Info, news & debate
Recent Posts
Sneaky marketing: heads-up for anyone with an online presence
Here’s the incomparably wonderful Bill Hicks on marketing. If you don’t know him, just put his name into YouTube. You’re in for a treat.
Why ‘rammed earth’ doesn’t contain cement
Earth building, including rammed earth building, produces very low carbon emissions. However, there is a confusion between rammed earth – a mix of clay, sand and stones – and dry-pack concrete, too often called ‘stabilised rammed earth’.
Re-skilling vs distributism: how to turn ‘do-it-yourself’ into small businesses
Hi all, Lowimpact.org has been all about re-skilling since we started in 2001, and we’ve gained a big audience through that. I was sitting on a bus in London last year, looking down at people in the street in Brixton
Distributism – an idea whose time has come?
Here’s an idea that I’d like to see gain some ground in 2014 – it’s called distributism. It’s a practical rather than a spiritual idea, but really, I think that some sort of distributism has to happen before we can think about developing spiritually as a species.
Our award for most misleading and mendacious article of 2013 goes to MoneyWeek’s ‘End of Britain’
You may have seen a sensationalist video called ‘the End of Britain’ that’s been doing the rounds throughout 2013. It’s a flashy, authoritative-looking video, and well it should be, as it’s produced by MoneyWeek Magazine
Why some soap-makers refuse to use palm oil and how you can help them
Lowimpact.org: Hi Katrina – you make and sell soaps that don’t contain any palm oil. We wanted to talk to you about why you came to that decision, and what you use instead. To start, what is palm oil used for in soap making?
Introducing the Land Workers’ Alliance – representing small-scale producers
We wanted to introduce the Land Workers’ Alliance (LWA) via a first-hand account of their AGM, held at Trill Farm, Dorset, on the 23rd & 24th of November, 2013.
This is how ‘development’ works – from a low-impact perspective & as reported in the corporate press
This is how ‘development’ works. NB: you can substitute any rich country for Germany, and any poor country for Zambia. In the boardroom of a global corporation in Germany, the following conversation takes place:
Lime: Swiss army knife of trees
The lime has got to be one of my favourite trees – not just for its tall leafy elegance, but for it’s multitude of uses in bushcraft. When I mention the lime tree on bushcraft courses people sometimes think I am referring to it’s exotic, citrus-bearing namesake!
Transition is a middle class movement: so what?
I believe that it’s important, but in a positive rather than a negative way. Let me explain. Would you prefer to live in a vibrant community or a dull one? If you’d prefer to live in a dull one, then don’t bother reading any further.
How my cat taught me that nature is merciless
Here’s my cat – Keith. He looks cute, doesn’t he? But actually, he’s a killer. I’ve seen him torture things for his amusement – he wasn’t hungry and he didn’t want them to die quickly (less fun).
Community-owned energy: how to sideline the big energy companies
A quick Halloween update from Sharenergy. We’re very proud to say we are involved in 4 great share offers at the moment – spanning wind, hydro, solar and woodfuel technologies and across a swathe of the UK
How about a yurt, dome or tipi as a spare room?
Here’s an interview with David Field of World Tents about how a tipi, yurt or dome could be used as a spare room in the garden.
Revolutionary super-fast composting technique
Lowimpact.org: Hi Richard – you run courses and sell products related to a revolutionary new superfast composting technique. What is this idea and where does it come from?
Why Owen Paterson is wrong about GM food
Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, said today that environmentalists who oppose GM food are ‘wicked’. This is why he is wrong.
What’s the difference between survival & bushcraft?
The terms “survival” and “bushcraft” are often used interchangeably and yet sometimes treated as separate, even competing, disciplines. As a bushcraft survival instructor I obviously have my own views
The science behind the environmental benefits of clay plasters
Clay plasters are beautiful alright – see Clayworks’ efforts in a restaurant in London (above), and see here for more about clay plasters. But for those of you who want more evidence for the benefits of clay plasters
Have you heard of thermoelectric generators?
Have you come across thermoelectric generators (TEGs)? They are a way of generating electricity from heat, using the ‘Seebeck effect’ – so, for example, they can be strapped to the side of a wood stove to provide electricity for lighting.
Do you think you live in a democracy?
You can’t change anything by voting. Or, as Emma Goldman put it: ‘if voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal’. Politicians can rearrange deckchairs but they can’t steer the ship away from the iceberg
Eigg: community-owned island & the 1st completely wind, water and sun electricity grid in the world
Sometimes a story will remind us that things can be done differently. The Isle of Eigg story is one of them. For more details of exactly what happened on Eigg, see Alastair Mcintosh’s book Soil and Soul (available here).