The coronavirus crisis is causing an economic crash that will only get worse. Research has indicated that a shortage of money will mean that up to a million UK small businesses may close in the coming months. To prevent the devastation of small businesses, and therefore our communities, there needs to be an alternative means… Continue reading Keeping small businesses alive during the coronavirus / economic crisis Read more

Our friend Shaun Chamberlin of Dark Optimism shares news of Surviving the Future: conversations for our time, an eight week online gathering which he will be co-facilitating on behalf of Sterling College, starting on Monday 6th April. Read more

This is the last of six articles this week about how we can keep local economies afloat during the coming economic slump. There is already a scarcity of money, as the coronavirus crisis forces businesses to lay off workers, and sole traders to give up. But it will get much worse. How can we keep… Continue reading Building the new economy: how to keep local economies trading in the economic slump caused by the coronavirus Read more

This is the fifth in a series of articles about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s it! Mutual credit can help local… Continue reading The global money system: not the kind of ‘normality’ we should return to after the coronavirus crisis is over Read more

This is the fourth in a series of articles about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s it! Mutual credit can help local… Continue reading “Flat Earth” Money, and why there doesn’t have to be a global cashflow problem Read more

This is the third in a series of articles about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s it! Mutual credit can help local… Continue reading The exchange medium for the coronavirus crisis: crypto or mutual credit? Read more

This is the second in a series of articles this week about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s it! Mutual credit can… Continue reading Covid-19 Mutual Aid Groups should look to Mutual Credit for economic resilience Read more

This is the first in a series of articles over the next week or so about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s… Continue reading Mutual credit is a solution to the COVID-19 economic crisis Read more

I came across a clip recently (see below) of a radio host filled with incredulity that someone might actually believe that the existence of billionaires is a bad thing. Surely any antipathy towards the super-wealthy must be based on envy or ideology? Don’t they create jobs? Aren’t they philanthropic? Don’t they pay a lot of… Continue reading What’s wrong with billionaires? Read more

Thomas H. Greco, Jr., author of The End of Money and the Future of Civilization, shares just some of his wealth of knowledge about what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to local currencies. Read more

Before the election in December, I had a ‘lively debate’ with a friend – an old-school Labour supporter and Corbynite – who was trying to convince me that the only way that we can have an effective social safety net is by voting in a genuinely redistributive party, taxing the rich properly and spreading wealth… Continue reading Disillusioned with the parliamentary route to a better society? Here’s an alternative. Read more

I identify with Greta Thunberg. I’m also aspergic, and I understand why she’s so motivated. I talked with several people over the Christmas period who don’t like her, for various reasons – her voice; her team fly even though she doesn’t; her parents are manipulating her; she’s too angry; she once used a plastic bottle,… Continue reading Is Greta Thunberg right, and if so, what do we do about it? Read more

In the summer of 2018 I went along to Open2018 to see Matthew Slater talk about how we might shake up the money system with a global Credit Commons. After his presentation, Matthew and I met with Oliver Sylvester-Bradley of the Open Co-op, who organised the event, and decided to build a mutual credit network… Continue reading What I’ve discovered about the money system and how the world is run, since working with the Open Credit Network Read more

At a dinner party on Saturday evening, I had a discussion about a) the efficacy of elections for bringing about meaningful change, and b) the desirability of the quest for perpetual economic growth (I didn’t feel positively about either of those things). Our hosts’ 10-year-old son was listening carefully, after which he expressed his intention… Continue reading 26 questions from a 10-year-old to his parents about the election Read more

Lowimpact.org are working with Open.coop to build a new, co-operative, moneyless, mutual credit trading system for the UK, with a view to joining many similar schemes around the world to create a new global trading system, that requires neither banks nor interest. The point of this article is to invite you, if you own or… Continue reading Become one of the first movers in a new, collaborative economy: Open Credit Network Alpha launch Read more

At university, back in the 80s, we were taught about ‘the Tragedy of the Commons’ – an essay by Garrett Hardin, about how common resources are always abused, because humans are basically selfish. It seemed plausible at the time, but has since been shown to be false. Read more

Can elections really change anything? Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org shares his views on the question in the run-up to the general election. Read more

Here’s the second part of our interview with Lynn Foster of Mikorizal and the Value Flows model. Part 1 is here. Read more

Today Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org / NonCorporate.org is talking with Lynn Foster of Mikorizal and the Value Flows model. We’ve heard some very good things about her work, together with her partner, Bob Haugen. Read more

I’m excited to report that we’ve been given an hour on the main stage at Extinction Rebellion in the Mall on Thursday afternoon from 2pm. When I say ‘we’, it will be me and Oliver Sylvester-Bradley of the Open Co-op – we’ll speak for 10 minutes each, then take questions for 40 minutes. We’ll be… Continue reading We’re on the Extinction Rebellion main stage in central London on Thursday afternoon Read more