Permaculture Principle #5: 'Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services'
"Let nature take its course."
Defining Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are things that can be used over and over again, without running out. These are things that are naturally replaced or replenished by the environment.
For example, the sun, wind, water, and trees are all considered renewable resources. They can be used to generate energy, build things, or provide other benefits, and then they'll just grow back or recharge themselves.
On the other hand, non-renewable resources are the opposite. These are things that are limited and can't be easily replaced once we use them up. The classic example is fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal.
We've been burning through these resources for decades, but they take millions of years to form naturally. Once we use them all, they're gone.
The cool thing about renewable resources is that we can design our lives and communities to really make the most of them, without constantly having to dig up or extract new materials.
Things like solar panels, wind turbines, biogas, and sustainable forestry are all ways we can tap into renewable resources to meet our needs.
Renewable Resources and Renewable Services
The distinction is that renewable resources are the physical materials, while renewable services are the functional benefits provided by natural systems.
Renewable Resources:
These are the physical materials and sources of energy that are replenished and replaced by natural processes over time.
Examples include:
- Sun, wind, and water for energy generation
- Trees, plants, and agricultural crops
- Minerals and other geological resources that can be extracted and reused
The key is that these resources can be used repeatedly without being permanently depleted, as long as they are used within sustainable limits.
Renewable Services:
These are the beneficial functions and processes provided by natural living systems, without those systems being consumed or destroyed.
Examples include:
- Soil organisms cycling nutrients
- Plants purifying air and water
- Animals performing tasks like tilling soil or controlling pests
- Ecosystems regulating the climate and water cycles
Renewable services are the non-consumptive ways that nature supports human needs and activities. We can leverage these services to reduce our demands on renewable (and non-renewable) resources.
The Importance of Renewable Resources
Basically, we can think of renewable resources like our regular income or paycheck that we use to get by day-to-day.
They're things that replenish themselves, like the sun, wind, water, and trees. We can tap into those resources and use them over and over again without running them out.
On the other hand, non-renewable resources are more like our savings or capital assets. Things like fossil fuels, minerals, and other finite resources that we can only use up once.
It's not sustainable to just keep dipping into those savings to get by - eventually, we'll use them all up.
That's why it's so important for us to really focus on making the best use of renewable resources, even if we still need to use some non-renewable stuff to get things started.
When we design our homes, gardens, and communities using Permaculture principles, the goal is to rely as much as possible on those renewable natural resources that can keep providing for us over the long term.
Criteria for Sustainable Use of Renewables
The main idea is that just because something is considered a renewable resource, that doesn't mean we can use it however we want without any consequences. We have to be really thoughtful about it.
One big factor is the replacement time - how long it takes for that resource to naturally replenish itself. If we use something up faster than it can regrow, then it's not really sustainable.
For example, cutting down old-growth forests faster than new trees can grow back would be a problem.
Another thing to look at is the lifespan or "half-life" of the products we make from renewable resources. If we make something that only lasts a few years, but the resource took decades to grow, that's not a great match.
And it's also important to try to get as much value as possible out of each renewable resource, instead of just using one part and wasting the rest.
Renewable Services from Nature
Did you know that in addition to renewable resources like the sun, wind, and trees, nature also provides us with all kinds of valuable services that we can tap into? It's pretty amazing when you think about it.
For example, we can use animals to help with things like cultivation and land management, instead of relying so much on energy-intensive machines.
Chickens are great for tilling up the soil and controlling pests in the garden, and grazing animals like sheep or goats can help maintain pastures and fertilize the land with their waste. It's a win-win - we get the work done without using as much fuel or equipment.
And plants aren't just renewable resources for making products - they also play a crucial role in cycling water and nutrients through the ecosystem. Trees and other vegetation help filter and purify water, and their root systems stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
We can design our landscapes to really take advantage of these natural services, rather than trying to engineer everything ourselves.
The Value of Traditional Knowledge
You know, a lot of us today have become pretty disconnected from nature, but traditional communities who lived closer to the land really understood how to work with it in a balanced way.
They had developed systems and practices for managing things like forests, waterways, and wildlife as shared resources that everyone depended on.
Rather than just exploiting these resources however they wanted, they had rules and customs in place to make sure people were using them responsibly and not depleting them.
They knew that if they took too much or used things irresponsibly, it would eventually come back to hurt them. So they were really careful and respectful in how they interacted with the natural world.
It's a good reminder that just because something is old doesn't mean it's not worth learning from. Sometimes the simplest, most natural solutions are the best ones.
Practical Steps
Here are some practical ways to apply the principle of "Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services":
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Use solar power for electricity generation - Install solar panels on your home or business to harness the sun's renewable energy.
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Grow a vegetable garden - Grow your own food using renewable resources like soil, water, and sunlight. This reduces reliance on non-renewable inputs.
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Compost food and yard waste - Turn organic "waste" into nutrient-rich compost to enrich your soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
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Raise backyard chickens - Chickens provide renewable eggs and meat, as well as natural fertilizer for the garden.
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Install a rainwater harvesting system - Collect and use rainwater for irrigation, washing, or even drinking, reducing demand on groundwater.
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Use wood for heating and cooking - Burn sustainably harvested wood instead of fossil fuels for heat and cooking.
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Craft with locally-sourced natural materials - Use renewable resources like bamboo, wool, or plant fibers to make household items.
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Leverage animal power - Use livestock like horses, oxen or donkeys for plowing, transportation or other farm work instead of machines.
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Implement natural water filtration - Use wetlands, ponds or constructed ecosystems to naturally purify water.
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Preserve heirloom seeds and plant diversity - Maintain renewable seed stocks and genetic diversity of crops.
Conclusion
The key is to look for ways to work with nature's cycles and services, rather than constantly consuming non-renewable inputs. Start small and build up renewable systems over time.
By tapping into the abundance of our local ecosystems, we can create truly sustainable systems that meet our needs without depleting the resources of the future.
References
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"Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability" by David Holmgren
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Certain images in this article were created using AI.