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    Cumbria coal mine – anger, disbelief and shock

    A new coal mine has been approved in Cumbria – but we can not allow it to go ahead. Read more

    Building the energy commons: Marcus Saul of Island Power

    Marcus Saul of Island Power | 18-Dec-2022 | 0

    Interview with Marcus Saul of Island Power, an energy company with incredible ideas that could be world-changing, in terms of building a new kind of (commons) economy. Read more

    Surviving the Future 2023: deep dive for anyone concerned about what’s coming

    In these tumultuous times, it’s good to pull back and think together — to share conversation — curated by experts and in the company of some of the most compelling people who have been thinking about these issues for a long time. Read more

    Review of ‘Change: How to Make Big Things Happen’ by Damon Centola

    Although the ‘viral’ approach (large networks, weak ties between people) can work for small packets of information, when it comes to behaviour change, it doesn’t seem to work well, and can actually be counter-productive. Read more

    George Monbiot and friends are wrong: techno-utopianism won’t save us

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Nov-2022 | 11

    George Monbiot has joined a campaign called ‘Reboot Food’, working with techno-utopians who would like to see governments remove support for organic food and deregulate the GM industry, as well as producing bacteria-based food in giant factories (‘precision-fermentation’), and getting rid of smallholdings. Read more

    Organic smallholdings, not ‘farm-free’ food factories

    Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg | 13-Nov-2022 | 3

    Another critical review of George Monbiot’s latest book, Regenesis, by Chris Smaje, author of Small Farm Future. This follows on from last week’s review by Simon Fairlie. Read more

    The parklet movement – creating green space on our streets

    Can the rising use of parklets across our cities increase the use of green spaces? Read more

    My journey from nuclear physics to mutual credit: Tom Woodroof of Mutual Credit Services

    This is Part 1 of an interview with Tom Woodroof of Mutual Credit Services, who made the shift from the world of nuclear physics to the world of mutual credit. Read more

    Fighting our food waste habit

    How improving our food waste habit can save us money and reduce our carbon footprint. Read more

    New owner sought for low-impact pub and glamping site in rural Suffolk

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 09-Oct-2022 | 4

    Aldegarden is a wonderful site in Suffolk, with accommodation, a community pub, and a ‘glamping’ site with yurts, timber structures, a cob roundhouse, gypsy caravan and a converted barn, communal areas, solar hot water and electricity and compost loos. They’ve been in our directory for years. But now they’re looking for new owners for the property and successful businesses. Read more

    Would sociocracy work for your organisation?

    Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All | 04-Sep-2022 | 2

    This is part 2 of an interview with Ted Rau, co-founder of Sociocracy For All. Part 1 (‘What is sociocracy’) is here. Now we’re talking about whether sociocracy might be a good idea for your organisation / business. Read more

    What is sociocracy? With Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All

    Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All | 28-Aug-2022 | 0

    Here I’m talking with Ted Rau, one of the co-founders of of Sociocracy For All, and leader of the general circle for that organisation. Read more

    Can governments solve the climate problem?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 31-Jul-2022 | 2

    Short answer: no, because governments are fixated on maximising GDP growth, which is the root cause of the climate crisis, and which far outweighs any (rare) beneficial legislation that they might introduce. Read more

    New tools and ideas for building the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 24-Jul-2022 | 6

    The Commons economy is not, like capitalism, built around the private ownership of the means of production – but neither is it, like socialism, built on the state ownership of those means. It’s about reinstating the commons, that have been gradually enclosed over the centuries, first by the state and more recently by capitalists. Read more

    Reflections on building the ‘Commons’ economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 17-Jul-2022 | 0

    Lowimpact has been around since 2001, and we’ve provided lots of ways to help people live more sustainably. We’re going to also be focusing on how to build the ‘commons’ economy in future, as a viable alternative to the status quo. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy, Part 2

    Part 2 of an interview with Grace Rachmany, of DAO Leadership and Voice of Humanity. She has some very interesting ideas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    Review of Brett Scott’s ‘Cloud Money’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-May-2022 | 0

    Review of Brett Scott’s ‘Cloud Money’, a ‘convoluted payments circuitry, tied together by institutions you cannot see, but who can see you’. Read more

    We’re taking on a paid intern: you, maybe?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 15-May-2022 | 0

    We’re looking for a paid intern. Contact us if you think this might be you, and please do pass it on to anyone you think might be a likely candidate. We initially have up to £600 per month available for the right person, depending on how much time you can put in – and there will be opportunities for you and others to bring in more income to pay for more work for you to do. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy

    eas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    Co-operative social care with sociocracy and mutual credit: Emma Back of the Equal Care Co-op

    Emma Back of Equal Care Co-op | 10-Apr-2022 | 0

    There are some very interesting aspects to the Equal Care Co-op, including ‘Teams’, sociocratic decision-making and an internal payments system that could be described as a cross between mutual credit, timebanking, tokenising, and recognition of informal labour, including emotional labour and care work. 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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