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    Sophie Paterson

    Join our new online community Living Low Impact

    Sophie Paterson 19-Nov-2017

    We’re excited to introduce our new Facebook group Living Low Impact – and you’re invited! Read more

    Historically heating: forgotten ways to keep warm this winter

    Sophie Paterson 05-Nov-2017

    With winter on the way and inspired by a recent visit to the Weald & Downland Museum, Sophie Paterson explores a selection of historical personal heating methods. Could they be adopted in homes today? Read more

    The great Human Power Plant experiment: an update

    Sophie Paterson 31-Oct-2017

    Regular readers of our blog may recall an earlier post about an exciting experiment taking place in the Netherlands in the form of a hydro-pneumatic human power plant harnessing human energy. Here’s an update on progress so far. Read more

    In praise of the domestic larder: an alternative to the modern fridge

    Sophie Paterson 18-Aug-2017

    Once a mainstay of households in times gone by, the humble larder provided a practical storage solution for foodstuffs requiring storage over a longer period of time. Read more

    A year of downshifting in Devon

    Sophie Paterson 16-Aug-2017

    Downshifting means working less, earning less and spending less and it’s what Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson has spent the past year attempting to do. She shares what she’s learnt so far and why she’d encourage others to embrace downshifting too. Read more

    A tale of two greenhouses: in praise of the solar greenhouse

    Sophie Paterson 23-Jul-2017

    Asked to describe the average greenhouse, many readers might picture a mainly glass structure. There is, however, an alternative which offers even greater growing potential across the seasons with far less energy consumption: the solar greenhouse. Particularly popular in China since the late 1970s, solar greenhouses make use of passive solar energy to retain the… Continue reading A tale of two greenhouses: in praise of the solar greenhouse Read more

    The great Human Power Plant experiment

    Sophie Paterson 22-Jun-2017

    Taking pedal power to a whole new level, an ambitious project will see the conversion of a 22 floor building into an entirely human powered community of 750 students at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Dubbed the Human Power Plant, Kris de Decker of Low-tech Magazine and artist Melle Smets will lead a team exploring the… Continue reading The great Human Power Plant experiment Read more

    Groundswell: an agricultural show for no-till, organic farming with cover crops and grass-fed animals

    Sophie Paterson 11-Jun-2017

    A groundswell of farmers around the world are working out how to farm in a more ecologically-friendly way. One of the farmers leading the farming revolution in the UK is John Cherry, who has set up a 2-day conference on his farm in Hertfordshire, 28th and 29th of June. Read more

    My plastic-free life: an interview with Kate Armstrong

    Sophie Paterson 04-Jun-2017

    You may remember from our post in May that the month of June marks The Marine Conservation Society’s Plastic Challenge. But what is it actually like to give up plastic? We spoke to campaigner Kate Armstrong of plasticisrubbish.com about her decade-long journey towards and campaign for a plastic-free existence. Read more

    Resilient networks: building a low-tech internet

    Sophie Paterson 28-May-2017

    A solution to the absence of high-speed wireless networks across some developing countries and increasingly appearing in the form of WiFi based community networks in numerous countries in Europe, building a low-tech internet could have benefits for all. With excerpts from an original Low-tech Magazine article by Kris De Decker, we explore how a less resource-intensive and more energy-efficient… Continue reading Resilient networks: building a low-tech internet Read more

    One man and his sticks: meet stickmaker Joe Musialowski

    Sophie Paterson 14-May-2017

    A traditional rural skill sometimes overlooked, crook and stickmaking is making a comeback in the UK. Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson spoke to Joe Musialowski of Wren Country Sticks about his journey to become a professional stickmaker and what the future might hold for this timeless country craft. Supplier of bespoke sticks, crooks and croziers for walkers, shepherds… Continue reading One man and his sticks: meet stickmaker Joe Musialowski Read more

    Car tyre foundations: a low-impact and affordable solution?

    Sophie Paterson 04-May-2017

    Last month, Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson, a trainee with the School of Natural Building, took a hands-on approach learning how to construct recycled car tyre foundations on a Straw Works course at Holy Trinity Church in Tulse Hill, London. Read more

    Farm Hack : growing innovative open-source agriculture

    Sophie Paterson 02-May-2017

    In response to the pervasive reach of the global agro-industrial complex, growing numbers of farmers across the world are coming together as co-operative organisations to promote and protect small-scale organic food production and environmental stewardship. We take a look below at some of the groups promoting open source agriculture with farmer driven technologies, spearheaded by the… Continue reading Farm Hack : growing innovative open-source agriculture Read more

    Period of adjustment: the case for reusable feminine hygiene products

    Sophie Paterson 20-Apr-2017

    Katherine Blacklaws and Harriet Parke make the case for reusable feminine hygiene products, re-blogged with kind permission from an original post at Isonomia. Read more

    Smallholding with heart: advice about getting and running a smallholding from Janet Jenkins of Cuckoo Farm

    Sophie Paterson 13-Apr-2017

    Embarking on a new life in the countryside, away from the trappings of urban existence, is a dream increasingly common to many. This week we interviewed Janet Jenkins about her and her family’s smallholding journey, putting the heart back into the land at Cuckoo Farm. Read more

    University meets WWOOF: An interview with student and WWOOFer Iona Desouza

    Sophie Paterson 27-Mar-2017

    Hours spent in the library? Check. Essay and assignment deadlines flooding in? Check. Tractor driving, wool spinning and weeding at weekends? Check! Read more

    Career change? Interview with Amanda James about becoming a dry stone waller

    Sophie Paterson 14-Mar-2017

    In a society increasingly out of touch with the joy of crafting and building by hand, making a transition to gain new skills and work within a traditional rural craft can seem at once appealing and daunting. Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

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