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    Downshifting posts

    Fancy volunteering for the summer at an off-grid, Ecological Land Coop smallholding?

    Hi – we are James and Sukamala, tenants at Wild Geese Acres, Greenham Reach, which is an off-grid, low-impact farming project established in north Devon by the Ecological Land Coop  (ELC) – see website. http://ecologicalland.coop. Read more

    How I built a Raspberry Pi Space Invaders arcade machine with my kids

    This describes how my kids and I built an arcade machine, based on a Raspberry Pi. So, the first question many of you will be asking is…. Read more

    Buying green: is ethical consumerism a perfect distraction?

    Eco-consumption, ethical consumerism, sustainable shopping. Call it what we may, “buying green” has grown into something of a hot topic in the last decade. But is it the sustainable solution some claim it to be or is it in fact the perfect distraction? Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson explores. Read more

    Joy in enough: awakening to a new economics

    On 18th November last year there was a one-day workshop in Sheffield called “Joy in Enough – Awakening to a New Economics”. It was delivered by Green Christian who are a multi-denominational charity that have been operating for over thirty years. Read more

    Debate: how sustainable can an eco-hotel and permaculture community be if it’s for Brits in Portugal?

    We were approached by Peter to ask if we would help promote a proposed eco-holiday complex and permaculture settlement in Portugal. I replied that I didn’t think we could, as I have strong reservations about this kind of eco-hotel development, and explained why. Peter came back with some counter-arguments, and I asked him whether he’d… Continue reading Debate: how sustainable can an eco-hotel and permaculture community be if it’s for Brits in Portugal? Read more

    The potential power of sharing: from Share Shops to Streetbank

    In this post Sophie Paterson of Lowimpact.org explores the power of sharing in a growing movement including The Library of Things, Streetbank, Share Shops and more. Read more

    Reduce, reuse… repair? The repair renaissance building skills and communities

    With UK media decrying a recent YouGov survey revealing a whopping 69% of 18-24 year olds in the UK don’t know how to bleed a radiator and 54% would be flummoxed replacing a fuse, what hope is there for a repair renaissance amidst the current tide of throwaway consumerism? Read more

    How the ‘One Planet Development’ policy is helping people get back onto the land in Wales

    Something special is happening in Wales. The country is using legislation to shift itself into a very different direction from England. It wants to be more sustainable. It wants to reduce its ‘ecological footprint’ to a level that’s fair compared to the rest of the planet’s population and resources. Read more

    Opportunity to rent (or cropshare) 7 organic acres in Sussex

    There are 7 acres on offer with this rental rent or organic cropshare opportunity in Sussex (postcode TN35 4AP). It’s across the road from the village of Fairlight and a 5 minute drive to Hastings. Read more

    Would you like to become a member of a nature-based permaculture community on the Isle of Skye?

    Ludwig Appeltans of Earth Ways | 01-Oct-2017 | 12

    Since December 2016, I, Ludwig Appeltans am the proud owner and custodian of the most beautiful peninsula in Scotland. Read more

    A year of downshifting in Devon

    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

    Waste not, want not: 5 tips for collecting salvaged building materials

    Using salvage building materials brings new life to otherwise discarded items.  Reusing materials can inspire creativity and reduce construction costs. But you need to have a plan, or you risk spinning your wheels and burning out from all the leg work involved. Read more

    Seeking a venue: course on how to create a One Planet Development

    I am seeking venues around the country to run an exciting course that will help participants prepare for starting and living on a One Planet Development. Read more

    Ecological Land Co-op share offer extended after exceeding target: help us change the way land is owned in the UK

    WOW! We’ve surpassed our initial maximum target of £340,000, and there are still FOUR days to go. Our new investors are helping us continue our work supporting small-scale, agro-ecological farming. Thank you! Read more

    Part-time work available in the Lowimpact.org team

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-May-2017 | 12

    We are offering a little part-time job. It’s only around 10 hours per month, so it could fit in nicely with what you’re doing already. It involves looking after a category on the Lowimpact.org site, and keeping everything updated. Read more

    Can you imagine a world without money? Summary of the ‘credit commons’ idea and how it could be achieved

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 21-May-2017 | 27

    Last week I blogged about a potentially world-changing idea that could be labelled ‘credit commons’, or the catchy ‘global mutual credit system’. It’s a system of exchange that involves no money. It’s difficult to grasp at first, but the more you think about it, the more you realise that a) it’s implementable, and b) if… Continue reading Can you imagine a world without money? Summary of the ‘credit commons’ idea and how it could be achieved Read more

    New Ecological Land Co-op share offer launched: here’s a chance to help bring about change in land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for your trouble!

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 04-Apr-2017 | 1

    Please share this as widely as you can. I’m on the board of the Ecological Land Co-op, and so I know how much hard work has gone into this – it’s an opportunity for people to shift their money to help change the nature of land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for… Continue reading New Ecological Land Co-op share offer launched: here’s a chance to help bring about change in land ownership in the UK, and receive 3% interest for your trouble! Read more

    Would you like to be a chef on an organic farm / cafe, with a small cottage available too?

    Sinking into a bit of a depression about both the British and American situation this winter a wise friend kindly reminded me that these issues are merely a distraction from more important things in our everyday lives. Read more

    How the corporate goldrush for incineration, gasification and pyrolysis of waste generates more consumption, more waste and more pollution

    ‘When waste to energy companies propose to build incineration/gasification plants they stipulate that contracts be in place which lock-in local authorities to providing them with a fixed tonnage of waste over the lifetime of the plant (often about 25 years). Read more

    Why self-reliance is so important as part of a secure, low-impact life

    Andy Reynolds of the Ecolodge | 04-Mar-2017 | 0

    I am Andy Reynolds, a long-term practitioner of low-impact living, smallholder, author, forester, teacher, carpenter, builder. I’ve been working with Lowimpact.org since the early noughties, and I’d like to share my philosophy on self-reliance with you. 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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