Mention the concepts permaculture, global warming, environmental
education and the peak oil crisis five years ago and the reaction
would have been a glazed-eyed vacant expression.
Say it today and you can expect dire Apocalyptic predictions about
impending doom and gloom with parts of Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth"
quoted with religious fervour.
But these trendy catchwords aren't vague concepts for Cuba's Roberto
Perez – they've been part of his stark reality since the early 1990s
when his home country was plunged into economic crisis overnight with
its loss of access to Soviet oil, fertilizers and export trade market.
Perez was only in his early 20s when his world changed. Basic
essentials – like food and medicine – were not readily available and
people faced the very real risk of starvation.
But out of Cuba's impossible, cruel and unfair crisis – a strong
community was formed where people "talked to their neighbours, grew
vegetables in their garden and learnt what to do with their waste".
Today Havana – Perez's home city – produces 60% of its fruit and
vegetables within its city limits and peri-urban areas.
It has transformed itself into an economy that is virtually
self-sustainable while leading the way as a "low energy society" where
public transport is the norm and recycling is an integral part of life.
Perez works as a permaculture and environmental educator for the
Foundation for Nature and Humanity – Cuba's major environment
organisation. He has been visiting Australia to teach basic principles
of permaculture and detailing the Cuban experience.
Where about four years ago "only about 30 people" would have attended
his talks, he has been warmly embraced across the country as people
look to Cuba as a model of how to survive and make technology work for
us – instead of the other way round.
"Today all the talk about climate change and the peak oil crisis has
become Apocalyptic and scary but the power of the community is a good
thing, a breath of fresh air and I hope I bring inspiration and
educational tools. We have a global problem, but it seems we've become
numb."
Perez was a biology student as the crisis in his country unfolded. But
when a group of Australian permaculture trainers came to teach their
skills to the struggling country he found his niche.
"I was always looking at ways to do something with nature to improve
the lives of people," he said.
"When the Australians started talking to us about food chains and the
knowledge from nature to human settlements I was interested," he said.
He attributes Cuba's ability to achieve food security to the
introduction of permaculture by these experts and its transition to an
"urban agriculture" where people living in the cities transformed "car
parks into areas to grow their produce".
He has also been helping correct the image of permaculture as
something based in the past with images of feudal systems or "hippies"
growing their own vegies to something that combines traditional ways
of doing things with modern science.
And he believes Australia has a lot to learn and a lot more to do in
terms of changing its reliance on "dirty" coal, big cars and concrete
jungles.
"Australia is rich enough to get rid of coal," he said.
"People should put a lot more pressure on the government to do this
and the resources are available."
Perez has been meeting with local mayors including Sunshine Coast
mayor Bob Abbot in his tour across Australia and sees huge scope for
Australia to embrace permaculture and lead by reducing emissions.
He simply hoped Australia – and other countries in the world –
wouldn't have to wait for a crisis before they embraced change.
By Kathy Sundstrom
from: http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/apr/20/apocalypse-now/