Info, news & debate
Month: October 2017
The great Human Power Plant experiment: an update
Regular readers of our blog may recall an earlier post about an exciting experiment taking place in the Netherlands in the form of a hydro-pneumatic human power plant harnessing human energy. Here’s an update on progress so far.
Opportunity to rent (or cropshare) 7 organic acres in Sussex
There are 7 acres on offer with this rental rent or organic cropshare opportunity in Sussex (postcode TN35 4AP). It’s across the road from the village of Fairlight and a 5 minute drive to Hastings.
Cow-calf dairying part 3: calf rumen development
Here, in part 3 of our series on dairying without removing calves from their mothers, we look at the importance of managing a calf’s nutrition in order to support the effective calf rumen development, essential to her long-term health and productivity.
Can you offer your IT skills to help build a website to challenge the pro-corporate bias in UK trade deals?
Website help needed: with Brexit, the UK will be heading into international ‘trade’ deals, which are likely to be as much about establishing corporate rights and diminishing democracy as the EU/US TTIP – a deal that is now on the back-burner.
Omelettes, sticky ribs and Scotch eggs at the Midlands vegan festival next weekend
The 10th annual West Midlands Vegan Festival is set to be a feast for your palette as well as your eyes. Taking place in Wolverhampton on 28th and 29th October, the event will feature a wide range of global vegan foods, the latest innovations in alternatives for dairy lovers plus the hottest vegan fashion, footwear …
The Wool Journey Part 5: harvesting the wool
In The Wool Journey Part 5, Sue Blacker of Blacker Yarns and The Natural Fibre Company explains the process of harvesting wool with an in-depth look at sheep shearing.
Is leather tanning ethical?
Traditional hide tanner, Jessie Watson Brown, offers her thoughts on the ethics of leather tanning, from large-scale industrial tanning, to home-scale natural tanning.
Is it ethical to eat meat, or to keep animals for meat or dairy?
This is a very important question for us here at Lowimpact.org, because we have courses, books, magazines, links etc on keeping animals and on game. We also have vegetarianism and veganism as topics – because we recognise the environmental benefits of eating less meat.
The Big Straw Bale Gathering 2018
Straw-bale Building UK (SBUK) presents The Big Straw Bale Gathering 2018 with the theme of sowing the inspiration, growing the industry & harvesting the knowledge of all things related to building with straw.
Post-Brexit trade deals explained: how they will hand more power to multinational corporations – at our expense
With Brexit the main aim seems to be to have trade agreements with as many countries as possible and as soon as possible. Little attention is paid (none?) to the content or purpose of those post-Brexit trade deals – and for whose benefit they would be.
A natural building bookshelf with Jeffrey the Natural Builder
In this post, Jeffrey the Natural Builder shares his top reading recommendations based on an original natural building books post on his blog. It’s over to him from here. Please note that this article contains affiliate links to bookshop.org – if you purchase we receive a small percentage. Thanks!
How to build or repair a dry stone wall
Dry stone walling involves either stripping and rebuilding existing walls that have fallen into disrepair, or gapping – repairing gaps where the wall has collapsed. Fewer new walls are built, although foundations sometimes have to be relaid.
Cow-calf dairying part 2: how cows produce and give milk, and why they need their calves
In this second post in the series from the Smiling Tree cow-calf dairy we focus on how milk is synthesised and, importantly for cow-calf dairying, what triggers the release or ‘let down’ process.
Would you like to become a member of a nature-based permaculture community on the Isle of Skye?
Since December 2016, I, Ludwig Appeltans am the proud owner and custodian of the most beautiful peninsula in Scotland.