Act: Inspiration

Close communities and traditional culture allowed Irish to survive crises

June 12, 2022

I sat down for an interview with Scott Johnson of the Institute from my home in rural Ireland; we chatted about the Irish elders I’ve talked to, and how their close communities and traditional culture allowed them to survive crises like the bank strikes of the 1960s and 70s.

The Low Technology Institute, in Wisconsin, USA, researches ways of adapting to the difficult future we see ahead — they do a blog, podcast, and videos, and offer regular workshops and memberships, and they’re well worth your time

Top photo: Eviction scene in Ireland (ca 1888) by Robert French. The Lawrence Photograph Collection via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eviction_scene,_Ireland_(23426826123).jpg

Brian Kaller

Former newspaper editor Brian Kaller wrote his first magazine cover story on peak oil in 2004, and since then has written for the American Conservative, the Dallas Morning News, Front Porch Republic, Big Questions Online and Low-Tech Magazine. In 2005 he and his family moved to rural Ireland, where he speaks to schools and churches, and writes a weekly column for the local newspaper.  

Tags: Ireland, traditional communities