Retrofitting existing houses for energy efficiency: learn how at ‘open house’ events around the country
The UK’s Federation of Open Home Networks believes the homes of the future will necessarily be dramatically improved older homes. Our homes accounted for 22% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2014. Read more
Hats off to Brandalism for exposing corporate greenwash
Genius campaign by a group called Brandalism. They managed to get around 600 spoof but corporate-looking adverts all over Paris in time for the climate talks. The fake ads were the work of 82 artists from 19 countries, and they parody the companies involved in sponsoring the climate talks. Read more
Corporations suing elected governments for introducing laws that reduce their profits isn’t new, but TTIP will make it much worse
It’s called Investor-state Dispute Settlement (ISDS), and it’s a mechanism whereby corporations can sue governments that introduce legislation that they claim reduce their potential to make profit – for example, requiring plain packaging for cigarettes (Australia and Uruguay sued) Read more
Leader of a major Western country questions perpetual economic growth shock!
Lowimpact.org has campaigned since 2001 for stabilisation of the global economy. Our aim is to help shift humanity towards a way of being on this planet that doesn’t destroy the biosphere. And that’s not possible without stabilising the economy. Read more
Nanodairies gathering: for people keeping or looking to keep up to four cows
Information sharing event for people who keep from one to four dairy cows, and a training course for people who are planning to do this. Focussed uniquely on cows, not on goats or sheep. 25 & 26 February, 2016, at Monkton Wyld Court, Charmouth, Dorset. Read more
Why does Jeremy Hunt want to give junior doctors more work for less money, and can we stop the corporate takeover of the NHS?
The planned strike is off, but we all know that the assault on the NHS will continue. The corporate incursions into the NHS that Hunt and his ilk are encouraging are because of neoliberal ideology, not a desire to provide the best healthcare. Can there be anyone on the left or right who doesn’t appreciate this,… Continue reading Why does Jeremy Hunt want to give junior doctors more work for less money, and can we stop the corporate takeover of the NHS? Read more
How about learning how to make a natural heirloom for a special occasion? Wicker baby cradle
We have plenty of basketmaking courses where you can learn to make useful and beautiful things out of wicker. You’ll need a bit of practice before you can make something like this, but who knows, if you get to this level, you can maybe think about making a career out of it. Read more
Review: Julius Nyerere’s ‘Ujamaa’, why a beautiful idea went wrong and how it can be adapted for the 21st century
This is a book that I discovered in my twenties, and it impressed me so much that I ended up making my way to Tanzania in 1991, and staying for a couple of months on two ujamaa villages. Ujamaa means ‘familyhood’, a concept that Nyerere wanted to extend to encompass the whole of humanity, Read more
How TTIP fits perfectly with the Deregulation Act, which can overrule all other laws if they affect growth or corporate interests
The Deregulation Bill, proposed by Tory privatiser Oliver Letwin, slipped into law at the end of the last Parliament. It can change all other law, according to criteria of ‘growth’ i.e. business interests. It fits perfectly with the EU’s deregulatory agenda, and that of TTIP and the other new ‘trade’ agreements, which have largely come… Continue reading How TTIP fits perfectly with the Deregulation Act, which can overrule all other laws if they affect growth or corporate interests Read more
Microdairies: making them as successful as micro-breweries
A conference on the benefits of small-scale commercial dairy farms of up to 40 cows or the equivalent of sheep or goats. How to establish them and how to promote the concept. For practising and prospective dairy farmers and others with a professional interest in the future of the British dairy industry. Read more
Where do you stand on raw milk? Interview with ‘raw’ dairy farmer
If milk is going to be transported long distances and hanging about a lot rather than being sold locally and drunk quickly, there’s a strong argument for pasteurising it. But there is a growing number of people who are arguing that locally-produced milk doesn’t have to be. Read more
What do you think about about this video by Rob Newman, and what does that say about you?
This is ‘the History of Oil’ by comedian Rob Newman. You might have seen it already, but if not, have a look – it’s very funny, as well as spot-on. He mentions the Radio 4 news item – that there was ‘an American plan to bring democracy to the Middle East’, and marvels at the… Continue reading What do you think about about this video by Rob Newman, and what does that say about you? Read more
How to make a new axe handle
First, wood selection. The perfect wood is nice straight grain ash fairly fast grown, if it gets more than 6-8 rings per inch it is much more brittle, 4-6 rings per inch is perfect. Read more
Well done for fighting food waste, Hugh; but let’s take it a step further
Have you seen any of the TV programmes about food waste, hosted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? He’s trying to highlight the amount of food that gets wasted in the UK – which is truly phenomenal, and a ridiculous waste of land, money, energy and time. Read more
Join the people who are fighting back against corporate control of global food production
There’s something seriously wrong with the way most of our food is produced and sold. The corporate sector is gaining control of more and more of global food production, shifting the focus from nutrition, flavour and nature towards profit and profit only. Read more
How to fit a new axe handle
This blog post shows how to fit a new axe handle, it could be a new store bought handle or one you made yourself – more on this soon. Read more
Beware the ‘sharing’ economy – back door for a more rapacious form of capitalism
Something that’s been troubling me for a while. The ‘sharing’ economy must be a good thing, right? I’ve been trying to see the good in it for a while. Sharing anything must mean that fewer resources are used, less waste produced, people get to know each other in their communities. All sounds great, doesn’t it? Read more
Free event in Oxfordshire this Sunday using game theory to explore Trident and the potential for nuclear conflict
An experimental day looking at aspects of game theory in parallel with discussions around the replacement of the Trident nuclear deterrent. Read more
TPP is not secret any more; we can now see the text of the deal, and it’s worse than we thought
The text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (deal similar to TTIP, but for Pacific Rim countries) has been agreed. However, there are some US politicians who are already calling for it to be re-negotiated, because big pharmaceutical corporations don’t think they get enough. Read more
The Yamagishi Association: successful, moneyless, leaderless network of communes in Japan and elsewhere
In the 1990s I visited the headquarters of the Yamagishi Association in Mie-ken in Japan. It’s a federation of intentional communities that is still going strong – but even then it comprised 3000 people in 30 villages all over Japan Read more