Growing up

I was hanging out with a three year-old last week. He came into the kitchen to make an announcement. In … More

Amsterdam to London with Bart

Amsterdam to London with BartBart is 98. His cells are leaving “in droves,”but he’s still signing card numbers to a … More

The Art of Crying

I borrowed a short zine book from Kristin to read on the train the other week. Called “The Art of … More

10 things I hate about cars

I still associate long car journeys with the excitement of going on holiday as a kid. I remember the fun … More

Year 3 – cherry tree house

Earlier this year, Lucy sent me ‘Metaphysical Animals’ in the post. It profiles the philosophers Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, Elizabeth … More

Living in a world of systems

I’ve just finished reading Donella Meadow’s seminal work ‘Thinking in Systems’. It’s excellent. The book goes through systems principles in … More

What holds the swifts

The type of bright sunshine which gives grass an extra sort of lurid dimensionality is the same sort of sunshine … More

The financial system

“Money is the oxygen on which the fire of global warming burns” Bill McKibben (Consider reading The Economy before you … More

The Economy

“The sign of a healthy economy should be a drinkable river.” Li An Phoa We talk about “the economy” as … More

Pink carnations

They filled the chamber with pink carnations that July day in 2013. A fragile splash of colour against the dark … More

8: Finding the way out

The current financial system’s reliance on debt and asset inflation risks economic and housing stability, worsened by climate impacts. To address this, finance must be reimagined to support the real economy through mortgage reform, separating banking functions, focusing on productivity-driven growth, enhancing social safety nets, and reorienting central banking policies toward sustainability.

7: Housing the next crisis

The UK’s housing market faces significant risks from climate change, particularly flooding, which could lead to a permanent devaluation of properties. With full-recourse mortgages, homeowners remain liable for debts despite reduced asset values, triggering potential economic contraction. This crisis could exacerbate intergenerational and regional inequalities, impacting middle- and working-class families most severely.