On Commoning
We transform the very meaning of public and private by daring to proclaim the communal sphere as existing, real, and growing, evolving, and necessary.
Society
Bruno Latour: A philosopher for our perilous times
French philosopher Bruno Latour died earlier this month at age 75. Of the many insights I absorbed from his work I mention four here:
1. Nature and culture are not two things; they are one.
2. Facts require champions
3. Nature sits in the middle of our politics.
4. There are no “objects” just networks.
Capitalism: Why We Should Scrap It
This book provides a fairly short but detailed critical discussion of the nature of our basically capitalist economic system, its faults, why it is not just unsatisfactory but is leading to global breakdown, the alternative we must work for, and how to achieve it.
Feeling at odds with Just Stop Oil’s tomato soup protest? That’s the point
This action is designed to be destabilizing. It is meant to hit us and to challenge us: What are we ready to do, what are we eager to give up, or even to sacrifice to try to save what can still be saved?
Today’s Politics Are Tomorrow’s Climate Policies (2)
A Republican House majority is not simply about gross numbers. It is also about individual political philosophies and loyalties. In an age of very slim majorities, a relatively small group of members can have an outsized impact on what does and doesn’t get passed into law.
Marty Kearns: “Building Networks in Uncertain Times”
On this episode, Nate is joined by Marty Kearns, a civic organizer and networking specialist. He and Marty discuss why both networks and communities will be critical to the coming challenges we face.
Travels in my Time Machine Part Two: the Utrecht bicycle rush hour
What would a city where people, children, goods, tools, food and so much more are moved around the city in a fossil fuel-free way, and in a way that promotes health, clean air, and conviviality, actually sound like? I’d always wondered.
The Power Podcast: Episode 5 Fossil Fuels Changed Everything
Improve your energy literacy with stories about pushing motor vehicles, enduring blackouts, and growing $10 tomatoes, and take a tour of history that visits ancient China, industrializing Britain, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Green Revolution.
How to re-imagine a city
Transition Southampton used seed funding to work in three very different parts of the city. Rob Hopkins spoke to Clare, Liz and Si from the group to find out how they used enticing ‘What If?’ questions and built on existing connections to help local people imagine a different future for their neighbourhoods and what emerged from the project.
Health & welfare in a small farm future – Part 1
For now, I just want to posit the possibility that small farm societies of the future might potentially deliver a decent level of human wellbeing.
The Response: Wartime Mutual Aid in Ukraine
In this episode, we’re highlighting stories of Ukrainian resistance and solidarity. A small but significant glimpse into how the Ukrainian people have come together to survive the war, to strengthen their communities, and to fight for each other and their autonomy.
When Transition means Transition, and when it doesn’t
This piece represents a return to my roots, to the origins of the word that has defined my life and work for the last 15 years, ‘Transition’.
