I wasn't going to be posting again today but, sadly, feel a little need to vent. This came about as I decided to get back to my occasional visit to a Permaculture lecture series delivered by Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton at Melbourne Uni from a few years ago. It was really cool, having discovered this, as it allowed me virtual access to the permaculture design course, at least for a 'taste'. The videos had been up for several years on youtube. They'd only garnered 2-3000 views, so I was pleased to have found them.
Imagine my surprise when I went back to learn a bit more about 'housing' from Bill Mollison to find that the videos had been taken down and the account deleted, apparently after a copyright claim by Tagari Publishing (the publication company founded by Bill Mollison and David Homgren (has sold his part, taken up by Lawton I believe) years and years ago).
Something in me had always seen 'permaculture' as a fantastic means by which hippies were changing the world. I have become a little more cynical seeing all the people piling on the bandwagon, more cynical seeing the prices they charge, sceptical at the value of much of what is offered when you look at the almost 'pyramid sales' structure that lies behind it. I'd thought Tagari and friends stood for something other than that, that the rather iconoclastic spirit of Bill would still be wafting around.
Seeing that Tagari has joined up with the lawyers has disappointed me. They might, I suppose, have their reasons. I've written them to find out. I hope they send me back a response to which I'll go 'Aha, of course!'. I really hope so...
Or maybe I'd be better putting my faith in the frog (see below)?
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