Low-Tech Magazine and
No-Tech Magazine have some fairly well written/illustrated articles about old and low technologies. The concept being, in a sustainable future due to environmental constraints, carbon taxes, Peak Oil, etc.. these old-school technologies might be used - in some places, in some form - instead of more energy intensive modern high technology.
Trolly Canal Boats,
Timbrel Vaulting (vs. steel and concrete),
Bring Back the Horses (and
the bicycle),
Tile Stoves,
Wind Powered Factories,
Sneakernet,
more.
posted by stbalbach
on Jan 2, 2010 -
23 comments
In 1972 the
Club of Rome published the famous book
Limits to Growth that predicted exponential growth would eventually lead to economic and environmental collapse. It was criticized by economists and largely ignored by politicians. Now Graham Turner at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (
CSIRO) in Australia has compared the book's predictions with data from the intervening years. According to Turner (
PDF report) changes in industrial production, food production and pollution are all in line with the book's predictions of collapse in the 21st century. According to the book, the path we have taken will cause decreasing resource availability and an escalating cost of extraction that triggers a slowdown of industry, which eventually results in economic collapse
some time after 2020.
(via; previously; previously)
posted by stbalbach
on Nov 23, 2008 -
80 comments
