There is a simple solution to the problems of rampant consumerism, debt and a lifetime of servitude, writes Samuel Alexander - radical down-sizing to a truly tiny house. For a start, it's only big enough for the things you really need. And it's so cheap to build, that it's paid for from a month or two's salary. Just one question - what will you do with your freedom?
Sick to death of consumerism and debt? Find freedom in a tiny house Samuel Alexander | 10th January 2015 Ethical Living Building Finance Consumerism tiny-houses-nc-cut.jpg This is the life ... tiny …
Tolkien's Universe is one that reflects our own, writes Richard Gunderman - and has come to resemble it all the more as industrialism, militarism and an unjust economic order have come to dominate the world and enslave its peoples. It's time to follow the Way of the Hobbit.
Tolkien, the Machine, and the Way of the Hobbit Richard Gunderman | 12th January 2015 Comment Society Ecocide Finance Consumerism frodo-ring-cut.jpg Tolkien's Universe is one that reflects our own, …
Increased production from US fracking operations is a major reason for the drop in oil prices, writes Kieran Cooke. But there are warnings that the industry now faces an existential crisis from which it may never recover, as the financial sector faces the prospect of worthless shares and $100s of billions of defaulted debt.
Fracking's future is in doubt as oil price plummets, bonds crash Kieran Cooke | 7th January 2015 News Oil Fracking Gas Finance Energy north_dakota_flaring_of_gas-cut.jpg Increased production from US …
For the world to meet its climate goals, a third of the world's oil, half its gas and 80% of its coal must stay underground, writes Alex Kirby. And it's not us saying it - but scientists writing in the journal Nature.
Leave most fossil fuels in the ground, or fry Alex Kirby | 8th January 2015 News Fossil Fuels Oil Gas Coal Climate Change Finance deepwater-horizon-fire-cut.jpg For the world to meet its climate …
The UK's financing of fossil fuels abroad increased tenfold in two years to exceed £1 billion in 2013 / 2014, writes Christine Ottery. Incredibly, the fossil fuel funding increase came after a government promise to use the money to support 'innovative and green technologies'.
UK's soaraway financial support to foreign fossil fuels Christine Ottery Greenpeace Energydesk | 9th January 2015 News UK Finance Fossil Fuels Oil Gas Coal Climate Change Politics …
With 80% of the world's fossil fuel reserves 'unburnable' if the world is to meet its climate targets, writes Melanie Mattauch, the divestment movement is moving from strength to strength. As investor confidence in fossil energy ebbs away, 2015 is where the endgame for a dying industry begins.
2015 - the fossil fuel endgame begins Melanie Mattauch | 12th January 2015 Comment Climate Change Finance Fossil Fuels Oil Gas Coal fossilfreeuk-210914-cut.jpg The Force is with us! Giant carbon …
Mark Anslow, Laura Sevier, Dan Box and Matilda Lee profile 10 visionaries with 10 big ideas for a better world.
The Visionaries The Ecologist | 20th March 2009 News Finance Conservation Urban Design Waste Transport Law Agriculture Business Energy Consumerism Community Leadership Campaigns Green Lifestyle …
UK politicians and officials are studiously ignoring the growing evidence that fracking is an economic and environmental disaster, writes Paul Mobbs. As the circle of 'acceptable' view spins ever smaller, industry PR is dominating a phoney debate that's increasingly remote from reality, public opinion and core democratic principles.
Fracking policy and the pollution of British democracy Paul Mobbs | 20th January 2015 News Fracking UK Politics Energy Finance Oil Gas ribble-estuary-against-fracking-cut.jpg UK politicians and …
When 97% percent of respondents to a European Commission 'consultation' on the TTIP EU-US trade deal opposed it outright the Commission accused them of 'hijacking' the process, writes Nick Dearden - and pressed ahead with negotiations. Whose Europe is it anyway?
TTIP: What bit of the word 'no' doesn't the Commission understand? Nick Dearden | 20th January 2015 Comment Trade Finance EU UK stop-ttip-generic-cut.jpg When 97% percent of respondents to a European …
Launched at Davos this week, a WEF report on electricity generation predicts that solar power will cost twice as much in 2030, as the lowest cost sources today, writes Chris Goodall. It's sources? WEF isn't telling. But if 'facts' like these are driving the decisions of big energy CEOs, heaven help their companies in years to come.
WEF: Big energy CEOs don't get the renewable revolution Chris Goodall | 23rd January 2015 Comment Energy Renewables Finance Corporations sevilla-pv-cut.jpg Launched at Davos this week, a WEF report …
Banks, building societies, ethical funds, pensions or people - where should the discerning environmentalist put their money?
Ecologist guide to ethical finance The Ecologist | 14th October 2009 Ethical Living Ethical Investment Week Take Action My World Coal Logging Finance Bank Money Investment Credit Card Savings Account …
While mainstream media promulgate a fictitious message of Russian threats in the Baltic, Vladimir Putin's next big play lies far to the south, writes Oliver Tickell. The gross intransigence of the EU, the IMF, the European Central Bank and Germany are forcing Greece into a powerful new economic and energy alliance with Russia that will reshape Europe - and for the better.
NATO invents Russian threats in the Baltic - but Putin's next big play is Greece Oliver Tickell | 19th February 2015 Comment Politics Energy Finance EU Greece tsipras-cut.jpg While mainstream media …
India's renewable power capacity is set to reach 170GW by 2022, write Areeba Hamid & Oliver Tickell - reducing power shortages and bringing electricity to off-grid of rural communities for the first time. But it may also have an unintended consequence - cutting off investment in India's troubled coal sector as prospects for future profitability evaporate..
Renewables to transform India's energy landscape in seven years Areeba Hamid Greenpeace EnergyDesk Oliver Tickell | 20th February 2015 News India Energy Coal Fossil Fuels Renewables Solar Finance …
A powerful call has gone out the the US Export-Import Bank not to finance a massive coal mine, railway, port terminal and dredged 'canal' through Australia's Great Barrier Reef with $1 billion in loans and guarantees.
US tax dollars must not finance $1bn Great Barrier Reef destruction! The Ecologist | 20th February 2015 News Coal Fossil Fuels Australia USA Finance Climate Change Natural World Oceans …
Piketty's 'Capital in the 21st Century' has taken the intellectual world by storm, writes Rupert Read. His analysis of wealth inequality is timely and powerful, but there's one crucial thing he hasn't 'got': that growth must run up against ecological limits - indeed it already has.
What Piketty missed - the ecological limits to growth Rupert Read | 18th March 2015 Reviews Economics Finance Green Economy Books pinketty-capital-cut.jpg Piketty's 'Capital in the 21st Century' has …
Indian coal firm Adani is struggling to finance its proposed mega coal mine in Australia's Galilee Basin, write Marina Lou & Christine Ottery, as promised government support evaporates and a major investor looks set to pull out.
Money dries up for Great Barrier Reef coal project Marina Lou Christine Ottery Greenpeace Energydesk | 16th March 2015 News Australia India China Coal Fossil Fuels Finance Oceans Climate Change …
On Monday the World Bank's Conference on Land and Poverty begins in the US. But farmer organizations, indigenous groups, trade unions and others denounce the whole exercise as a sham that, in tandem with other Bank initiatives, is all about accelerating corporate land grabs and robbing the poor that the Bank was founded to assist.
World Bank's Conference on Land & Poverty is a cruel farce Oliver Tickell | 20th March 2015 News Finance Food Farming Land Development Law land-grab-march-haiti-cut.jpg On Monday the World Bank's …
Univerisities' core mission is one of civilization and enlightenment, and that's incompatible with investing in fossil fuels that pose an existential threat to humanity and the planet, writes Cutler J Cleveland. It's is also financially prudent for for them to avoid sinking capital into future 'stranded assets' of unburnable carbon.
College fossil fuel divestment - Yes we must! Cutler J Cleveland | 18th March 2015 Comment Climate Change Carbon Fossil Fuels Divestment Education Finance swarthmore-divest-cut.jpg Univerisities' …
The Guardian Media Group is to divest its £800m fund from fossil fuels over five years. The terms of its promise appeared to leave the door open to natural gas and fracking, But GMG now insists that it aims to ditch all fossil fuels within five years.
… door open to natural gas and fracking, But GMG now insists that it aims to ditch all … five years. The Guardian Media Group (GMG), which owns the Guardian and Observer … The original statement by Neil Berkett, GMG chair, appeared to warn that the …
After over a century of coal ash and colliery waste dumping, the Tyne and Wear coastline is no stranger to industrial pollution. But soon a horrific new technology - underground coal gasification (UCG) - will endanger human health and the environment, backed by unflinching Government support and generous lashings of taxpayers' money.
'Underground coal gasification' hell-fires threaten Tyneside and the North Sea Paul Mobbs | 3rd April 2015 News Oceans Energy Gas Fracking Fossil Fuels UK Finance Mining seaham-pier-cut.jpg After …
Russia's Lake Baikal is under threat by a massive dam and pipeline on the main river that feeds into it, that would supply mines with power and water, writes Anson Mackay. In line to fund the project? The World Bank.
Lake Baikal: World Heritage ecosystems at risk from Mongolian dam Anson Mackay | 19th April 2015 News Finance Water Energy Mining Russia Mongolia Natural World lake-baikal-cut.jpg Russia's Lake …
The World Bank exists to fight poverty. So why does it promote a profit-driven model of agriculture that enriches corporations at the expense of the small farmers who provide most of the world's food, creating poverty by stealing their land and water, depleting resources and undermining sustainable livelihoods?
The battle for the future of farming - why is the World Bank on the wrong side? The Rules the Oakland Institute | 18th April 2015 Comment Farming Food Development Finance lawra-village-ghana-cut.jpg …
The GMO industry has legitimised itself via a vast network of lobbyists and the assiduous capture of the politicians, regulators and scientists that should be holding it to account, writes Colin Todhunter. But as the failure of the GM revolution and its disastrous impacts become ever more evident, the industry's legitimacy is fast eroding away.
… The existential crisis facing GMOs - they don't work and we don't want them Colin Todhunter | 21st April 2015 News GMOs Farming Politics Science Corporations … butterfly has become an icon of the anti-GMO movement following the species' population …