DIY: How to build your own bike generator.

Low-tech Magazine’s bike generator powers a record player. No batteries are involved: a buck converter in the control panel keeps the voltage output constant at 12V. Power use is very low and pedaling is easy. Record: Jean-Jacques Perrey et son Ondioline.

Build your own bike generator.

We also published a video of our pedal powered video projector.

Human-powered dot-matrix printer. Direct power. No batteries are involved. Directly powering a dot-matrix printer is challenging, especially when printing longer documents. The power demand is variable and can increase suddenly for a short time. You must pedal very fast to anticipate these peaks. If you fail, the voltage drops, the communication between the printer and the laptops breaks down, and the machine prints the document all over again. Capacitors could solve this. A laser printer has a very high power use during startup and is incompatible with a bike generator (or a small-scale solar installation).

DIY manual for the bike generator: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2022/03/how-to-build-bike-generator.html.

History of office equipment: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2016/11/why-the-office-needs-a-typewriter-revolution.html

Musician Germán Canyelles uses Low-tech Magazine’s bike generator to power his electric guitar. The guitar amplifier and pedals are plugged into an inverter connected to the 12V circuit of the bike generator. No batteries are used. Recorded at Akasha Hub, Barcelona.

“You hand pump seawater or polluted water into a bowl. Throughout the day the energy from the sun heats up this water and, instead of evaporating into the atmosphere, it gets trapped in the top section. All the fresh water will then trickle down into this bottom basin and all the impurities of the salt and polluted water stay behind. You’re going to have a left-over salt brine which is going to be a waste resource, but instead of throwing it away, this salt brine goes into the series of seawater batteries around the perimeter that can light a LED strip during the night. At night you can turn on the light and you get an energy source through the salt batteries. And during the day, this is like a skylight, bringing natural light to the interiors.”

“The power of the sun is amazing, and I was trying to copy this hydrological cycle. It can kill 99% of dangerous pathogens, remove salt brine and reduce the need of having to boil your water. I am not necessarily reinventing the wheel; solar distillers have been around for a long time, but a lot of these systems are heavy, expensive to make and with very complicated designs. I wanted to think about one which could potentially be portable and simple to construct, made out of local materials and able to Achieve a higher yield of water.”

“This new design was exactly the same but at a large scale. We created a recipe book that is a step-by-step guide on how you can create this same design using bamboo and local work. It could be flat packed into a bag and deployed very simply and quickly and then attached to a bamboo structure which allows structural rigidity but also a community shaded spot, where you can produce around 18 liters of purified water everyday.”

Read more: Low-Tech Solutions for Complex Demands: An Interview with Architect Henry Glogau, ArchDaily. Image by Henry Glogau. Hat tip to Michael.

Quoted from: Hough, Walter. The lamp of the Eskimo. US Government Printing Office, 1898.

Though the Eskimo live at a temperature of zero Fahrenheit, travelers have noticed their idiosyncrasy with regard to cold. The clothing is designedly left open at intervals around the waist and the bare skin exposed to the cold air. As a rule the Eskimo strip when in the house and sleep naked. Another indication of their feverishness is the consumption of great (quantities of ice-cold water. No explorer has failed to notice the Eskimo lamp, around which the whole domestic life of this people seems to focus. Far more remarkable than being the unique possessors of the lamp in the Western Hemisphere, the Eskimo presents the spectacle of a people depending for their very existence upon this household belonging. Indeed, it is a startling conclusion that the lamp has determined the occupancy of an otherwise uninhabitable region by the Eskimo, or, in other words, the distribution of a race.

Not the least value of the lamp to the Eskimo is the light which it affords. Simpson remarks that the Eskimo never seem to think of fire as a means of imparting warmth,- and Kane observes that their lamps are used for cooking, for light, for melting snow, and for drying clothes, rather than to warm the air.’ Nevertheless, the lamp does afford con- siderable warmth, as Simpson admits in another place. Light, however, is highly necessary during the long darkness of winter and the darkness of the Eskimo dwelling. Nanseu has several times remarked that the Eskimo do not sleep in the dark like other people. Perhaps the inconvenience of rubbing out fire with the fire drill to relight the lamp is one reason. Likewise the feeling of companionship, security, or sociability given by light is appreciated by the Eskimo in common with all other human beings. These instinctive feelings determined in no small degree man’s first overtures to his fire ally.

The Eskimo hut may be likened to an inhabited oven with the lamp as its internal heat. The utilization of the heat is as complete as in the Samovar. The lamp is placed upon its support, above it hangs the cooking pot, and above this, suspended from the ceiling, the frame of slats, network of pegs, on which are placed articles to dry in the ascending warm air. Thus the lamp, which has a single function in other parts of the Avorld, has added among the Eskimo that of the fireplace and cooking stove. The Eskimo Lamp is classifically the homologue of the fireplace in the center of the houses among the majority of tribes in America and Asia.

Hans Egede gives the following description of the lamps of the Greenland communal houses: “Though ten or twenty train-lamps burn at once in the houses of the Greenlanders one does not perceive the steam or smoke thereof to fill these cottages. They take care in trimming the lamp, taking dry moss rubbed very small, which they lay on one side of the lamp, which, being lighted, burns very softly and does not cause any smoke if it is not laid on too thick or in lumps. This fire gives such a heat that it not only serves to boil their victuals, but also heats their rooms to that degree that it is as hot as a bagnio. But to those who are not used to this way of firing the smell is very disagreeable.” Parry, in his Second Voyage, presents a view of an Eskimo interior which shows in an interesting way the lamp and its appurtenances. It is described as follows:

The fire belonging to each family consists of a single lamp or shallow vessel, its form being the lesser segment of a circle. The wick, composed of dry moss rubbed between the hands until it is quite inflammable, is disposed along the edge of the lamp on the straight side, and in a greater or smaller quantity lighted, according to the heat required or the fuel that can be afforded. When the whole length of this, which is sometimes above 18 inches, is kindled, it affords a most brilliant and beautiful light without any perceptible smoke or offensive smell. The lamp is made to supply itself with oil, by suspending a long, thin slice of whale, seal or sea-horse blubber near the flame, the warmth of which causes the oil to drip into the vessel until the whole is extracted.

Immediately over the lamp is fixed a rude and rickety framework of wood from which their pots are suspended, and serving also to sustain a large hoop of bone, having a net stretched tight within it. This contrivance, called Unnetat, is intended for the reception of any wet things, and is usually loaded with boots, shoes, and mittens. The fireplace just described, as situated at the upper end of the apartment, has always, two lamps facing different ways, one for each family occupying the corresponding bedplace. There is frequently also a smaller and less-pretending establishment on the same model, lamp, and all, in one of the corners next the door; for one apartment sometimes contains three families, which are always closely related, and no married woman or oven a widow without children is without her separate fireplace.

With all the lamps lighted and the hut full of people and dogs a thermometer placed on the net over the fire indicated a temperature of 38°; when removed 2 or 3 feet from this situation it fell to 32°, and placed close to the wall stood at 23°, the temperature of the open air being at the time 25° below zero.

The Eskimo lamp has always been regarded a fixture of the house, subject only to the removals of the family. There are, however, small lamps which are carried by travelers or hunters on journeys whose use is primarily for light, but not less important as a means for lighting the indispensable pipe.

Most observers have spoken in terms of praise of the excellent light given by the Eskimo lamp. The flame in a well-trimmed lamp is from 1 to 2 inches, very clear and steady. The oil and fat of the northern animal furnish illuminants of the best quality. In the snow houses of the east the white walls reflect the light, adding to its power.

The Eskimo drink great quantities of water. It is curious that with its world of congealed water the Arctic should be a veritable Sahara. Water is usually supplied by melted snow or ice and the lamp is brought into requisition for the purpose, though sometimes the warmth of the hut is sufficient, especially if the vessel containing snow is placed near the flame. Dr. Kane figures a snow melter of considerable ingenuity which is reproduced here (fig. 2). Sometimes travelers carry watertight pouches containing snow, which they put under the clothing to be melted by the heat of the body.’

Hi Kris,

Unfortunately I couldn’t find your address, so my letter will reach you digitally. See PDF in the attachment.

Many greetings,

Simon

Thank you very much, Simon! Here’s my address for those who want to send letters (or comment on articles) by snail mail:

Kris De Decker / Low-tech Magazine, Apartado de correos 9, 08320 El Masnou, Barcelona, Spain.

Hip Scarves. Image by Marie Verdeil.

Last year my partner stumbled upon a fascinating piece of clothing in a second-hand shop in Donostia, Basque Country. It looks like a miniskirt but is a (unisex) piece of underwear that increases thermal comfort in winter.

The clothing piece comes by different names: hip warmer, hip hugger, hip scarf, waist scarf, back warmer, belly warmer, tummy band, core warmer, warming belt, thermal brace — the list goes on. It is known as a “Haramaki” or “belly wrap” in Japan.

My hip warmers come in different sizes and are made from 69% wool, 22% cotton, and 9% elastodiene. Judging by the packaging design, they date from the 1970s or early 1980s.

Thermal comfort

The hip scarf can significantly improve thermal comfort for two reasons. First, it insulates the body’s core, a condition to be comfortable in winter. If the core temperature falls, your body reduces the blood flow to the extremities by vasoconstriction. In extreme cases, this can save your life (at the expense of some fingers or toes), but in daily life, it results in cold hands and feet. The hip warmer keeps your core warm, which increases blood circulation and distributes warmth throughout the body.

Second, the hip warmer covers a part of your body that is otherwise easily exposed to the cold because of movements and body postures. Some modern clothes cover the body from neck to ankles (long dresses, ski suits, baby clothes), but most clothing nowadays consists of an upper part (shirt, sweater, blouse) and an underpart (pants, skirt). Consequently, bending over or stretching out can leave the hips, the belly, and the lower back exposed to the cold. Even if this happens only briefly, the warm air between skin and clothes will escape to the surroundings. The hip scarf prevents this.

Some activities make the hip warmer extra handy. For example, it works great for cyclists to prevent naked lower backs, and it insulates the belly of breastfeeding moms.

Hip Scarves. Image by Marie Verdeil.

The advantages of “fragmented” clothing

Hip warmers are related to both arm and leg warmers (or wrist and ankle warmers), which are also examples of “fragmented” clothing — garments that seem to be “incomplete.” I invented the term because I could not find a collective name for these pieces of clothing. The leaflet in the box of my hip scarf also shows knee and elbow warmers for sale.

It may seem odd to wear incomplete pieces of clothing. Why wear elbow, arm, and belly warmers when you can wear an extra layer of “normal” clothes, such as a thick sweater? However, these clothes offer an advantage: they can be put on and taken off quickly without stripping down. Whether or not we feel comfortable depends on many factors, and these are prone to change. The environment (temperature, air movement, humidity), our metabolism (the level of physical activity), and the objects that we are exposed to and in contact with (cold floor, hot cup of tea).

Fragmented clothes allow for adjusting clothing insulation quickly. Putting on or taking off the hip warmer takes no more than 5 seconds: you can step into it and pull it up. That allows for micro-management of the body’s thermal balance. It may be a bit harder when you have wide hips because you need to pull the hip scarf over your head.

In contrast, a layer of thermal underwear can land you in serious trouble when the thermal environment changes. I am speaking out of experience here. My wool thermal underclothing keeps me comfortable in surprisingly low air temperatures. However, when I need to enter a heated indoor space in winter, it becomes a curse rather than a blessing. My body will overheat quickly, and there’s only one way to solve it: strip down to the underpants.

On the move

Fragmented clothes are handy while being on the move. A small package can make a big difference. For example, when I cycle to the city, I usually leave in the afternoon when the sun shines. I would quickly overheat with winter clothes. However, I come back after sunset, when it is much colder. In between, I may be in a heated shop but just as well on a frosty bar terrace.

Carrying a hip warmer and a pair of arm warmers, I now need to take fewer clothes. By insulating those body parts most exposed to the cold — on the bike the wind blows right into my jacket sleeves — I need less insulation overall. I don’t have leg or ankle warmers (yet), but they would protect another part of the body exposed to cold on a bicycle.

How to wear a hip scarf

You can wear a hip scarf in different ways. You can tuck it into your shirt and pants or skirt so that it remains largely invisible to the outside world, or you can show it off, wearing it above anything else except for your jacket. The second method is the most practical because you can remove the hip warmer quickly. However, these are not the 1980s, so you need a certain level of indifference for fashion. Intermediate solutions are also possible. I sometimes wear the hip scarf under my shirt but over my pants, which looks like I have an extra shirt underneath.

Until recently, the Japanese regarded the “belly warmer” — or “Haramaki” — as out-of-date underwear worn by old men. Traditionally, it was considered a functional piece of clothing, usually hidden under clothes and considered slightly embarrassing. However, in recent years it has become a fashionable item largely thanks to Japanese game designer Itoi Shigesato, who launched a Nintendo-themed collection. His creations invite you to show off. There is talk of a revival of the Haramaki. Indeed they are now also sold under that name in other countries.

Image: Ultra Warm Merino Haramaki, Nukunuku.

Haramaki from Japanese brand Hobonichi.

Haramaki and leg warmers from Japanese brand Hobonichi.

Dr. Gibaud’s Thermal Brace is still for sale and now available in several colors.

Pain relief & sports

Dr. Gibaud, the company that made my hip warmers, keeps selling the same product. However, it doesn’t promote it as a fashion article. Dr. Gibaud now promotes hip warmers as a pain relief method. For example, keeping your lower back warm can prevent or relieve the symptoms of lower back pain. A belly warmer can also relieve bladder, kidney, rheumatic and menstrual pains. Nowadays, people often use heat pads to relieve those pains, but hip warmers (and hot water bottles) can do similar things for much less money and waste.

Fragmented clothes are also handy during sports and other physical activities. They keep you warm during and after exercise, which decreases the chance of damage to muscles and ligaments. Leg warmers originated as athletic wear for keeping dancers warm. They only became a fashion hype in the early 1980s through movies like Flashdance and Fame. Finally, hip scarves should not be confused with corsets (which make you look thinner) or support braces (which correct a posture).

Thanks to Adriana Parra.

Related articles: 

• Insulation: first the body, then the home.
• The revenge of the hot water bottle.
• Heating people, not spaces: restoring the old way of warming

Winne Clement made and recorded these huge Overtone flutes for The soundtrack of the Movie ‘The Whale’ by Darren Aronofsky. Check out the video on YouTube. We interviewed Winne Clement a few years ago.

“It works only about 2 minutes per hour. At all other times it is perfectly quiet and consumes no power whatsoever. It is obvious that a truly energy efficient fridge does not cost any more money than a mediocre one. It actually costs less. It also has amazing food-preserving performance because temperature fluctuations in its interior are naturally minimized.”

Image: Dr. Tom J. Chalko.

“Comparing the daily energy consumption of various refrigeration devices available on the market reveals that well-designed chest freezers consume less electricity per day than refrigerators of comparable volume, even though freezers maintain much larger interior-exterior temperature difference (their interiors are much cooler). While chest freezers typically have better thermal insulation and larger evaporators than fridges, there is another important reason for their efficiency.”

“Vertical doors in refrigeration devices are inherently inefficient. As soon as we open a vertical fridge door – the cold air escapes, simply because it is heavier than the warmer air in the room. When we open a chest freezer – the cool air stays inside, just because it’s heavy. Any leak or wear in a vertical door seal (no seal is perfect) causes significant loss of refrigerator efficiency. In contrast, even if we leave the chest freezer door wide open, the heavy cool air will still remain inside.”

“The chest-style refrigerator is surprisingly practical and convenient to use. The most frequently used items are placed in top baskets and are very visible and very easily accessible. Baskets slide on top edges of fridge walls so that quick access to deeper sections of the fridge interior is possible without removing any basket.”

Read more and find the manual at Dr. Tom J. Chalko’s website. Thanks to Pablo M.

The Ondioline is an electronic musical instrument invented by Georges Jenny in France in the early 1940s and developed through a number of different models until his death in 1975. This versatile and expressive instrument is monophonic, but can produce a remarkable variety of sounds, from simulating orchestral instruments to creating unique and voice-like tones.

In total, around 1200 Ondiolines were built between the mid 1940s and late 1960s, most of them handmade by Jenny himself. The instrument was also offered in “kit” form, where Jenny recommended purchasing the more complex assemblies – such as the keyboard – as complete units. The schematics were made available for amateur engineers to construct their own custom instruments, and they were encouraged to experiment with the amplifier, tone circuits and cabinetry.

Although a number of musicians played Ondiolines in eclectic contexts through the years, the instrument’s main proponent and arguably sole virtuoso was Jean-Jacques Perrey [1929-2016]. After meeting Jenny around 1950, Perrey became the Ondioline’s official demonstrator and traveling salesman, later using the instrument on a number of pioneering electronic pop records. His technique of self-accompanying – playing the piano with his left hand while fluidly changing sounds and soloing on Ondioline with his right hand and knee – was a feat of remarkable musical dexterity.

Since 2016 the musician Gotye has worked to revive interest in the Ondioline through the non-profit Forgotten Futures and with an ensemble called Ondioline Orchestra that performs tributes to Jean-Jacques Perrey’s music. Forgotten Futures is dedicated to the recovery of Jenny’s under-recognized work, the recreation of critical Ondioline spare parts, and the dissemination of information that will ensure the functionality and accessibility of these remarkable instruments for future generations.

Read, see & listen: 

• https://ondioline.com/
• https://forgottenfuturesmusic.org

“This paper investigated a windmill in Nehbandan which is an example of architectural heritage. Harnessing natural energy and using local materials such as stone, wood and adobe, the residents were able to create environmentally friendly structures. In this paper, one of these windmills that is still standing in Nehbandan was selected from a chain of windmills. Then, based on architectural survey, interviewing with millers and sketching, the dimensions of architectural elements and mechanical components were obtained and the windmill was modelled.”

“The results reveal that there is a close relation between architectural features and mechanical components. The orientation of this windmill toward prevailing wind, the correct placement of walls in three faces and creating a hole named Darvazeh in the third wall to direct the wind into the Parkhaneh are architectural features which provide the kinetic energy of the wind to move the mechanical components. The stepped form of the surrounding walls prevents erosion of mechanical components and as a result increases the durability of the windmill.”

Zarrabi, M., Valibeig, N. 3D modelling of an Asbad (Persian windmill): a link between vernacular architecture and mechanical system with a focus on Nehbandan windmill. Herit Sci 9, 108 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-021-00587-0

https://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40494-021-00587-0

Jelle Seegers set out to design a production line that drastically lowers our footprint, using nothing but the sun, wind, or muscle power as its energy source. The ‘Solar Metal Smelter’ is his pièce the résistance: this huge magnifying glass creates a powerful focal point that, on a sunny day, makes metal melt. Cast in a sand mould, the hot substance is transformed into machine parts for a foot-driven grinder in an off-grid practice.

More:

• https://www.designacademy.nl/p/study-at-dae/graduation-show/graduation-projects/jelle-seegers
• https://jelleseegers.com

Marie Verdeil made a tutorial for a simple wooden bike trolley. It is available in English and French on the Low Tech Lab wiki.

Method to create a simple bike trolley, using up-cycled materials. Easily fixated to every bike (adult size). Holes on the board help attach any kind of cargo. It’s made out of wood and simple hand tools, no welding required. Dimensions are detailed and can easily be adapted to the material available.

I tried to create a trolley, which can replace the car to go to the market / grocery shopping. No need to transport heavy cargo, but big objects (cardboard boxes, crates, wood, etc.) – Therefore it needs to be easily adaptable, with the option to fix a crate on the board. + Priority goes to second-hand materials!

“This research indicates the technical capabilities of using a 40 cm2 Fresnel lens to heat, melt and vitrify a variety of materials and suggests future applications of this technology including the ability to digitise the process. This material processing technique offers an alternative to heat matter and is significant in geographical locations with ample sunlight, offering a cost-effective option to traditional heating methods and allows directional heating, which local craftspeople can exploit to their creative advantage.”

“A Fresnel lens was proven to be an accessible and affordable tool to heat and melt materials reaching temperatures over 1200 degrees C using
natural sunlight as the energy source. Building on the literature, this solar craft process was proven to melt sand, a variety of glass, metals and burn wood and fabric in a controlled manner.”

“The results from this research reintroduce ancient craft methods and build on the techniques discussed and developed in the works of Kayser (2018) and Jordan (2014), yet solar enamelling on metal is something not seen before, presenting a new area of practice to expand upon… In the sunniest locations on the planet where solar ovens are already used, this practice could be adopted and automated; solar processing technologies could also be integrated into solar farms to process materials.”

“Moreover, whilst this research explored solar craft in outdoor and greenhouse conditions in Scotland, it is also possible to create a safe indoor workspace designed for solar craft practices in a location with consistent, high intensity sunlight, such as Portugal, where there is an indoor solar laser lab, to increase the reliability of this craft method.”

“This study melted materials between 600 and 1200 degrees C which suggests that it may be easier to alter materials at lower melting points. Developing environmentally safe methods to recycle materials like aluminium and plastics through solar concentration may offer alternatives to a discipline which would benefit from innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable development.”

“Expanding this material research to trial using solar concentration to fire locally-sourced clays, preserving wood with ‘shou sugi ban’, a Japanese technique which charrs wood surfaces with fire, and exploring solar lampwork may hold craft potential.”

Read more (open access): Westland, Karen. “Solar Concentration for Craft Practice and Sustainable Development: Fusing Ancient and Modern Methods.” Journal of Jewellery Research 5 (2022): 18-33.

Previously: The bright future of solar powered factories.

“We are humans and might as well get used to it. So far, remotely done power and glory—as via government, big business, formal education, church—has succeeded to the point where gross profits obscure actual loss. In response to this dilemma and to these losses a realm of intimate, community power is developing—power of communities to conduct their own education, find their own inspiration, shape their own environment, and share their knowledge with others. Practices that aid this process are sought and promoted by the DAMAGED EARTH CATALOG.”

–> Damaged Earth Catalog.

• Appropriate Technology
• Benign Computing
• Collapse Informatics
• Degrowth
• Computing within Limits
• Convivial Computing
• Feminist Technology
• Liberatory Technology
• Low-Tech
• Permacomputing
• Small Technology
• Salvage Computing
• To be continued…

Quoted from: Figge, Frank, et al. “Does the circular economy fuel the throwaway society? The role of opportunity costs for products that lose value over time.” Journal of Cleaner Production (2022): 133207. Image: Horse Power by Stuart Taylor. Credit: JulieMay54 – CC BY-SA 4.0.

Extending the lifetime of products and using resources circularly are two popular strategies to increase the efficiency of resource use. Both strategies are usually assumed to contribute to the eco-efficiency of resource use independently… We find that in a perfectly circular economy, consumers are incentivized to discard their products more quickly than in a perfectly linear economy. A direct consequence of our finding is that extending product use is in direct conflict with closing resource loops in the circular economy… The article highlights the risk that closing resource loops and moving to a more circular economy incentivizes more unsustainable behavior.

This is the first paper to show the link between circular economy and economic obsolescence in an integrated model. Existing research usually considers a longer duration of resource use to be “more” sustainable and thus to be more desirable. We show that a more circular use of resources is negatively related to a longer use of resources. Put differently, this is the first paper to show that a circular use of resources, which is desirable, incentivizes a shorter use of resources, which is undesirable. Policies that aim to optimize both factors in isolation risk being counterproductive: Policies that extend the duration of resource use risk impeding the circular use of resources, and policies that close resource loops risk shortening the duration of resource use.

The circular economy creates a symbiotic relationship between different resource users. As in any symbiotic relationship, the actions of one entity impact other entities. We argue that the more circular resource flows are, the higher the degree of symbiosis between resource users and the more important are the opportunity costs created. A symbiotic relationship between resource users and the opportunity costs this creates also complicate the analysis of decisions of individual resource users. In a perfectly linear economy, the decisions of resource users can be analyzed in isolation. A more efficient resource use on the individual level will always result in a more efficient use of resources on the macro-level. In a perfectly circular economy, however, decisions are impacted by the decisions of other resource users and the decision-making of resource users cannot be analyzed in isolation.

[If] no more virgin resources can be used for production, the relationship between companies and consumers changes. The products that are disposed of by consumers become the source for the provision of natural resources that companies require. Rather than being separate from each other, companies remain the provider of goods, but consumers become the provider of resources for companies by making the resources contained in the products they dispose of available to companies… Using a product for longer means depriving companies of resources for longer… As long as a consumer continues using a product, the resources contained in that product cannot create value somewhere else. Companies, eager to have access to resources, suddenly do not only have an interest in consumers replacing existing products because it allows them to increase their sales but also because it gives them access to the resources they require.

Another negative effect of the shorter use of products is that reusing and recycling but also the more frequent production and distribution of products requires additional resources. Put differently, recycling and reusing products and resources comes at an environmental cost. We do not explicitly consider these costs in our model. However, it is safe to assume that a higher speed of the production–consumption circle will, all other things being equal, also increase the resources needed to keep the circular economy going. This adds to the pressure that a more circular use of resources could exert on the environment unless the resources needed are themselves used circularly, or they are renewable resources.

Figge, Frank, et al. “Does the circular economy fuel the throwaway society? The role of opportunity costs for products that lose value over time.” Journal of Cleaner Production (2022): 133207.

Previously: How circular is the circular economy?

One unique characteristic of the trail marker tree is a horizontal bend several feet off the ground, which makes it visible at greater distances, even in snow. Researcher Dennis Downes was first introduced to the Trail Marker Trees as a young boy and was influenced by his own Native American relative. Mr. Downes has spent nearly thirty years of his adult life in the field locating, documenting, and educating others about these historical icons. See and read more on his website: Great Lakes Trail Marker Tree Society. There’s also a Wikipedia page on the topic.

Via Roel Roscam Abbing. Image: Trail Marker Tree in White County, IN known as ‘Grandfather’. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Solutions include gravity batteries to provide night-time storage from solar or wind power using the natural phenomenon of gravity in vertiginous regions. The uniqueness of this battery is its ability to be built, installed and maintained by local communities using local materials and techniques and to not rely on any external help or funding. It uses basic physics principles to provide an easily achievable and efficient way to store energy without conventional battery systems.”

Also check out their manifesto and publications.