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RULES OF THUMB FOR APPROPRIATE ENERGY USE

The following rules of thumb can provide a rough guide to appropriate energy use. Rather than being seen as a handicap, these will help in developing strategies which reflect underlying economic conditions, improve quality of life and effectiveness at social change.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in that order)
• Grow a garden and eat what it produces
• Avoid imported resources where possible
• Employ labour and skill in preference to materials and technology
• Design, build and purchase for durability and repairability
• Use resources for their greatest potential use (eg. electricity for tools and lighting, food scraps for animal feeds)
• Use renewable resources wherever possible even if local environmental cost appears higher (eg. wood rather than electricity for fuel, timber rather than steel for construction)
• Use non-renewable and embodied energies primarily to establish sustainable systems (eg. passive solar housing, food gardens, water storage, forests)
• When using high technology (eg. computers), avoid using state of the art equipment
• Avoid debt and long distance commuting
• Reduce taxation by earning less
• Develop a home based lifestyle, be domestically responsible

David Holmgren, Hepburn Springs (from Energy and Permaculture)

 

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

• Energy And Permaculture Holmgren, D. The Permaculture Edge Vol 3 issue 3 Oct. 1993
• Gardens As Agriculture Holmgren, D. The Permaculture Edge. Vol ?
• Hepburn Permaculture Gardens Holmgren, D. pub. Holmgren Design Services ISBN 0 646 26990 9
• Permaculture In The Bush Holmgren, D. pub. Nascimanere Pty Ltd. 1992 ISBN 0 9589585 2 1
• The Flywire House Holmgren, D. pub. Nascimanere Pty Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0 9589585 3 X

All the above available from Permanent Publications

 

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