The greater our power, the more vital ethics become for long term cultural and existential survival.
Bay Fog is honored to explore these avenues with you to ensure your project carries a high vibration and makes the world a better place, for generations to come.
As the founder of Bay Fog, I was awarded a Permaculture Design certification by the Permaculture Action Network after intensive study with world-class leaders in sustainability and organic farming -- and I am excited to share my perspective on building with a permaculture-informed lens with you, here.
Since my Permaculture journey that began with understanding the basics of effective ethics & design principles, I also mirrored Bay Fog's core values on traditional cultures who existed long ago, in relative balance with their environs (for much longer periods of time than any modern civilizations we know of!).
Though we don't ignore the great teachings of modern times, we do look to transition into sustainable futures, so we give great consideration to time-honored concepts & core values that go beyond our current "social norms" to include indigenous ways of thinking, building, growing, and designing living and workspaces.
By working with nature, we can rebuild natural capital and rely less on the modern world and more on what's in our yard.
These are 7 domains that create a sustainable culture - shown here in the form the "evolutionary spiral" -- a path connecting the personal/local domains to the collective/global.
Everything's based around ethical stewardship; And ethics are the culturally-evolved methods that help us regulate our own self-interest, and gain a deeper understanding of the positive (or negative) outcomes and impact our lives have on our sensitive environment.
Permaculture's 3 main ethics: Care for earth, people, and sharing fairly.
EARTH CARE:
The Earth is living, a breathing entity that needs ongoing care & nurturing.
Earth Care includes caring for the living soil, using sustainable or 'up-cycled' materials, and responsible waste management & disposal. The more life that exists in the soil, the more life it will give to those tending to its fruits.
Our forests & waterways are the planet's lungs & arteries, helping diverse life forms breathe & thrive, and supporting their unique function in the cycles of nature. Even if we don’t see them as "useful" to us on first look, even the grossest bacteria, fungi, insects and animals are beneficial and can assist us in managing diseases & with pest control.
PEOPLE CARE:
When we look after ourselves, our loved ones & greater community, we all thrive.
Both humans and plants require companionship and collaborative efforts to affect change; that's why Bay Fog interprets "People Care" as something beginning deep within ourselves, that expands to our families, neighbors and wider communities through radical self-reliance and personal responsibility.
We work hard at Bay Fog to reduce consumption of new or non-sustainable building materials, to mitigate any negative environmental impact -- and keep our client's karma in good standing!
When we focus on non-material well-being, we take care of ourselves and others without producing or consuming unnecessary material resources. We push beyond the 'leave no trace' or 'go organic' concepts to improve the world with our projects & design -- each build-out weighs out how each decisions will impact future generations, the quality of our projects and the longevity of the structures we craft.
True reliance on ourselves (not the mainstream systems) can look like anything from rain catchment systems and solar paneling to composting and garden-grazing. We believe that by accepting personal responsibility for our situation, we empower ourselves and share a great wisdom that lies within us to inspire others to manifest ideal outcomes.
FAIR SHARE:
By setting consumption limits or redistributing surplus, we can utilize abundance to quell deficits.
Bay Fog's permaculture approach focuses on the positives and opportunities -- not the obstacles, even in the most challenging situations. We know exactly what's needed (and not needed) for a job, and ensure resources are used wisely and with respect.
