Society

Responding to various critiques of Transition

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[In] much of the alternative/protest movement… we take up a position outside of mainstream culture, use language, dress codes, behaviour and forms of protest which at best bewilder and at worst enrage mainstream society, yet we expect them to see the error of their ways and the validity of ours and embark on a radical decarbonisation. What failed to come through in [these approaches] was any sense of humility, any sense that the answers might be found anywhere other than in their fondly held beliefs.

Why civility matters in the transition

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It seems to me that the world is growing steadily ruder. As we grow more and more stressed and less connected to those around us, we increasingly, it seems, have less time for civility. (Review of Talk to the Hand: the utterly bloody rudeness of everyday life (or six good reasons to stay home and bolt the door).)

Off the grid in Colorado

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Brick making in the Western world is scientific—you test the soil, establish a recipe, take notes and generally control everything, but Jo preferred the easy Thai way. He just looked at how the ground cracked where it had been soaked. He picked up a handful and squeezed it in his hand and played with it. If it’s sticky it’s good, he told us.

No different this time

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Arguments for the more extreme scenarios of global collapse in the wake of peak oil, climate change, and the like routinely insist that the current situation cannot be judged according to the standards of history. The aftermath of an actual example of collapse — the fall of the Soviet empire — suggests otherwise.