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Category Archives: Tools and technology

Stoves

I love stoves, and we recently made a simple rocket stove on the Introduction to Permaculture course at Carraig Dulra in Wicklow. Above: rocket stove (foreground) and Storm Kettle behind This was made out of a Feta cheese tin from the local wholefoods shop and a piece of single-wall stainless steel flu pipe attached to [...]

Practical Permaculture in Wicklow July 31st- Aug 1st

I will be teaching on a 2-day course in practical permaculture at Carraig Dulra, Co. Wicklow, July 31st and August 1st, with Suzie Cahn. The first day will include charcoal making (a potential business opportunity), biochar (which improves soil while also combating climate change), rocket stoves, DIY stoves, site surveying & observation techniques, basic triangulation, [...]

Humble Homes, Simple Shacks

Book Review: Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts by Derek “Deek” Diedricksen After seeing a short film by Deek Diedricksen linked on Energy Bulletin, which demonstrates his ultra-tiny dwelling called the Hickshaw, I was inspired to write to him for a review copy which, once he had had a look at [...]

Whole Earth Discipline

Book Review: Whole Earth Discipline An Ecopragmatist Manifesto by Stewart Brand Atlantic Books 2009 316pp “Civilization is at risk, but civilization is the problem”. Stewart Brand is one of the iconic founders of the environmental movement, an original old hippy whose influence on the boomer generation should not be understated. With his latest book Whole [...]

Solar Power on the Shortest Day

It is now exactly 6 months since I set up my 600watt at Derryduff. Having now reached the shortest days of the year I am in a position to evaluate its performance, and I can say it has served me very well. Obviously there has been a huge difference in power availability between summer and [...]

Book Review: The Long Descent

The Long Descent- A Users Guide to the End of the Industrial Age John Michael Greer New Society Publishers 2008 John Michael Greer has written a fascinating and engaging, but also contradictory and perplexing account of how he sees the industrial age ending. His primary thesis is that collapse will not come as a sudden, [...]

Charcoal Making at Manch

I have recently been experimenting with some simple charcoal making in an oil drum. I did a couple of demonstrations a few weeks ago for first a Biodiversity day and second the Slow Food “Munch at the Manch” events at the Manch Forestry project, near Dunmanway. Charcoal will potentially play an important role in the [...]