Savory Exit Interview

Question 1

What are the four key insights?

Answer 1

1 Nature functions in wholes [Holons]
2 Brittleness Scale
3 Predator-Prey Relationships
4 Timing of animals (not numbers)

Question 2

Describe / what is the Holistic Framework?

Answer 2

A practical application of the first insight (Nature functions in inter-related wholes).

The HF has several elements that guide us in HM: (not a prescribed flow)

These elements are:
- Whole Under Management
- Holistic Context
- Ecosystem Processes
- Ecosystem Management Tools
- Actions and Decision Making
- Context Checks
- Management Guidelines
- Procedures and Processes
- Feedback Loop - for planning, monitoring, re-planning

Question 3

what is Holistic Mgmt

Answer 3

HM is making decisions in consideration of:
Social Realities
Environmental realities
Economic realities

for Both the:
Short Term
Long Term

Question 4

What is the Context Check: Energy and Money

Answer 4

Addresses using the most appropriate forms (of $ and energy) in the most constructive way

Question 5

Why not a context check for energy and a separate context check for money?

Answer 5

• Because any action we might take requires one or the other, and often both.
• They both come from a source and are “used”

Question 6

For the context check Energy / Money Source and Use, What questions do we ask?

Answer 6

• Is the energy or money to be used derived from the most appropriate source in terms of our HC?
• Will the way in which the energy money is used be in line with our HC?

Question 7

The context check Energy / Money Source and Use helps us to avoid…?

Answer 7

• actions likely to lead to an increasing dependency on, or addiction to, fossil fuels or any other input.
• actions involving an addictive use of borrowed money involving compound interest.

Question 8

Types of energy sources?

Answer 8

• Unlimited (solar, geo thermal, wind,…)
• Limited (derived from non-renewable resource)

Question 9

Sources of Energy - effects on the environment

Answer 9

• Benign,
• Damaging, or
• Potentially damaging
  e.g. solar to plants to food is benign, solar to plants to bio-fuel is damaging (polluting by-products and process), but plants decomposed into bio-gas may be benign (as far as we know)

Question 10

Types of money sources?

Answer 10

• Internal, derived from business operations
• External, from sources other than business enterprises (e.g. lenders, Govt cost-sharing, subsidies, insurance, donations, investors)

Note: Govt has no money to give unless it takes it from me or my fellow citizens

Question 11

Tell me about Energy and Money, USE

Answer 11

Separate from source, USE checks that how the energy or money will be used is in line with the HC.

Question 12

Guiding questions for energy money use

Answer 12

There are no rules of what is right or wrong (depends on HC) but questions can help:
Is the proposed use…:
1… providing infrastructure that moves toward the HC?

2… merely consumptive, with no lasting effort? Most overhead costs are consumptive, is each overhead cost needed.

3…[non] cyclical in that once initiated, it would not require more money, or the purchase of more energy? (e.g. pesticides, a tractor)

4… addictive in that, once initiated, you risk undesirable dependence on further inputs of energy or money?

Question 13

What is the context check: Sustainability

Answer 13

The sustainability check asks you to consider the long-term environmental and social consequences of your actions relative to the future resource base described in the HC.

[the Energy / Money check addressed economic realities]

Question 14

What question(s) do we ask with the Sustainability Check?

Answer 14

If we take this action, will it lead toward or away from the future resource base described in our HC?

Question 16

What is the Whole Under Management?

Answer 16

The WUM is an element of the HF. HM makes decisions from the perspective of the