We are in the midst of a total crisis of civilization and likely collapse or (at best) a transition and energy descent. The solutions must be radical. We must question all the assumptions of business-as-usual, in all its dimensions – social, political, economic, and spiritual. We must face a radically uncertain future with active hope, open minds, trust in each other and a faith in the self-organizing power of complex living systems.

Growing Perspectives is a blog that arose from a participatory education project called The Permaculture Community Classroom (PCC). PCC is a community group based in Edinburgh, Scotland that organizes permaculture projects, film screenings, discussion groups, and workshops to explore ways in which permaculture and systems thinking can offer solutions to the crisis we face. This blog is a place to share those ideas and experience with the world and offer a platform for others to join.

Taking a cue from Transition thinking (eg. Dave Holmgren, Rob Hopkins), and the ‘Deep Adaptation’ agenda (Jem Bendall), Growing Perspectives is committed to solutions-based, systems-thinking, critical, and reflective exploration of solutions. Our articles cover local and global projects, movements, alternative systems, and ethical questions around agriculture, ecology, politics, education, and sustainability.

We do not accept despair, cynicism, doomsday prepping, denialism, or dogmatism. Instead, we are interested in big ideas that have a practical application and empower us to change ourselves and the world one step at a time.