this class we will explore how often, instead of using rational criteria for appropriateness when choosing resources (materials, fuels or technologies), like energy trade-off, we tend to use subjective & superficial criteria, like appearance, fashion & emotional attachments. This class is about how we can learn to make wiser judgements & choices in these matters.

1. + PDC
Module 4 of the PDC+++
+ + Energy & EcoTechnology
We dedicate this Module to the Mother &
Father of Integral Permaculture: Dana
Class Meadows & Howard Odum, two original
pioneers who helped humanity make
M4.2 great strides in understanding systemic
Resources thinking, in all four quadrants.
We could say that the key to the sustainability of any society (or indeed
any design) is simply to make optimum use of resources - so this is a very
important subject to clarify for ourselves as designers. In this class we
will explore how often, instead of using rational criteria for appropriateness
when choosing resources (materials, fuels or technologies), like energy
trade-off, we tend to use subjective & superficial criteria, like appearance,
fashion & emotional attachments. This class is about how we can learn
to make wiser judgements & choices in these matters.

2. M4.2 How can we make optimum
use of resources?
Hierarchies of resources
Invisible resources
8rs and Emergy
Resources culture

3. We've already met this "Scale of
Resources"
0) cause pollution if NOT
used, all our 'junk'
& established that the
general direction of by modest use,
1) INCREASE
Cut-&-come-again salads,
Evolution seems to information, creativity
be Up
this way
2) UNAFFECTED by use
Returned water (hydroplant),well
managed ecosystems, a view,
good climate …
3) DISAPPEAR/ DEGRADE if
not used waste water, crop
failure, fish-escapes
4) REDUCED by use
natural forests, coal, oil, poorly-
managed marine and forestry
resources
very useful ...
5) POLLUTE if used pesticides, but not so simple
nuclear, oil, scorn, contempt ...

4. COMMON HERITAGE
Energies coming into our Forests, water, soils, air, seeds
… 0) cause pollution if NOT
system –
used, all our 'junk'
CLASSIFICATION - For analysis of USE - RESULTS
PEOPLE
work
Sun, wind, rain, people …
1) INCREASE by modest use,
Cut-&-come-again salads,
information, creativity
ENERGY ACCOUNTING =
living components KEY in sustainable design
And technology 2) UNAFFECTED by use
Returned water (hydroplant),well
managed ecosystems, a view,
Some are needed to good climate …
keep the system
RESOURCES
Useful Reserves 3) DISAPPEAR/ DEGRADE if
RESOURCES Too much = pollution
not used waste water, crop
failure, fish-escapes
trade
4) REDUCED by use
natural forests, coal, oil, poorly-
managed marine and forestry
Surplus = YIELD conserve Use 4 y 5 only resources
to create
infrastructure 5) POLLUTE if used pesticides,
nuclear, oil, scorn, contempt ...
Managing resources - regulate all uses to create a
sustainable harvest

5. Destructo-Culture Cup of Tea
resources consume pollution
This is what we attempt to re-design
in general

6. Perma-Cultural Cup of Tea
Sustainability at small scale ... as in big scale ... means
that a system creates or stores more energy in its life
than what is needed to create & maintain it
resource
appropiate prosumers
technology
pollution
other
resources
Perma-Cultural Planet

7. In General
when we design for more sustainability
we attempt to avoid
or transform LINEAR
systems
the Principle of Cycling
also
Energy
MiniMax
reminds us of this
to more CYCLICAL
& the MultiFuncion
one

8. an Example
very Cyclical, of
MultiFunctioning

9. water
water 0) cause pollution if NOT used
waste
grains
BEER
waste
used
grains
feed
not digestible
desechos 0) cause pollution if NOT used
= pollution
(methane) (basura)
0) cause pollution if NOT used
more waste
eg. of a conventional semi-industrial process

10. waste >
water FISH more produce
+ more employment
water
waste
grains agae
BEER
digestor
granos
usados GAS
substrato waste
BREA PIGS
D
SETAS
used
feed
substrate
sustainable semi-industrial process

11. Energies coming into our
system – 0) cause pollution if NOT
used, all our 'junk'
Sun, wind, rain, people …
1) INCREASE by modest use,
Cut-&-come-again salads,
information, creativity
living components
& technology 2) UNAFFECTED by use
Returned water (hydroplant),well
managed ecosystems, a view,
good climate …
RESOURCES
Useful Reserves 3) DISAPPEAR/ DEGRADE if
RESOURCES not used waste water, crop
failure, fish-escapes
4) REDUCED by use
natural forests, coal, oil, poorly-
managed marine and forestry
Use 4 y 5 only resources
to create
5) POLLUTE if used pesticides,
infrastructure nuclear, oil, scorn, contempt ...

12. Another important type of "Resource
Scale"
we DEDUCE
by doing a PMI
Analysis of
Elements
of MATERIALS
ideal to use in each
different Series of
Circumstances
> M4.2 Materials

13. serves GOOD DESIGN
REAL human
needs íntegrates ALL this
- biological
makes
- emotional very good
use of
- spiritual RESOURCE
S
- materials
keeps in mind
global & - technologies
long-term
- energy
COSTS
- conservation
- environment
- economy

14. & normally we don't consider this under
"Scale of Resources" ...
... But it is:
Who Has More?
& How does the System
self-organize in order to
conserve inequalities? A CENTRAL subject for
Integral Designers, which
we will continue
> M4.2 Stealing developing in this course
Resources >> VITAL

15. All "Resource Scales" operate in all quadrants
People Things
& the SCALE
that determines
WHO* has
more ACCESS
to resources
... is so rooted
because it
operates where
we LEAST
expect it
Systems &
Culture Technologies

16. a Social Model (RC) owning class
isolated BY
but INSIDE each
OPRESSIONS
group there is (which are combinations of
also tension classism PATTERNS)
racism
ISOLATION is
the pattern we
perceive
sexism
working class
adultism/ageism

17. eg.
adultism
sexism External
racism Oppression
classism (institutions & people
... who limit & batter us
from outside)
LOTS OF PRESSURE!!
Internalized
Oppression
(patterns that
limit & batter us
from the inside)

18. a pattern that repeats at various scales “the first world”
“the third
world”
GLOBAL

19. If you want to SEE oppression, you
only need to follow the FLOW of
RESOURCES

20. a pattern that repeats at various scales
“owning class”
“working class”
REGIONAL

21. & it seems like we all participate in this 'equilibrium'
People Things
>> prejudices are
the crux of the
operative system that
controls all this:
our(subconsciou
s)
ideas of who
DESERVES
more
Systems &
Culture
... & LESS Technologies

22. if you want to SEE
a pattern that repeats at various scales oppression, just
follow the FLOW
of RESOURCES
also LOOK for
SYMMETRY
DON'T stay in what (if cycles complete)
'seems reasonable' 10%
at first impressions INDIVIDUAL

23. He who allows oppression
shares the crime. & the whole comes
-Desiderius Erasmus with self-regulation
systems
> toward liberation
but we BLOCK
their functioning
repressing the
expression of
emotions that we
So Intelligence + call 'negative'
education
are key resources

24. How do we design for INCLUSION & CO-
OPERATION?
(& why the idea
of "fair shares"
isn't all that
useful)
The 7 Fs of People's
Needs
Food
Fuel
Fibre
Fodder
Fertilizer
Farmacy
& Fun

25. And definitly THIS escale also exists
That When I mean to do something
and really work
goberns IF to get it,
I did it!!!
I'm gonna make it
you get to I will make it!
make good I can do it!
use of I will try to do it
resources How can I do it?
I wanna do it!
and ¿What I can't do it
goberns it? I won't do it
And so important are INVISIBLE resources

26. M4.2 How can we make optimum
use of resources?
Hierarchy of resources
Invisible resources
8rs and Emergy
Resources culture

27. Creativity, intelligence, ideas, wisdom,
knowledge...
all are Invisible Resources that we will re-
visit in more detail in class 4.8 (Social
Capital)
Here we want to focus on the Integral
Approach to invisible resources

28. We have technologies that foster intelligence
(= The ability to give fresh and effective answers to changing circumstances)
And we can design with them
People Things
Systems &
Culture Technologies

29. PRACTICAL tools to enhance
collective intelligence, reduce
inefficiency, support group
development, etc.
Things

30. PRACTICAL tools to enhance
collective intelligence, reduce
inefficiency, support group
The 6 Thinking development, etc.
Hats
The 7 Criteria
for Original
Resources
Collective
Intelligence
from Noubel
(self-organized groups,
emergent issues...)

31. PRACTICAL and coherent tools to enhance individual intelligence,
reduce irrationality, support personal development, etc.
People

32. PRACTICAL and coherent tools to enhance individual intelligence,
reduce irrationality, support personal development, etc.
ecoescucha.net
People

33. A systemic understanding of our “blind spots”
and usual communication problems: good
maps or models that don't blame and give
practical and feasible answers + the hardware
that facilitate communication.
Systems &
Technologies

34. A systemic understanding of our “blind spots”
and usual communication problems: good
maps or models that don't blame and give
practical and feasible answers + the hardware
that facilitate the communication.
Systems &
Technologies
eg. Phases in the formation of
communities and professional groups
(Scott Peck and others)

35. Culture
There is no need to
“re-invent the wheel”:
“Local Agenda 21” is still
The conversation
of the century
join in!

36. M4.2 How can we make optimum
use of resources?
Hierarchy of resources
Invisible resources
8rs and Emergy
Resources culture

37. 2º law of
thermodynamics
Nicholas
Dana Meadows
Inspired Georgescu-Roegen
The de-growth movement

38. • The snail constructs its shell by adding ever
increasing spirals
• Then it abruptly stops
• Just one additional spiral would make the shell
16 x bigger
• This would overload the snail

39. 8 Rs from the de-growth
movement
Re-evaluate
Could there be a natural succession Re-distribute
here?
Re-conceptualize
Restructure Re-conceptualize
Re-localize
Restructure
Re-distribute
Re-evaluate
Recycle
Re-localize
Reuse
Reduce
Reduce Reuse
Normally we hear these ones
Recycle

40. We are not in “flatland”
For any given
reality there are
quadrants, levels,
lines, states...
We have to take
this into account
if we want to
design the
Transition in an
effective way

41. Re-cycle
What are we doing
with our wastes?
Quite easy to implement, there
are no need of great changes in
our lifestyles, values or
worldview

42. Reuse
What else could we do
with this?
Some changes are
needed, maybe we
have to learn some new
skills :-)
More pro-activity
needed

43. Reduce
Do we really need this?
Here we start to
challenge ourselves on
what are our real
needs, lifestyle, etc...
It's the first “re-conceptualization”: it
requires facing our addiction

44. Relocalize
From where
are our
resources
taken?

45. Re-evaluate
What is
“We” paradigm
All species in
quality of life? the planet
“Me” paradigm
My family, my tribe,
my country

46. Re-structure
On which kind of resources
do we depend?
Our whole economic system
is built around
continuous growth
- less resource use >> less employment
It is structural changes that seem to lead in
changing values & world-views

47. Re-conceptualize
What are our visions
& values?
Leavers
Takers

48. Re-distribute
What, how, where, to whom ... ?
We can't
know what
the re-
distribution
of
resources
would look
like ...
in a sustainable planet

49. M4.2 How can we make optimum
use of resources?
Hierarchy of resources
Invisible resources
8rs and Emergy
Resources culture

50. The Story of Jean & Ida Pain
A good example
of living another
Resource Culture
& Why is this system not
better known?
& also of how our
> M4.2 Jean culture rejects great
Pain innovation

51. Another Kind of Garden, by Ida and Jean Pain
First published in 1973, fifth edition by 1979
o
• Heated water to 60 C
• at a rate of 4litres/min
• for washing and heating
• distilled methane to run
• an electricity generator
• cooking elements Motivation of Design:
• & power their truck Concerned with the
devastation of the
1964
• produced 100% of their home Mediterranean forest by
fire & wanting to reverse Aim: "to enable a
energy needs family of extremely
the dehumification of modest means first to
soils caused by get by and then live
agriculture normally in the forest"

52. This was the basic set-up, all quite low-
tech:

53. forest This is how it worked
cleared of brushwood
(fire prevention)
water
home
heat
food
cooking
shredded wood transport
biogas
garden compost electricity
(no watering
needed)
5 days of work, shredding 50t of brushwood >>
enough for the whole year's household needs

54. 0) cause pollution if NOT used
- waste materials can be used
for the biodigestor parts + the
machinery can all be re-cycled
from waste parts re-used
1) INCREASE by modest use
- their garden production, the
materials
soil quality improves year by
year, but mainly the garden
information & creativity +
collective intelligence (no information
2) UNAFFECTED by use watering)
"a well managed ecosystem" is a
good description of a forest
harvested in this way: no trees
are cut, only lower branches & the
more rapidly regenerating shrub
layer (cleared not cut) forest
3) DISAPPEAR/ DEGRADE if cleared of brushwood
not used - arguably, some of the
materials from the wood (fire prevention)
(composting conserves nutrients),
but mainly the heat & methane 'by-
product' of fermentation
4) REDUCED by use
the petrol used + the materials of
their house, machines, etc. which
are of this type (metals, etc.), IF
brought new
5) POLLUTE if used
all industrially-built machinery,
car, etc., IF brought new +50
gallons of petrol used to transport
& shred materials < how much petrol?

55. • Contemporaries of Bill Mollison
• they developed an ingenious
working system, & published, but ...
• it never achieved much notoriety –
why? Maybe...
What are the • didn't speak English
'inner quadrant' • lived in a rural setting
parts of this • not attached to a university
story?
• people of modest means
• Jean didn't have the personality to
also be an 'outreach person'
• & if Ida had, she could not have
used it

56. Invisible Resources are the critical
factor for our future survival & prosperity
as a culture, as a society
A Resource Culture will
VALUE & cherish
pioneers & innovators
like the good soil of a
culture that they are

57. M4.2 How can we make optimum
use of resources?
Hierarchy of resources
Invisible resources
8rs and Emergy
Resources culture