Useful Links
Sustainable Living
- Ecobob - Sustainable Living made easy: http://www.ecobob.co.nz/
- Sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand: http://sites/google.com/site/strongsustainability
- Sustainable Management Fund: www.smf.govt.nz
- Sustainable Households: www.sustainablehouseholds.org.nz
- Sustainable Living Program www.sustainableliving.org.nz
- Eco Villages: www.converge.org.nz/evcnz
- Sustainability.govt.nz: www.sustainability.govt.nz
Permaculture
The core of permaculture is design and the relationships and connections between all things. We can use permaculture design ethics and principles to reorganise our lives and livelihoods and create local changes by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future.Ways to learn more about permaculture:
- Look on the internet, starting with Permaculture in NZ www.permaculture.org.nz
- Book in with the local Permaculture Design Certificate
- Read books and other literature
Other Permaculture websites:
- Permaculture International: www.permacultureinternational.org
- Permaculture Wiki: http://permaculture.wikia.com/
- The Permaculture Research Institute http://www.koanga.org.nz/
Purchase Permaculture Books from the Hive Taranaki shop.
Organics
- Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ): www.oanz.org.nz
- OrganicFarmNZ (OFNZ): www.organicfarm.org.nz
- Demeter: The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Assn: www.biodynamic.org.nz
- Bio-Gro: www.bio-gro.co.nz
- Certenz: AgriQuality NZ: www.agriquality.co.nz
- The Soil & Health Association: www.organicnz.org
- Organic Pathways: www.organicpathways.co.nz
Appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is technology that is designed with special consideration for the environmental, ethical, cultural, social and economic aspects of the community it is used by.
Appropriate technology is small-scale technology. It is appropriate to the needs of the people and the community using it. It is simple enough that people can manage it directly and on a local level. It makes use of resources, skills, knowledge, experience and technology that are available in a local community to supply basic human needs, such as (renewable) energy, water and food.
Because the technology is being used by the same people who design and produce it, they are more likely to care more about their work which makes it more reliable and of higher quality.
Appropriate technology can be described as using the simplest level of technology that can effectively achieve the intended purpose in a particular location.
Links to global approriate technology information:
- Centre for Alternative Technology: www.cat.org.uk
- Alternative Technology Association: www.ata.org.au and their magazine: www.renew.org.au
- CopperWiki, a collaborative writing project of traditional knowledge. http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Appropriate_Technology
- People in Action: http://peopleinaction.com/alternativetechnology/
- Appropedia's portal page for appropriate technology. www.appropedia.org/Portal:Appropriate_technology
- Journey to Forever: www.journeytoforever.org/at.html