When we think of the future, we often think of new innovation such as sustainable newly built houses on white roads, or homes with computers that can make fish as we saw in Pacific Edge. One of the reason many people are weary about the hopes of humanity is because they feel as though the Earth must undergo these massive transformations of technology and mindset in order to survive in the long-term. On the other hand, by merely manipulating existing infrastructure, permaculture has created an alternative pathway to a green, sustainable society.
Permaculture is an amazing concept because it eliminates the need of shipping. Shipping trucks are a large contributor to pollution due to the millions of gallons of gasoline they burn while traveling across the country delivering food and produce. On the other hand, permaculture would allow communities to grow their own produce and survive without exporting. If communities subdivided their backyards and each member choose to produce a different good, people across the world would be able to maintain a steady and diverse diet in a cheap and efficient manner.
I could definitely see this reaching the large scale in cities. New York City, for example, has no available land to grow corn or vegetables, and thus thousands of trucks traverse hundreds of miles a day in order to feed the nine million city residents. If green roofs were implemented across the city, New Yorkers would be able to get fresh food in an efficient manner. Since shipping is not a production cost, prices for the food in the long run would also decrease significantly. Thus, over time, we can produce cheaper food and reduce our carbon impact by eliminating the emission of carbon dioxide from truck exhaust (Image of delivery truck and green roofs shown below).
Source: https://www.ameriquestcorp.com/images/content/small-banner-used-truck-delivery.jpg
Source: http://progressivetimes.files.wordpress.com/2010/20/newyork_roof_gardens_original.jpg
