Permaculture

The 12 Principles of Permaculture Design:

1. Observe and interact: Take time to engage with nature to design solutions that suit a particular situation.
2. Catch and store energy: Develop systems that collect resources at peak abundance for use in times of need.
3. Obtain a yield: Emphasize projects that generate meaningful rewards.
4. Apply self-regulation and accept feedback: Discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems function well.
5. Use and value renewable resources and services: Make the best use of nature's abundance: reduce consumption and dependence on non-renewable resources.
6. Produce no waste: Value and employ all available resources: waste nothing.
7. Design from patterns to details: Observe patterns in nature and society and use them to inform designs, later adding details.
8. Integrate rather than segregate: Proper designs allow relationships to develop between design elements, allowing them to work together to support each other.
9. Use small and slow solutions: Small and slow systems are easier to maintain, make better use of local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes.
10. Use and value diversity: Diversity reduces system-level vulnerability to threats and fully exploits its environment.
11. Use edges and value the marginal: The border between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the system's most valuable, diverse and productive elements.
12. Creatively use and respond to change: A positive impact on inevitable change comes from careful observation, followed by well-timed intervention.