One Calorie In/One Calorie Out--Take 3

I had dinner with my Aunt and Uncle last night. I'll admit, heading over to their house I thought my uncle as going to take the opportunity to tear my ideas apart--I also knew that he would definitely ask be about them, that I couldn't just get away with sitting out the conversation since it would only be the three of us. I'm not sure if I've grown less confrontational, or my uncle has mellowed, but my uncle heard me out while I explained what I had learned at EAT, and while he did bring up the experts I keep hearing about who say global warming is a hoax, that ecological disaster is not imminent, instead of getting flustered and angry, I said that even if that was the case, the reason I was attracted to permaculture was because it was a way of life I could feel good about participating in, which all three of us at the table agreed was a good thing. The dinner was delicious too! Thanks Aunt Doris!

My uncle mentioned a book called Fear Factor by Michael Crichton that's out now. From the way he described it, he said the book outlines how people in power use fear to control their populations, in this case global warming. My aunt was quick to point out that terrorism is the fear our government is using to control us. If global warming is a hoax, who is using this fear and what are they trying to control? According to my uncle, Crichton says that it is the large environmental groups, who by now are operating like corporations, who are trying to gain control this way. This brings up a lot of interesting things to think about in regards to power, and how power plays itself out in groups. Even groups with good intentions run the risk of being like the systems they are trying to change if they model themselves on the very groups they are trying to change. Thus, language is very important. I was going to say "overthrow" and "supplant" but realized that this was using the language of the oppressor. At EAT, we were taught the consensus method of working in groups, a non-hierarchical system that does its best to let everyone have a voice and choice in the decisions of the group. For those of you who haven't tried it, consensus is frustrating and exhausting, but I found it to be so rewarding in the end because I was offered opportunities to let go and enjoy the process of working with people, instead of focusing on the product, or end result. And this is what happened at dinner with my aunt and uncle too. Best of all, my aunt has said I can have a garden at her place this summer!
Look for more on consensus in a future post. whitewave