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    Dave Darby bio

    Dave Darby founded Lowimpact.org in 2001, spent 3 years on the board of the Ecological Land Co-op and is a founder member of NonCorporate.org and the Open Credit Network.

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    Dave Darby

    What’s wrong with billionaires?

    Dave Darby 15-Mar-2020

    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

    Our new compost toilets online course is live – and we think you’ll love it!

    Dave Darby 02-Feb-2020

    We’ve produced an online course on building, using and maintaining a range of different compost toilets. You can purchase the new compost toilets online course here. Read more

    Disillusioned with the parliamentary route to a better society? Here’s an alternative.

    Dave Darby 26-Jan-2020

    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

    Is Greta Thunberg right, and if so, what do we do about it?

    Dave Darby 01-Jan-2020

    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

    What I’ve discovered about the money system and how the world is run, since working with the Open Credit Network

    Dave Darby 22-Dec-2019

    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

    26 questions from a 10-year-old to his parents about the election

    Dave Darby 10-Dec-2019

    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

    New topic – ‘commoning’ – and why ‘the Tragedy of the Commons’ is wrong

    Dave Darby 01-Dec-2019

    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 17-Nov-2019

    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

    We’re on the Extinction Rebellion main stage in central London on Thursday afternoon

    Dave Darby 06-Oct-2019

    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

    Does anybody fancy a free, one-day course on the viable system model (VSM)?

    Dave Darby 22-Sep-2019

    I recently interviewed Trevor Hilder, a specialist in the viable system model. I’ve been interested in it for a while, since I heard from credible sources that it could be a valuable tool for building the new economy. Read more

    Low-impact & the city 14: getting back on a bike after ten years

    Dave Darby 08-Sep-2019

    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. Read more

    Low-impact & the city 13: How to get lots of fruit from a small garden with no work

    Dave Darby 29-Aug-2019

    I’m too busy to have a vegetable garden. I don’t have the mental energy to think about when it’s time to buy seeds, to plant them, water them, prick them out into pots, dig the garden, plant them, and then continue to water them, weed them and harvest them. Read more

    What’s the difference between capitalism and a free market?

    Dave Darby 04-Aug-2019

    People usually conflate the two, but I want to try to persuade (mainly the right) that capitalism is nothing like a free market, and (mainly the left) that there’s nothing wrong with a truly free market. Read more

    Come to our public event on the Open Credit Network, July 18th, London

    Dave Darby 23-Jun-2019

    As you know if you follow this blog, Lowimpact.org and the Open Co-op have partnered up to build a mutual credit network for the UK, the Open Credit Network (OCN), and that we have people on board who are working to develop the ‘credit commons’ – a way of linking together mutual credit schemes anywhere… Continue reading Come to our public event on the Open Credit Network, July 18th, London Read more

    Reflections on the CTRLshift gathering – an emergency summit for change

    Dave Darby 16-Jun-2019

    The stated aim of the annual CTRLshift gathering (that took place in Stoke-on-Trent recently) is to bring key people together to talk about practical steps to help shift power away from central government and multinational corporations, to communities and individuals. Well, you had me at ‘decentralisation’, so I went along. Read more

    A moneyless trading system for the UK: the Open Credit Network launches website and conducts first trades

    Dave Darby 07-Apr-2019

    Big news as the Open Credit Network launches a website and conducts its first trades, laying the foundations of a moneyless trading system for the UK. Read more

    What do we do about the coming ecological crash?

    Dave Darby 01-Jan-2019

    So let’s start the year with a bit of optimism. Our last post was about the fact that there is a general lack of understanding of the implications of biodiversity loss, and the contribution of climate change to it. This post is for people who do understand what’s happening to nature, but can see no… Continue reading What do we do about the coming ecological crash? Read more

    We should be much more worried about an ecological crash than a financial crash

    Dave Darby 30-Dec-2018

    A few years ago, I was having a beer in the bar at King’s Cross narrowboat marina, when someone called Fred asked me what I did. When I said that I worked for an environmental organisation, he came up with a classic line that I’ve quoted many times since. Read more

    How the EU is causing problems for the ‘Preston Model’ of local, non-corporate procurement

    Dave Darby 18-Nov-2018

    I’ve often suggested that Western states are beginning to resemble an admin department for the corporate sector. Read more

    Europe: it’s time to end the growth dependency

    Dave Darby 11-Nov-2018

    We don’t usually blog about petitions – it feels a bit too much like begging, rather than doing things for ourselves and building alternatives from grassroots. However, this petition is too important to ignore, and politicians need to hear it, even though they might not be close to understanding it. Read more

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