Info, news & debate
Low-impact energy
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.
How to build an energy commons
This is a draft outline of a design for an energy commons in any town – an energy sector owned by communities, providing affordable, locally-generated, renewable energy.
The transition to renewable energy will not / cannot happen within the current economy
This is the first of a two-part conversation, about whether we can transition to renewable energy within the current system, or whether we need system change.
Building the energy commons: Marcus Saul of Island Power
Interview with Marcus Saul of Island Power, an energy company with incredible ideas that could be world-changing, in terms of building a new kind of (commons) economy.
George Monbiot and friends are wrong: techno-utopianism won’t save us
George Monbiot has joined a campaign called ‘Reboot Food’, working with techno-utopians who would like to see governments remove support for organic food and deregulate the GM industry, as well as producing bacteria-based food in giant factories (‘precision-fermentation’), and getting rid of smallholdings.
Energy loss is single biggest component of today’s electricity system
Major energy loss is a huge issue in our electrical system.
Badly performing heat pumps?
John Cantor from HeatPumps.co.uk asks the question: Are some heat pumps performing as badly as various recent stories have been reporting?
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.
Big Solar Co-op: solar as a hedge against energy price rises
We’ve blogged before about the great work the Big Solar Co-op are doing, bringing solar into communities. Here Jon Halle explores the potential for solar to provide some protection against energy price rises for small businesses and community-based organisations.
Heating old buildings with heat pumps
It looks as though heat pumps are going to provide a lot more of our heating in the future – although there has been some controversy about how well they work in old buildings. Heat pump specialist John Cantor answers some of those concerns.
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.
Things to think about when considering an air source heat pump
We cover ground-source heat pumps more than air-source heat pumps in our topic introduction, so here’s some additional information about air-source heat pumps from our advisor John Cantor:
How to support anaerobic digestion for biogas and compost in communities
SOURCE turns food waste into energy, fertiliser and compost to grow healthy crops and create local jobs – in the heart of our cities!
How to buy second-hand solar panels
In early October 2021 I was teaching a series of workshops for The Brighton Permaculture Trust. One of these was a solar battery half-day workshop which I believe went very well, giving people an introduction to further solar courses. The other workshop was about woodland management; there will be more in 2022. Those people who …
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.
Building the new economy with mutual credit in Costa Rica
Here’s a conversation with Emmanuel Savard, co-founder of a group in Costa Rica that’s looking at providing all the essentials of life – food production, housing and energy – for their town via regenerative, non-extractive, sustainable, community-based exchange and investment models.
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 …