Part of what we do here is reviving technology that was common in the past but rare today. If you look for how-to guides on mushroom cultivation online, you find plenty of sites that show you how to make a HEPA-filtered clean room and intricate inoculation instructions, but people have been growing mushrooms well before … More Low-Tech Mushroom Guide from 1901
Low Tech News One Man’s Fight Against Poverty, by Making a Mansion Out of Mud – Natural Building Blog Peruvian Farmers, Chefs Cash in on Guinea Pig Craze – NPR This YouTube Survivalist Can Teach You to Skin Deer and Cook Rats – Grist Homemade rhubarb varroa strips for bees – Walden Effect Do solar … More News Roundup — 21 Oct. 2016
We articulated three central tenets of the Low Technology Institute. These are simple concepts but they have profound implications for our everyday lives. Naessi articulated a list of character traits (adapted below) that we hope to cultivate in our society. These are not meant to be rules, but examples of how one might live. The … More Basic Stances — A Meaningful Life of Simplicity
The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming novel EcoGuerrillas. Following Naess, Leopold, and other natural philosophers, we have devised three precepts for a post-fossil-fuel society. First, we must recognize that we are one of many species on this planet. Second, we must work to mimic successful natural systems and live off of the planet’s … More Basic Stances — Three Central Low-Tech Tenets
The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming novel EcoGuerrillas. The environment has played a prominent role in the rise and fall of civilizations throughout history and will have an out-sized effect on industrialized society, but people raising awareness of problems with greenhouse emissions, fossil fuels, the arctic, dams, rain forests, and endangered species are … More Basic Stances — Deep Ecology and the Problem of Anthropocentrism
The F-word. It happens. Even if we had the benefit of hands-on mentors, we’d still experience failure. We’ve had a number of failures this year and we’d like to share them with you. In addition to avoiding our missteps, you’ll benefit from hearing the solutions we’ve found. Greenhouse Tomatoes We have squirrels here and last … More Failure — 2016 Edition
Low Tech News  Chaga: The Old New Superfood – Walden Labs Beekeepers Benefit From The Hive Mind In Community Apiaries – NPR Environmental News Presidential Candidates Hold Starkly Different Views On Energy – NPR Carbon Tracker Analysis: ‘Renewables are Already Outcompeting Fossil Fuels’ – Resilience How to Talk About the Paris Climate Agreement at the … More News Roundup — Sept. 30, 2016
The News Roundup will be a weekly feature. If you have a suggestion for a news source or story, please email us at lowtechinstitute@gmail.com. Low Tech News With Citizens’ Help, Cities Can Build A Better Bike Lane — And More – NPR Earthquake-Resistant in the Himalayas – OpEdNews Traces of Bronze Age Cheese Production Unearthed … More News Roundup — Sept. 23, 2016
What we think of as high tech is enabled by our reliance on fossil fuels. In short, the vast amount of stored energy that we expend on industrial agriculture, modern transportation, and manufacturing has allowed for the greatest leap forward in scientific and technological progress in human history. The problem, however, is that we are … More What is Low Tech?