• home
  • posts
  • category
  • system change
  • Info, news & debate

    System change posts

    Introducing the Credit Commons Society

    The Credit Commons Society has been formed to promote and educate about, and to govern the Credit Commons protocol as it evolves to serve the needs of more groups, in the same way that the Linux Foundation looks after the Linux operating system. Read more

    How much trouble are humans really in, and what can we do about it?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-Sep-2022 | 28

    I’m inviting you to come on a journey with me. In an attempt to answer the question above, I’m going to research and write a series of blog articles (including interviews with key people), from which I’ll produce a book, and re-structure the Lowimpact website, including our message. Read more

    Join ‘Way Out Economics’ for a new economic system

    Diana Finch of Bristol Pay | 11-Sep-2022 | 0

    Bristol Pay and the Credit Commons Society have joined forces to organise a gathering of practitioners, thought leaders and funders focused on nurturing a new economic system. The event will be hybrid, with the ‘in real life’ element being in Bristol. Read more

    How to spread the idea of (much) more radical change?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 07-Aug-2022 | 5

    We need system change, no less (i.e. system replacement, rather than trying to tweak this fundamentally damaging system). Here, I want to talk more about how I came to this conclusion, and what the route to radical change might be. Read more

    Can governments solve the climate problem?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 31-Jul-2022 | 2

    Short answer: no, because governments are fixated on maximising GDP growth, which is the root cause of the climate crisis, and which far outweighs any (rare) beneficial legislation that they might introduce. Read more

    New tools and ideas for building the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 24-Jul-2022 | 6

    The Commons economy is not, like capitalism, built around the private ownership of the means of production – but neither is it, like socialism, built on the state ownership of those means. It’s about reinstating the commons, that have been gradually enclosed over the centuries, first by the state and more recently by capitalists. Read more

    Communicating about degrowth, with Mark Burton of Steady-state Manchester

    Constant GDP growth causes ecological damage – there’s the constant expansion in the use of energy and materials, and the by-products of their use. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy, Part 2

    Part 2 of an interview with Grace Rachmany, of DAO Leadership and Voice of Humanity. She has some very interesting ideas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    Is it time to rethink the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 29-May-2022 | 3

    Time to rethink the UN’s ‘Sustainable Development Goals’: the concepts of ‘development’ and ‘progress’ based on eternal GDP growth are flawed. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy

    eas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    How the state favours big business and causes inflation with ‘Quantitative Sleazing’

    A new essay on the economics of the pandemic suggests that the recent inflation is a sign that that failure is accelerating towards us. It’s an important reminder for us to ask ourselves how ready we are to both cope and help others in a crumbling economy. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: Investment, saving & location

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Mar-2022 | 1

    Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together to form a global moneyless trading network – the ‘Credit Commons’. Here we’re looking at savings and investments in a mutual credit world, as well as the importance of physical location. Read more

    How not to build a movement, as demonstrated by Chris Saltmarsh

    We thought you might like this extraordinary defence of Deep Adaptation by Matthew Slater. Last year, he and Extinction Rebellion co-founder Skeena Rathor, authored a chapter in Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos; last month it was reviewed by newcomer Chris Saltmarsh, the champion of Jeremy Corbyn’s Green New Deal proposals and author of ‘Burnt’. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: Local authorities & anchor institutions

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 06-Mar-2022 | 2

    This is the fourth in a series of articles looking at the development of Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together to form a global moneyless trading network – the ‘Credit Commons’. Here we’re looking at local authorities and anchor institutions Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: Trade Credit Clubs and credit clearing

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 27-Feb-2022 | 0

    Third in a series of articles looking at the development of Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together to form a global moneyless trading network – the ‘Credit Commons’. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: explaining the Credit Commons Protocol

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Feb-2022 | 0

    of Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together in a global trading network. Here we provide a basic explanation of the Credit Commons Protocol. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: introduction

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 13-Feb-2022 | 4

    Members of the Lowimpact.org co-op are involved with Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together in a global trading network. We’re often asked about the current state of play, and so we’ve put together a series of 6 articles to explain what progress we’ve made. Read more

    Toward co-operative commonwealth: transition in a perilous century

    A while ago, we interviewed Pat Conaty, author, academic and stalwart of system change activism. We talked about how to grow the ‘co-operative commonwealth’ and about what constitutes the ‘commons’ in the 21st century. Pat is now part of the Synergia Institute, who have put together a MOOC for those of you involved with social and environmental change, and frustrated at the lack of real change we can see around us. Read more

    Review of ‘Going to Seed’, new book by Simon Fairlie

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 06-Feb-2022 | 1

    This is a review of Simon Fairlie’s new book, Going to Seed, out on Feb 10th – his ‘counterculture memoir’ – although at times I’ll unapologetically veer into (hopefully relevant) political rambling. Read more

    Help build the co-operative sector via the Co-op Data Club

    Leo Sammallahti explains the Co-op Data Club – a new venture to promote the co-operative sector. At the moment, the Co-op Data Club is about building a solid network of co-ops, and later, individuals will be able to join in. If you’re part of a co-op, please consider joining. Read more

    Subscribe to blog

    Enter Your Email Address:

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Youtube icon

    All rights reserved © lowimpact 2023