These are a few stories we found this week that may be of interest to institute regulars. If you have a news tip, please send it to lowtechinstitute@gmail.com.
Low Tech News
What would happen if all trees disappeared? – TH
London mayor plans water fountains, refill stations to cut plastic bottle use – TH
Don’t despair – repair – TH
UK grocer sells food past ‘best before’ date – TH
The Palace the Master Carpenter Built – NBB
Eating out might be devouring your food budget – and you probably have no idea – C
Foldable bike helmets made from recycled materials help fight “helmet hassle” – TH
Even cargo ships are going 100% electric – TH
Why You Shouldn’t Use Sales Receipts in Your Compost or Worm Farm – Deep Green Permaculture
[Episode #57] – Climate Science Part 7 – Carbon Budget – Energy Transition Show
Built on a tilt: climbable bookshelf is also earthquake resistant – TH
How to Feel High From Tea [A Discussion of Stress-Fighting Compounds in Tea] – Tonic
Environmental News
Bitcoin Could Cost us Our Clean-Energy Future – R
As Greenland Melts, Where’s the Water Going? – NYT
Most Democrats and Republicans agree: Arctic drilling is a bad idea – G
Germany’s War on Coal Is Over. Coal Lost – MJ
California fire damage to homes is less ‘random’ than it seems – C
Two Killed and Two Injured in Kinder Morgan Pipeline Explosion in Illinois – EF!
Research News
Across The World, If You Eat For Your Health, You’ll Help The Planet – NPR
This Year’s Hurricane Season Was Intense. Is It A Taste Of The Future? – NPR
UK could cut food emissions by 17% by sticking to a healthy diet – CB
Trees are the dominant source of methane emissions in Amazon wetlands – CB
Can Your Ceramic Cookware Give You Lead Poisoning? – NPR
Is The Tide Of Antibiotic Use On Farms Now Turning? – NPR
As emerging diseases spread from wildlife to humans, can we predict the next big pandemic? – Ensia
Op-Ed¹
The solution to single-use plastics is simple: Ban them – TH
Sir David Attenborough: Oceans under threat “as never before in human history” – TH
Almost all successful cities are clamping down on private cars and promoting bikes – TH
One hundred years after the Halifax explosion, what have we learned? – TH
Source Abbreviations
CB – Carbon Brief
C – The Conversation
E – The Ecologist
EF! – Earth First! Newswire
G – Grist
MJ – Mother Jones
NBB — Natural Building Blog
NPR – National Public Radio
NYT – New York Times
PRI – Permaculture Research Institute
R – Resilience
TH – TreeHugger
V – Vice
VM – Vice: Motherboard
Disclaimer: The news stories and posts linked above are not meant as an endorsement of the information presented. They are provided as they may be of interest to our readers and further our aims of solutions for a post-fossil-fuel world. We strive to provide fact-based information. If you feel that political views are being presented in a partisan fashion, we are happy to provide equal time to opposing view points as long as they are derived from verifiable data and facts.
¹Opinion pieces represent the independent thought of their authors and may or may not represent the position of the Low Technology Institute.