Flint Knapping

September 20, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Primitive technology

Flintknappers 8

Flintknappers 1 “Flint knapping is the process of making stone tools (arrowheads,
projectile points, hand axes, etc.). The ancient art of flint knapping has been around for about 4
millions years. Flint knapping has evolved as man has evolved. And it
was not until recently that man quit knapping for survival purposes.
Only a few small groups of people in remote parts of the world still
knap as part of their daily lives.”


Small wind turbines put to the test (2)

September 15, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Wind Power, Wind turbines

The Oil Drum runs an extended and rewritten version of our 2009 article on small wind turbines – including additional tests results from the UK.

“Two real-world tests performed in the Netherlands and in the UK confirm our earlier analysis that small wind turbines are a fundamentally flawed technology. Their financial payback time is much longer than their life expectancy, and in urban areas, some poorly placed wind turbines will not even deliver as much energy as needed to operate them (let alone energy needed to produce them). Given their long payback period relative to their life expectancy, most small wind turbines are net energy consumers rather than net energy producers.”

Compendium of Useful Information

September 14, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Books & Reference, DIY

solar house

“Access to 2 gigabytes of information about sustainable and resilient living that meets the challenges of peak energy, climate instability, economic irrationality, toxic politics, war and violence.”

Compendium of useful information – version 1.0, september 3, 2010. The page reminds a lot of the 13 gigabyte database set up by Alex Weir (previously: How to make everything yourself – online low-tech resources), and from a quick overview I learn that many of the same sources are listed.

However, the list is better organised and also seems to contain quite a few DIY-resources which I did not see before.

Related: the recent launches of the Green Wizard Forums and the UNESCO Traditional Knowledge Base. Picture: totally solar heated house.

Waste to Meat Recycling

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Food, Meat, Recycling

“If pigs are fed on residues and waste, and cattle on straw, stovers and grass from fallows and rangelands – food for which humans don’t compete – meat becomes a very efficient means of food production”. Read. Via Energy Bulletin.

Parts of 1909 Automobiles

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Cars, Obsolete technology, Travel

Rambler price list rear axle Rambler price list steer wheeling group

Green Wizards

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Books & Reference, DIY, Environmentalism

“One of the things the soon-to-be-deindustrializing world most needs just now is green wizards. By this I mean individuals who are willing to take on the responsibility to learn, practice, and thoroughly master a set of unpopular but valuable skills – the skills of the old appropriate tech movement – and share them with their neighbors when the day comes that their neighbors are willing to learn”. Green Wizard Forums. (+ criticism & response).