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permaculture2021-10-19 01:37 pm
tielan) wrote in permaculture2021-10-19 01:37 pm
vaccinations, permaculture, fair share and diversity
I have a LOOOOONG and kind of dumpy post about this. Trying to decide whether or not to post it as part of my local permaculture group newsletter.
1. We have antivaxxers in permaculture.
2. We have anti-government types in permaculture.
Between these two groups, there are definitely some people who won't get the vax unless they absolutely have to and even that's a questionmark.
Part of an 'editorial' I wrote for this month's newsletter: last newsletter's editorial was a gentle encouragement for people to get vaccinated as the opportunity for them arises.
The big name that has openly declined vaccination is also one of the 'founders' of the permaculture movement, David Holmgren. He wrote a letter about why he isn't going to be vaccinated - one part distrust of 'big pharma', one part distrust of 'big government', one part anti-authority. But in the letter he also acknowledged that he found the arguments of his friends who did get vaccinated to be compelling: just not compelling enough for him. Basically, IIRC he doesn't advocate for vaccination, but neither does he advocate against it.
I can respect that, even if I wish he would advocate for vaccinations.
The family who aren't just declining vaccination but are also promoting alternatives are looking at small datasets and outspoken outliers to say that they don't need to be vaccinated. They left FB after receiving pushback on their insistence that vaccinations weren't necessary to be healthy.
The example I saw most recently on their instagram was regarding Madagascar, whose COVID numbers were even lower than Australia's, and whose 'health promotion' was apparently some kind of herbal tea that helps strengthen immune systems...or something of that nature.
I have nothing bad to say about strengthening immune systems through antioxidants, or improving one's health generally. But this isn't a 'one thing will fix the situation' issue. This is a matter of paper mache, building up layers upon layers until what is there is, if not impenetrable, then difficult toget through. cf. The Swiss Cheese Model Of Defence: it's not any one thing that helps, it's all of them, working together.
And that’s what a lot of permaculture people are missing. The angle of 'diversity' of prevention.
1. We have antivaxxers in permaculture.
2. We have anti-government types in permaculture.
Between these two groups, there are definitely some people who won't get the vax unless they absolutely have to and even that's a questionmark.
Part of an 'editorial' I wrote for this month's newsletter: last newsletter's editorial was a gentle encouragement for people to get vaccinated as the opportunity for them arises.
There are plenty of discussions going around in the permaculture space related to authority, alternative medicines, and the limits of governmental intervention. There are fair questions being asked, and valid concerns being raised. There are also bad faith actors out in the anti-authoritarian and alternative medicines space who are as invested in making money and gaining blind followers as we accuse governments and big corporations of being. Something that is anti-authority and alternative is not good simply by virtue of being anti-authority and alternative, and we should be considered and discerning in our decisions particularly around matters that have limited information, small data subsets, and a lack of rigorous methodologies.Maybe I borrow trouble, but at least two significant names in the Australian permaculture community have openly declined to be vaccinated, and one of them is promoting 'natural alternatives'.
The big name that has openly declined vaccination is also one of the 'founders' of the permaculture movement, David Holmgren. He wrote a letter about why he isn't going to be vaccinated - one part distrust of 'big pharma', one part distrust of 'big government', one part anti-authority. But in the letter he also acknowledged that he found the arguments of his friends who did get vaccinated to be compelling: just not compelling enough for him. Basically, IIRC he doesn't advocate for vaccination, but neither does he advocate against it.
I can respect that, even if I wish he would advocate for vaccinations.
The family who aren't just declining vaccination but are also promoting alternatives are looking at small datasets and outspoken outliers to say that they don't need to be vaccinated. They left FB after receiving pushback on their insistence that vaccinations weren't necessary to be healthy.
The example I saw most recently on their instagram was regarding Madagascar, whose COVID numbers were even lower than Australia's, and whose 'health promotion' was apparently some kind of herbal tea that helps strengthen immune systems...or something of that nature.
I have nothing bad to say about strengthening immune systems through antioxidants, or improving one's health generally. But this isn't a 'one thing will fix the situation' issue. This is a matter of paper mache, building up layers upon layers until what is there is, if not impenetrable, then difficult toget through. cf. The Swiss Cheese Model Of Defence: it's not any one thing that helps, it's all of them, working together.
And that’s what a lot of permaculture people are missing. The angle of 'diversity' of prevention.
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At this point, I'm trying to work out how to word it.
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(I live in an area that only this past weekend reached 30 percent fully vaccinated. It is a mix of "liberal" arts/new age....and Trump folk. I am unsure which are more antivax.)
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We have had to lock the door and let folk in, because of the antimask/antivax folk.
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My permaculture group operates an area with full vaccination above 80%, possibly even above 85%. A large number of our population is older, white-collar, way above the median income, educated, and native English speaking, with good medical care. So they're self-interested, pragmatic, and have no barriers to getting vaccinated.
But I know the response in the broader permaculture world is considerably more ambivalent.
Mostly, I'm trying to work out how to phrase all this.