It’s time to vote
The election in New Zealand is a week away. Who are you going to vote for? It is hard for many people to choose because …
Economics
Slow Design for Cultural Sustainability
by Michael Lockhart | 7 August, 2017 I was honoured to give a talk today at the International Cultural Sustainability Symposium run by Victoria …
Craft technology for the future
When we think of technology we usually think of high-tech and big-tech, like robots and automated factories. However, hand tools and craft processes are technologies too. …
The best things in life
Money, where it comes from and what it can buy, is not everything. In our society, the economy gets way too much attention – in …
Handmade for good
My partner Anna is a contemporary jeweller. Everything she makes is handmade. Apart from a few power tools and a gas torch Anna only uses hand …
Creative consumption
The ‘consumption’ of creative goods and activities is more sustainable than the consumption of purely material goods. A creative economy is where production and consumption involves …
Seven of the worst inventions
The following ‘inventions’ provide seven good reasons why society needs to use the precautionary principle. Invention throughout human history has been a process of trial …
Should there be an automation tax?
An article entitled “Robots could threaten up to half New Zealand’s jobs in next 20 years” highlights yet another problem with our economies. The …
A biofuel future?
Can we have a biofuel future? There are three main issues that opponents to biofuels have: They are made from food crops or grown on …
Avoiding the Christmas Rush
For many people Christmas is the most stressful time of the year. It shouldn’t be. Yes, Christmas is a traditional time of giving, and …