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    Keeping energy production local and mutualised: Jon Hallé of Sharenergy, Part 2

    Jon Halle of Sharenergy | 11-Jul-2021 | 2

    This is the second part of an interview with Jon Halle of Sharenergy, about the prospects for keeping energy production local and mutualised. We talk about community energy, Energy Local and the Big Solar Co-op. Read more

    Jon Hallé: Introducing the Big Solar Co-op, and how you can help renewables and the co-op sector

    Jon Halle of Sharenergy | 04-Jul-2021 | 0

    Today I’m speaking with Jon Hallé. We go back about 20 years. You ran courses on how to make biodiesel for Lowimpact, back in the early noughties, and you authored a book for us about making biodiesel, that sold about 15k copies in the first year. It caught the zeitgeist then, but of course diesel… Continue reading Jon Hallé: Introducing the Big Solar Co-op, and how you can help renewables and the co-op sector Read more

    How ‘chamas’ and mutual credit are changing Africa: Shaila Agha of the Sarafu Network

    Today I’m talking with Shaila Agha of the Sarafu Network about ‘chamas’ and mutual credit, and how they’re changing Africa. Read more

    How you can help get solar onto more roofs in your community: the Big Solar Co-op

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 23-Jun-2021 | 0

    As it’s Community Energy Fortnight, I thought I’d have a word with my old mate Jon Hallé, who used to run Lowimpact’s ‘How to Make Biodiesel’ courses in the early noughties (and authored a book of the same title with us), and since then has gone on to found Sharenergy, who have helped over 100… Continue reading How you can help get solar onto more roofs in your community: the Big Solar Co-op Read more

    What kind of work do we want to do? Is working with our hands passé?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Jun-2021 | 0

    There’s an approach to life that sees craft jobs, or smallholding and food production, including baking, brewing and beekeeping, as well as any kind of job that involves manual work and dexterity as somehow retrograde and passé, and that ‘work’ now means mainly putting on a suit and travelling to an office to do something-or-other… Continue reading What kind of work do we want to do? Is working with our hands passé? Read more

    ‘Mutualism’ will supersede traditional left vs right politics

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 23-May-2021 | 0

    Nature, democracy and community aren’t partisan issues. No-one sensible, of any political persuasion, speaks out against them. They’re essential for human well-being. But they’re being destroyed, and disunity wastes energy and prevents us from being able to do anything about it. Read more

    Two planks – and a bridge – to the new economy

    This article accompanies and enlarges upon the interview with Dil Green that we published recently, as part of series of articles on a forthcoming book about building a new economy around a mutual credit core. Read more

    Job opportunities with the Ecological Land Cooperative

    There are exciting times ahead for our friends at the Ecological Land Cooperative, as they share news of five new job opportunities. Lauren Simpson tells us more. Read more

    Re-cooperativising the Co-op Bank? Shaun Fensom of Save Our Bank

    Shaun Fensom of Save Our Bank | 29-Nov-2020 | 0

    Today I’m talking with Shaun Fensom of ‘Save Our Bank’ – the Co-op Bank, that is. But of course it’s not a co-operative any more, and part of what the group wants to do is to help bring the bank back into co-operative ownership. Read more

    CoopCycle Federation: aiming for a bicycle courier co-op in every town

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Nov-2020 | 0

    Today I’m talking with Claire Stocks of Chorlton Bike Deliveries and Matt Nicholson of York Collective. Both are bicycle courier co-operatives. Read more

    Are power hierarchies inevitable in human society?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-Oct-2020 | 5

    Just to be clear, I’m only talking about institutional, power hierarchies here, not hierarchies based on beauty, knowledge, intelligence, ability, respect etc. Those hierarchies are inevitable, of course, and life would probably be quite boring without them. Read more

    Creating a national network of social care co-ops: Graham Mitchell of Co-operative Care Colne Valley

    Today I’m talking with Graham Mitchell, of Co-operative Care Colne Valley. He’s part of a group starting a social care co-op in the Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, and they’re also building a toolkit / step-by-step guide for people to start a social care coop in their own community. I’m interested in how this toolkit can… Continue reading Creating a national network of social care co-ops: Graham Mitchell of Co-operative Care Colne Valley Read more

    Why we need social care co-ops: Graham Mitchell of Co-operative Care Colne Valley

    Today I’m talking with Graham Mitchell, of Co-operative Care Colne Valley. He’s part of a group starting a social care co-op in the Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, and they’re also building a toolkit / step-by-step guide for people to start social care co-ops in their own community. I’m interested in how this toolkit can help… Continue reading Why we need social care co-ops: Graham Mitchell of Co-operative Care Colne Valley Read more

    What post-Covid communities could look like, if enough of us want it

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 12-Jul-2020 | 7

    Here’s a little story for anyone who’s noticed that things aren’t going too well in our communities. Small businesses are going under, unemployment is on the rise and money’s becoming scarce. Read more

    Water For Rojava international solidarity fund

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 03-Jun-2020 | 0

    Dave Darby shares news of a crowdfunding campaign launched by the Solidarity Economy Association to rebuild vital water infrastructure in North and East Syria. Read more

    ‘The Case for Community Wealth Building’: review

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 23-May-2020 | 0

    This is the first of three articles in three days about ‘community wealth building’ (CWB) and mutual credit. Today we’re explaining community wealth building, and reviewing a book: The Case for Community Wealth Building. Tomorrow we’ll blog about how mutual credit can help post-Covid communities, and on Monday, Dil Green continues the theme, explaining how… Continue reading ‘The Case for Community Wealth Building’: review Read more

    Keeping small businesses alive during the coronavirus / economic crisis

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 03-Apr-2020 | 10

    The coronavirus crisis is causing an economic crash that will only get worse. Research has indicated that a shortage of money will mean that up to a million UK small businesses may close in the coming months. To prevent the devastation of small businesses, and therefore our communities, there needs to be an alternative means… Continue reading Keeping small businesses alive during the coronavirus / economic crisis Read more

    Coming together to build a new economy: Matthew Slater, barefoot economist and Credit Commons co-designer, Part 2

    In part 1 I described why a resilient economy needs be to separate from the failing capitalist juggernaut and that we need to start by finding new economic partners from without the Market. Read more

    How to start a co-operative grocery in your town: Debbie Clarke of Unicorn Grocery, Part 2

    This is Part 2 of an interview with Debbie Clarke of Unicorn Grocery – a co-operative grocery store in Manchester. In Part 1, I talked with Debbie about what it’s like to work in a co-operative grocery. Here we talk about the “Grow your own Grocery” guide that her co-op has produced for people who… Continue reading How to start a co-operative grocery in your town: Debbie Clarke of Unicorn Grocery, Part 2 Read more

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

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 26-Jan-2020 | 8

    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

    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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