Info, news & debate
Low-impact transport
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.
Why cycling and walking are great for your mental health
Keeping active has huge benefits for physical helath – and walking and cycling are the perfect low impact exercise.
The transport challenge – beyond electric cars
With the sale of new petrol and diesel cars set to be banned in the UK by 2030 the electric car market is ready to skyrocket, but does replacing like-with-like go far enough? Joel Rawson looks at the benefits and impacts of electric vehicles and asks how we can go beyond electric cars.
Steering away from a car-centric society
Mai Nguyen from the Steady State Herald explores if we can move away from a car-centric society?
Reflections on building the ‘Commons’ economy
Lowimpact has been around since 2001, and we’ve provided lots of ways to help people live more sustainably. We’re going to also be focusing on how to build the ‘commons’ economy in future, as a viable alternative to the status quo.
Why are there thousands of empty flights polluting our skies?
18,000 empty planes will fly across Europe in early 2022. These flights will release 422,280 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Neither the EU nor Lufthansa seems likely to back down.
Stop greenwashing of aviation: 5. E-fuels
Over five weeks we’ve published a range of Stay Grounded factsheets about various kinds of techno-greenwashing provided by the aviation industry. Here we look at the potential for synthetic electro-fuels, or e-fuels.
Stop greenwashing of aviation: 4. biofuels
Over five weeks we’re publishing a range of Stay Grounded factsheets about various kinds of techno-greenwashing provided by the aviation industry. This one is about the promise of biofuels.
Stop greenwashing of aviation: 3. hydrogen flight
Over five weeks we’re publishing a range of Stay Grounded factsheets about various kinds of techno-greenwashing provided by the aviation industry. Here we look at the promise of hydrogen-powered flight.
Stop greenwashing of aviation: 2. electric flight
Over five weeks we’re publishing a range of Stay Grounded factsheets about various kinds of techno-greenwashing provided by the aviation industry. Here we look at the promise of electric-powered flight.
Stop greenwashing of aviation: 1. efficiency improvements
Over the next five weeks we’ll be publishing a range of Stay Grounded factsheets about various kinds of techno-greenwashing provided by the aviation industry. We’d like to help expose the greenwashing of the aviation industry. First up – efficiency improvements: the lie that aviation can become carbon-neutral via ever-greater aircraft efficiency, reducing the need for …
Debate: to fly or not to fly; or ‘the plane’s going anyway’
We’d love to know what you think about this debate, between David, treasurer of Transition Town Tooting, and Dave of Lowimpact.org about whether giving up flying has any effect on climate change.
Low-impact & the city 14: getting back on a bike after ten years
I’ve never been without a bike until recently. As far back into my childhood as I can remember, I always had one. A bike was always part of my life, part of me.
Building a co-operative train line: Alex Lawrie of Go-op
An interview with Alex Lawrie about his attempts to launch Go-op, a co-operative train line linking south west England with the Midlands.
How I hitch-hiked across the Atlantic to visit US co-ops: Cath Muller of Radical Routes
Today I’m talking with Cath Muller of Radical Routes, Cornerstone Housing Co-op and Co-operative Business Consultants. This is part 1 of our conversation, about her visit to Catalan co-operatives, and hitch-hiking across the Atlantic to visit US co-ops.
Can we build a platform co-op to challenge Über? Interview with Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation
Dave of Lowimpact.org / Noncorporate.org talks with Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation (see video below), about platform co-ops. Duncan is starting a taxi platform co-op called Faircab, to challenge Über.
Off Grid Festival 2018: another world is possible
Roxy Piper tells us all about this year’s Off Grid Festival, taking place from 9-12th August in the historic Tapeley Park and Gardens in North Devon, with the theme of Seven Generation Stewardship.
Debate: how sustainable can an eco-hotel and permaculture community be if it’s for Brits in Portugal?
We were approached by Peter to ask if we would help promote a proposed eco-holiday complex and permaculture settlement in Portugal. I replied that I didn’t think we could, as I have strong reservations about this kind of eco-hotel development, and explained why. Peter came back with some counter-arguments, and I asked him whether he’d …
In praise of the wheelbarrow: low-impact transportation at its best?
Perhaps these days most commonly associated with the garden, there’s more to the humble wheelbarrow than you might think. Sophie Paterson explores its potential, past and present, as a low-impact form of transportation.
Join our new online community Living Low Impact
We’re excited to introduce our new Facebook group Living Low Impact – and you’re invited!