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    Ancient wisdom to face challenging times

    El Habib Ben Amara of Water21 | 02-Feb-2024 | 4

    Beautiful article by El Habib Ben Amara on how development is desertifying ancient ksars (fortified oases) in north Africa, and what we can do about it. Read more

    Bath presentation: introducing the commons

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 21-Jan-2024 | 0

    We were invited to give a presentation at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution on Jan 9th. Here’s the transcript and slides. Read more

    Is the corporate digital takeover of big cities ‘progress’?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 01-Jan-2024 | 0

    In Brett Scott’s blog post, The War on Informality, he talks about his impressions of London after some time away, how it’s becoming more and more difficult to escape surveillance capitalism, and how it’s seeping into every area of Londoners’ lives. Read more

    Explaining the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 17-Dec-2023 | 6

    The word ‘commons’ can mean different things to different people. We’ve been working with specialists to help build the commons economy, so we’d like to concisely describe what we mean, and how you can join us. Read more

    Helping commons groups form and grow in Stroud and other towns (and countries)

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 05-Dec-2023 | 2

    Commons ideas have gone down well in Stroud and we have thriving groups in various sectors. We’ve been approached by formative groups in several towns in the UK and in other countries. Read more

    Surviving the future: The deeper dive 2024

    Autumn has always been my favourite season, and over recent years it brings additional succour, signalling time to start preparing in earnest for the winter’s Deeper Dive. This now-annual tradition has become a real highlight of my year, as a new small group capped at just fifty folk gathers to reflect meaningfully on our tumultuous times,… Continue reading Surviving the future: The deeper dive 2024 Read more

    Free online: 2024 revised and expanded edition of ‘The End of Money’

    Tom Greco of Beyond Money | 06-Nov-2023 | 1

    I read the first edition of this book around 12 years ago. It changed my life and put me on the path to where I am now – trying to build the commons economy. New 2024 edition, free online. Read more

    ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens’: friendly societies for social welfare

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 30-Oct-2023 | 1

    Every neighbourhood had a friendly society. At their height, just before WW1 9 million people were members of friendly societies in the UK! Read more

    How to build an energy commons

    This is a draft outline of a design for an energy commons in any town – an energy sector owned by communities, providing affordable, locally-generated, renewable energy. Read more

    Decentralising power: the why, what, how and who of growing the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Oct-2023 | 11

    Why we need to replace capitalism with a commons economy; who will do it and how. Read more

    New commons group and public event: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire

    Paul Jennings of Criafolen | 16-Sep-2023 | 0

    Llandeilo commons: invitation to join a formative group and public event in West Wales. Read more

    How to bring the water industry into community ownership: Julian Jones of Water21, Part 2

    Julian Jones of Water21 | 26-Aug-2023 | 0

    part 2 of an interview (see video below for more details – well worth it!) with Julian Jones, a water engineer and distinguished fellow of the Schumacher Institute, who has worked and provided consultancy for water companies, NGOs, the Environment Agency, universities and governments. Read more

    More on the money problem: it doesn’t have to be ‘scarce’

    Following on from a recent post by Tom Greco, on the essential nature of money, Dil Green of Lowimpact.org and Mutual Credit Services here talks about its apparent scarcity, how that negatively affects our communities and our well-being, and how it could be different – based on mutual credit and the commons economy. Read more

    How to solve the money problem in a nutshell

    Tom Greco of Beyond Money | 30-Jul-2023 | 2

    This article from Tom Greco contains the basics of what you need to know about money, currency, credit and exchange. Read more

    Stroud Commons 5: forming a ‘commoners’ group for each sector of the economy

    Amrit Sachar of Stroud Commons | 23-Jul-2023 | 0

    This is the latest in a series of articles documenting our group’s attempts to build the commons economy in Stroud, in a way that can be implemented in other towns, and connected together to build the foundations of a new, commons economy. It covers what we’ve done so far, and how people can get involved. Read more

    An authoritarian world government is not going to save us

    A growing question for environmentalists is the extent to which the existential threat we face means that countries and populations should be forced to reduce consumption, and hence whether an authoritarian politics is the best way to face the future. Read more

    Conversation with Jem Bendell, part 2: how should we respond to the collapse of capitalism?

    Jem Bendell of JemBendell.com | 02-Jul-2023 | 0

    This is the second part of a conversation between Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Jem Bendell, professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, and author of the now famous 2018 Deep Adaptation paper that claimed that we’re on an inevitable path to civilisational collapse. Read more

    Conversation with Jem Bendell, part 1: is industrial capitalism coming to an end?

    Jem Bendell of JemBendell.com | 25-Jun-2023 | 6

    This is the first part of a conversation between Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Jem Bendell, professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, and author of the now famous 2018 Deep Adaptation paper that claimed that we’re on an inevitable path to civilisational collapse. Read more

    Regenerative traditions in Africa: inspiration for the commons everywhere

    Building the commons may be hard in wealthier countries, where traditions of mutual aid were lost many years ago. But they’re still alive and well in other parts of the world – as this article by Janet of Grassroots Economics / Sarafu Network shows. I interviewed the director of Grassroots Economics, Shaila Agha, who told me about ‘chamas’ in Kenya – mutual savings groups, built on trusted relationships in local communities. Read more

    If our civilisation were collapsing, would we even know? Review of Jem Bendell’s ‘Breaking Together’

    Dr Patrick Smith of Papillon | 04-Jun-2023 | 10

    In Breaking Together Bendell argues that the collapse of industrial consumer societies is not just “inevitable” but is in fact already underway. 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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