Consumer societies produce enough plastic waste to power at least 10% of motorized road traffic. Dutch designer Gijs Schalkx grabbed the opportunity and now drives his car on the plastic waste he collects.
We have launched the second volume in a new series of books opening up Low-tech Magazine’s archive by theme.
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.
It is surprisingly difficult to build a carbon neutral sailing ship. This is even more the case today, because our standards for safety, health, hygiene, comfort, and convenience have changed profoundly since the Age of Sail.
For centuries, the Netherlands were mainly dredged by hand, supplemented by animal power, wind power and tidal power. Could it be done again?
Modular cargo cycles are cheap to build and easy to customize.
High speed rail is destroying the most valuable alternative to the airplane; the “low speed” rail network that has been in service for decades.
About a quarter of the existent wind turbines would suffice to power as many electric velomobiles as there are people.
A car with a top speed of 270 km/h can be driven anywhere on Earth, while an electric velomobile with an electric assistance of up to 50 km/h is illegal is most countries.
A cargo cycle is at least as fast as a delivery van in the city - and much cheaper to use.
For being such a seemingly ordinary vehicle, the wheelbarrow has a surprisingly exciting history.
The old-timers on these pictures are not moving furniture or an oversized load. What can be seen on the roof is the fuel tank of the vehicle - a balloon filled with uncompressed gas.