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Economy

Thematic Book Series: How Circular is the Circular Economy?

The fourth volume in a series of books opening up Low-tech Magazine’s archive by theme.

How to Escape From the Iron Age?

We cannot lower carbon emissions if we keep producing steel with fossil fuels.

Can We Make Bicycles Sustainable Again?

Cycling is the most sustainable form of transportation, but the bicycle is becoming increasingly damaging to the environment. The energy and material used for its production go up while its life expectancy decreases.

How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops

As a freelance journalist – or an office worker if you wish – I have always believed that I should regularly buy a new laptop. But older machines offer more quality for much less money.

How Circular is the Circular Economy?

As long as we keep accumulating raw materials, the closing of the material life cycle remains an illusion, even for materials that are, in principle, recyclable.

We Can't Do It Ourselves

How to live a more sustainable life? By placing responsibility squarely on the individual, attention is deflected away from the many institutions involved in structuring possible courses of action.

How Much Energy Do We Need?

Researchers have calculated minimum levels of energy use needed to live a decent life, but what about maximum levels?

Bedazzled by Energy Efficiency

To focus on energy efficiency is to make present ways of life non-negotiable.

How to Run the Economy on the Weather

Adjusting energy demand to supply would make switching to renewable energy much more realistic than it is today.

The Curse of the Modern Office

The information society promises to dematerialise society and make it more sustainable, but modern office and knowledge work has itself become a large and rapidly growing consumer of energy and other resources

Why the Office Needs a Typewriter Revolution

Could we rethink and redesign office equipment, combining the best of mechanical and digital devices?

How Sustainable is Digital Fabrication?

Automation is more energy-intensive than mechanisation.