Seattle and Permaculture

The World on: "Permaculture"

"Let us have the candor to acknowledge that what we call "the economy" or "the free market" is less and less distinguishable from warfare.”

― Wendell Berry

The State on: "LID" (Low Impact Development)

—the state's new, supposedly mandatory requirement for infiltration, evabotranspiration, and harvesting of precipitation using natural systems, but where not "feasible" then high tech, high maintenance methods, e.g., various planters and green roofs and walls. Comments are again due in Olympia (October 19, 2011 through February 3, 2012) as the Department of Ecology and ad hoc committees finalize a draft that determines the significance (if any) of "must use green stormwater infrastructure to the maximum extent feasible."

Attached: Earlier comments from committee member Richard Horner. Compare with other members here:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/LIDcomments.html

Latest draft here:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/2012draftMUNIcom.html

The City of Seattle commented here:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/LID/LIDcomments/LIDjointMTG081210.pdf

Also attached: an unusually edifying explanation from the Fiscal Note prepared by Seattle Public Utility for the current Stormwater Code adopted in 2009 (DR 2009-17). The entire very long Fiscal Note can be found here: http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/fnote/116614.htm

Seattle on: "Green Factor"

—trying to have the cake (Puget Sound) and eat it too (hegemony) Seattle officialdom invented the

Green Factor—a menu with a required minimum tally enabling a building permit. This solution is ultra chic. There are several problems. Nature and humans are one, but urbanities are the last to know, however, the long waiting list for P-Patch spots is proof positive that some city people know there are things they need to come together to learn, enjoy, and pass on. But as illustrated here, the information learned in p-patches and lingering oases of green throughout the city is not being passed on to designers early enough in their careers. It should not take a lifetime of practice to learn what plants are for and to bless them with room, rain from the sky, good earth and symbiotic companions.

Are P-Patches on roofs really the wave of the future?

This summation from a report by Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society) of a Seattle Conference—Cultivating Regional Food Security, Dec. 2010. http://www.friendsofthetrees.net/articles.htm

"Gardening on elevated structures is a logical consequence of the lack of affordable land in metropolitan areas. Roof garden proponents often claim that this farming method can be a part of the sustainable and healthy city solution. It does not consume land, can reduce air pollution and stormwater runoff, promote urban production and food self-sufficiency, reduce food transportation costs, and increase a building's economic value. It also promotes city beautification and is accessible for leisure activities.

Many obstacles, however, exist. No matter which planting techniques (i.e. container, hydroponics, greenhouses, coldframes) are used, transporting the required materials to the roof location is not as easy as for conventional ground gardens. In addition, prospective gardeners must also consider the roof support capacity, which can limit the garden's design. Roof elevation, strong winds, high temperature, and suitable plant species also require serious consideration. For instance, strong wind, which can wipe out leaves and vines, or high temperatures which necessitate more frequent watering, may discourage some gardeners. Academic initiatives in rooftop gardening do not appear to be widespread, and those who support the idea do not necessarily research or practice it."

Autumn Ballet