Info, news & debate
Year: 2024
12 economic growth myths and how to counter them
It’s essential that we stabilise the global economy. More people understand this every year, but corporations and governments don’t, and so we continue to destroy nature for profit. They’ve built up a bank of myths around the necessity of perpetual growth. Here are 12 common ones, and how to respond to them.
Should electric vehicles be a Lowimpact.org topic?
Some of the topics on our site are problematic – i.e. it’s questionable as to whether they’re truly low-impact or ‘convivial’ (a term coined by Ivan Illich, meaning controlled by and beneficial to communities) – and top of the list of problematic topics is electric vehicles.
What happened at the first ‘Festival of Commoning’ in Stroud, Sep 13-14?
So, the first ‘Festival of Commoning’ happened in Stroud on Sep 13 & 14. This is a short report from one festival-goer, Dr Laura James.
Making an evaporative cooling vest from natural materials
Doing agricultural or building work in an ever-hotter world will become more and more difficult and dangerous in future. Evaporative cooling vests exist to help people stay cool and safe whilst doing heavy, hot work. Here, Geoffroy Levy describes his ideas for a DIY evaporative vest made from natural materials.
Ancient settlements show that commoning is ‘natural’ for humans, not selfishness and competition
When I’ve had conversations about the commons with right-leaning people (and sometimes cynical people on the left too), a typical response might be something along the lines of: ‘don’t waste your time trying to build a more democratic, sustainable or peaceful society. It won’t work, because humans are inherently selfish, greedy and competitive’.
How we sank a well on our property
Prior to industrialisation, all villages will have once had at least one well, before commercialisation of the water supply. In many villages, wells were communal, with residents perhaps sharing the costs of having it built, and then manually looking after its upkeep.
Introducing commons ideas at the Festival of Commoning
At the Festival of Commoning (Sep 13-14, in Stroud), our Stroud Commons group has a one-hour slot on the Saturday morning. I’m going to give an overview of commons ideas, and there will be representatives of the housing, land, energy and climbing groups to talk about what’s happening in their groups. Then we’ll have around half an hour to answer questions.
The role of the Credit Commons in the commons economy: Tom Woodroof of Mutual Credit Services
Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Stroud Commons talks with Tom Woodroof of Local Loop Merseyside and Mutual Credit Services about the Credit Commons – a way to federate different groups all over the world that are building the commons economy (because you can’t get everything you need from just your community) – but it does it without centralised control.
Solving the housing crisis via the commons, Part 2: the Housing Commons
This is Part 2 of a two-parter, about how the housing crisis causes debt-bondage and wage-slavery, and how the housing Commons can release people from debt and give them freedom to do what they know needs to be done.
Festival of Commoning, Sep 2024: tickets now on sale
Tickets for the Festival of Commoning are now on sale. Stroud, Sep 13 & 14, 2024.
Solving the housing crisis via the commons, Part 1: the housing crisis
This is Part 1 of a two-parter, about how the housing crisis causes debt-bondage and wage-slavery, and how the housing Commons can release people from debt and give them freedom to do what they know needs to be done.
Corvées: commons practices in ancient and modern France
Will Ruddick of Grassroots Economics talks about the French mutual aid tradition of Corvées.
Predicting financial collapse (and what to do about it)
How likely is financial collapse? Matthew Slater, blogger and co-author of the Credit Commons white paper, looks into it:
Rebuilding the flax / textile industry as a commons: Fantasy Fibre Mill
Dave Darby of Stroud Commons and Lowimpact.org talks with Rosie Bristow and Nick Evans of Fantasy Fibre Mill, working to resurrect the flax / linen industry in the UK, as a commons.
Fungi and forest gardens: 2 book reviews by Tomas Remiarz
Permaculture teacher and forest gardener Tomas Remiarz reviews two of the best books that he’s read recently: Entangled Life and the Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook
Busted flush: why the big water corporations have to go
The catastrophic problems of privatised English water companies are well known. Sewerage function and drinking water supply are now more deficient than even before privatisation. Terminal failure was in-built from the start, within the cultural, operational, & regulatory processes applied. Correcting these foundational criteria can help inform the quickest resolution.
Stroud Housing Commons: latest developments
We’re building a housing commons in Stroud, and recording everything so that it’s replicable in any town. We’re finalising our partnership agreement, after which we’ll put the first house in the commons.
How we go about not wasting our waste – Compost Toilets and Watson Wicks
Hear about the building of, and ongoing use of, a compost toilet in Brazil.
How a new land commons movement can support agroecology
There’s huge overlap between the principles of agroecology and of commoning, and growth in the commons movement could mean a shift towards agroecology and away from damaging industrial agriculture.
Local, community-based measures to prevent drought in arid regions
El Habib Ben Amara, an architect and urban designer from a tribal ksar (fortified oasis) in Algeria, who’s been working with a partner of ours. He’s an activist against desertification and one of the foremost authorities on sustainable water management in the Sahara.