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
Lawn to FOOD FOREST In 5 Years, Natural Farming Permaculture Gardening – NBB
How Gardening Helps Cancer Patients Cope – Deep Green Permaculture
This Kenyan farmer is modernizing — and maintaining a circular mindset – Ensia
The Catalan Integral Cooperative … The Simpler Way revolution is well underway! – Feasta
Earthbag Workshop Project – part 1 Design Process – NBB
Lost Art Of Bending Over: How Other Cultures Spare Their Spines – NPR
The Oscar For Best Snack Goes To … Popcorn, The 6,000-Year-Old Aztec Gold – NPR
Dark Kitchen: A Recipe for Belonging – The Dark Mountain
1806 – The Woman Hobby Farmer with Karen Lanier – Permaculture Podcast
Layens Hive Experiments with GregV – Episode 64 – Treatment-Free Beekeeping Podcast
Retrosuburbia: the downshifters guide to a resilient future – Milkwood Permaculture
Renovation is always a better use of resources than demolition and replacement – TH
Environmental News
Explainer: The polar vortex, climate change and the ‘Beast from the East’ – CB
Activists Block Construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in Louisiana – EF!
Federal Court Temporarily Pauses Construction of Controversial Louisiana Pipeline – R
Scientists Are Freaking Out About “Crazy” Temperatures in the Arctic – MJ
Widespread Drought Across U.S. Stokes Fears About A Repeat Of 2012’s Wrath – NPR
Research News
Drought drove early humans from Africa – Earth
What Can California Do about Sea Level Rise? – R
Spawning salmon engineer landscapes – Earth
The Rise Of Yeast: How Civilization Was Shaped By Sugar Fungi – NPR
The US Could Supply 80 Percent of Its Energy with Wind and Solar – VM
Op-Ed¹
A fascinating, flawed look at limits – An Outside Chance
OPINION: It’s time to rethink our marine conservation priorities – Feasta
Why the web has challenged scientists’ authority – and why they need to adapt – C
Climate change: The feel-good catastrophe – Resource Insights
My Tesla Runs on Banana Peels – An Outside Chance
Garbage in, garbage out: Incinerating trash is not an effective way to protect the climate or reduce waste – C
How design for disposability and convenience will bury us in waste – 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.