Details: Written by Rakesh; Hits: 1273

1. Overview

This design started life as an exercise to look at my carbon footprint, with a view to looking at how I can reduce my impact on earth's resources, especially fossil fuels. It later evolved into a design looking at how to make better use of my time and energy.

2. Choosing a methodology

Initially I didn’t use a methodology, as this started as a small exercise. But as the exercise developed, I realised its significance and then chose to make it into a proper permaculture design. The data collection was quite straight forward, so I chose CEAP as my methodology.

3. Working through the methodology

Collect information

The exercise started with a zones and sectors analysis of my weekly travel activities, looking mainly at the time I spent travelling by different means. I took the zones and sectors tool and replaced the zones with different forms of transport according to their energy efficiency. So walking and cycling become zones one and two, local transport, long distance transport and flying become zones 3, 4 and 5 respectively. The sectors I translated into work (which with hindsight would have been better to classify as work), friends and family, clubs and associations, engaging with local businesses, engaging with corporations, plus an extra field just in case called other. I then took this interpretation of zones and sectors and used it as a teaching tool, which I converted into a slide presentation.

The slide show was adjusted so that I could use it to teach zones and sectors in its conventional format initially, and then goes on to showing how to apply it to an urban environment. When using this to teach, I make a point of explaining how this is a great example of taking an existing tool and applying it (with a few creative adjustments), to a subject that it was not intended for. I should point out I got this idea from an article I glanced upon LONG before I studied permaculture, and it stuck with me.

I have included the last page of the zones and sectors presentation, as well as the full slide show below

Concluding zones and sectors analysis page

The full zones and sectors slide show

Please note, I realised I missed out the conventional sectors in this presentations. Given the time it took to create, I found it was easier, quicker and more creative to do this presentation on a board, so I stopped using this presentation. So this presentation became obsolete and slightly incomplete. However I thought I would include it here as it is part of the design, and goes to show that using a tool which takes too much energy is often not a good tool. There comes a point where you have to decide to stop working on or with a tool, and use something more simple or appropriate for the job.

Blank zones and sectors worksheet

I often invite students to conduct this exercise for themselves during a PDC or at home, hence I have created a blank sheet for them to speed up the session

Mind mapping the rest of the design process

After adjusting the zones and sectors analysis, the rest of the design progressed as per my normal mind mapping process. Find below an interactive freemind mind map which contains the rest of the information gathered during the collect information stage.

Click on the image below to view an interactive freemind mind map