[Pil-pc-oceania] Writers wanted - Permaculture water book

[RussGrayson]

What an amazingly rapid response Darren! I thought you would be out in the
mud and dust of farmer's fields, not stuck in front of a screen like me.

Thanks. How do you want to proceed?

...Russ


On 1/5/08 3:48 PM, "Darren Doherty" <permaculture.biz at gmail.com> wrote:

> G'day,
> I'll put my hand up for the Keyline bit!
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Darren Doherty
> 
> 2008/5/1 RussGrayson <info at pacific-edge.info>:
> 
>> BACKGROUND
>> At the APC9 session on water, the decision was made to gather some of the
>> ideas presented and developed it into a book that would be put online as a
>> downloadable pdf file. I found that I had been volunteered to edit this
>> volume.
>> 
>> The notes made by particpants at the conference have proven useful
>> although
>> partial, and the need for additional material is obvious.
>> 
>> The technologies and ideas canvassed in the sessions include the tried and
>> proven, such as home rainwater tanks, to the rural, such as the Keyline
>> system of farm water management and irrigation. Although these are known
>> and
>> no longer new, some even receiving government financial incentives to
>> install, they have a rightful place in any volume on water in
>> permaculture.
>> 
>> WHAT'S NEEDED NOW
>> What we need now is material specifically on the permaculture management
>> of
>> water. This would include ideas, technoligies and associated things, as
>> well
>> as how these relate to whatever the permaculture attitude to the use of
>> water might be.
>> 
>> Specifically, we need volunteers (this is a zero budget work) to write
>> credible, factual material on the following:
>> 
>> 1. Permaculture and water in humid landscapes.
>> 
>> Humid landscapes can be regarded as those in which water readily flows and
>> collects in water bodies (streams, lakes etc). That is,
>> climates/landcapes/geographies in which water is plentiful and, usually,
>> in
>> excess of human needs.
>> 
>> 2. Permaculture and semi-arid/arid landscapes.
>> 
>> These are landforms in which water is usually in deficit and there is
>> little
>> excess to collect in permanent waterways and lakes.
>> 
>> 3. The Keyline system of farm water management.
>> 
>> This would answer questions such as:
>> - What is the Keyline system?
>> - Why it is superior to other water harvesting/ storage/irrigaton systems
>> (assuming that it is)?
>> - How does it work? Ie. How is the decision made as to where to site farm
>> dams and diversion channels? How is water reticulated to crops? On what
>> types of landscapes does it work?
>> Is is applicable elsewhere than farms?
>> Other relevant points about Keyline.
>> 
>> A practitioner or someone who has carefully studied the system would
>> perhaps
>> be the most approariate to produce material on it.
>> 
>> 3. Other approaches to farm water management.
>> 
>> POINTS 1 & 2
>> Regarding points 1 & 2 above, what would prove useful to readers is how
>> and
>> why permaculture might take a different approach to water management in
>> these landscapes than other water users.
>> 
>> Does permaculture have something unique to its approach to water
>> harvesting,
>> storage and use, and why?
>> 
>> NEEDS
>> All of the information produced needs to comply with a number of criteria.
>> This is because what appears in print will reflect on permaculture and how
>> readers regard the design system.
>> 
>> Thus:
>> 1. Information produced by volunteer writers must be credible, not
>> fanciful
>> or magical thinking.
>> 
>> 2. There must be acceptable scientific/technical knowledge underlaying
>> what
>> is written. Ie. It must be verifiable in some way.
>> 
>> 3. It must be written in ordinary, simple English so that it is
>> understandable to nontechnical readers. Formula of mathematicaal
>> information
>> might be included provided there is also an explanation understandable to
>> the nontechnically-trained accompanying it.
>> 
>> INTERESTED?
>> Don't be put off if you do not see yourself as a writer. I will edit copy
>> and return it to writers for their approval. It may be changed slightly
>> (though not the meaning) to comply with the book's style.
>> 
>> Timeline is within a couple months.
>> 
>> If you have other ideas on what such a book might include, let's know.
>> 
>> I think this will be a useful permaculture product and it is a way for
>> those
>> of us with some knowledge of how the design system deals with water can
>> make
>> a useful contribution, not only to the public but to the design system
>> itself.
>> 
>> How about it?
>> 
>> 
>> ...Russ Grayson
>> 
>> PIL Board of Directors
>> info at pacific-edge.info
>> www.pacific-edge.info
>> 0414 065 203
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> 
> 
>