Living in the Future

Living in the Future - Episode 46 - Lammas and the Media

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:24:14 +0000

Living in the Future has made a new 50 minute documentary about the Lammas ecoVillage in Wales. It was launched on a snowy night in January in Wales and all the cinemas sold out! Lammas residents were there to take part in a Q+A, which will be available here soon. The Film- Living in the Future_LAMMAS is available on DVD, rental or download from livinginthefuture.org. We're encouraging people to set up their own screening and get a discussion going about sustainable living. In this short film, we ask the residents think of the documentary and how do they feel about all the media coverage?

Living in Future 45: Charlie's House

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:15:03 +0000

Charlie, Meg and baby Eli live near Lammas in West Wales and have been inspired to make a stunning roundhouse. The home has the turf roof, straw bale insulation and lime render which are fast becoming the vernacular in low impact building in Wales. If you like this, you'll love the feature film which Undercurrents are making about Lammas. You can pre-order a copy here : sponsume.com/project/living-future Enjoy!

Living in the Future: Another Film Trailer2012

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:44:25 +0000

A 50 minute Living in the Future Film will be released in December 2012. This trailer features interviews with some of the Lammas residents.

Living in the Future: Film Trailer 2012

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:06:06 +0000

New in 2012! This new 50 minute film tells the story of Lammas, the UK's first planned Ecovillage. The film is currently in post-production and will be released in December 2012. Please support the project with a pre-order for a DVD. Your help is appreciated. www.livinginthefuture.org

Episode 44- Bees

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:04:52 +0000

Melissa lives at Lammas and keeps bees. She shows some young people from Nant y Cwm Steiner School how the hive works and gives them a taste of honey.

Episode 41- Home for Christmas

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:55:50 +0000

Katie and Leander are very happy to be in their new roundhouse for Christmas and out of their damp caravan.

Living in the Future 43: Reciprocal Frame

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:10:05 +0000

Tony Wrench is a master of the reciprocal frame roof for round houses. This one might be his 15th- he's lost count, really. He gets so many requests, he wants you to have a clear "how-to". This is our latest attempt.

2012 La Palabra Maya

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:09:26 +0000

Todo el mundo habla de las Profecías Mayas sobre el 2012 ¿Pero quién está escuchando a los mayas? Este innovador documental nos acerca a las voces de las personas mayas , que nos comparten su visión de las profecías de sus ancestros y su lucha por defender a la Madre Tierra y a su cultura de la destrucción. 2012 La Palabra Maya es un mensaje de esperanza y una llamada a la acción. A través de los testimonios de mayas contemporáneos de todo Mesoamérica, desde guías espirituales a activistas, líderes comunitarios, campesinos, artistas, maestros, niñas y niños, este documental nos lleva a un extraordinario viaje al corazón de la lucha y la espiritualidad Maya.

2012 The Mayan Word

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:27:42 +0000

Everyone is talking about the Mayan Prophecies of 2012. But who is listening to the Maya? This film brings us the voices of the Mayan people as they share their perspectives on the prophecies of their ancestors and their fight to defend Mother Earth and their culture from destruction. 2012 The Mayan Word is both a message of hope and a call to action. Featuring testimonies from contemporary Mayans throughout Mesoamerica, from spiritual guides to activists, community leaders, farmers, artists, teachers, and children, this film is an extraordinary journey into the heart of Mayan struggle and spirituality.

Living in the Future 40 : Hobbit House

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:14:59 +0000

Simon Dale and Jasmine Saville have inspired worlwide media interest in their self-built homes. People like to call them Hobbit Houses.

Living in the Future 39: Life Goes On

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:10:21 +0000

The residents at Lammas ecovillage in West Wales have a commitment as part of their planning permission to get 75% of their basic needs from the land. All the residents are collecting wood for fuel, growing vegetables and raising some animals for eggs or meat. For this, they have greenhouses and barns to build, as well as their own homes.

Living in the Future 38: Hutters

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:59:57 +0000

In Wales, land is one of the biggest obstacles to natural living. In Scotland, it's even more difficult, as patterns of land ownership put the land in the hands of the wealthy few. However, land buy-outs are helping to give ordinary people access to land.

Living in the Future 37: Community Hub

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:37:02 +0000

Timber frame, strawbale insulation, turf roof, renewable power...the Community Hub building at Lammas is a meeting place for residents and an education space for visitors.

Living in the Future 36: An Inspector Came to Call

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:03:33 +0000

Low impact building meets building regulation- what are the issues? Having thought they did not need to comply with building regulations whilst they live in their barns temporarily, the Lammas residents have run into some problems...

Living in the Future 35: Park Guell

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:14:48 +0000

At Lammas Ecovillage in Wales, residents are experimenting with natural building techniques like straw bale, cob and roundhouses. At Park Guell in Barcelona, Gaudi was exploring similar ideas over a hundred years ago.

Living in the Future 34- A Roof over our Heads

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:31:05 +0000

Just in time for Christmas, Paul and Hoppi move into their first building. After 9 months in caravans, it's bliss. The timber frame building with sheep's wool insulation will eventually be a workshop space, but for now, it's a warm home.

Living in the Future 42: A New Life

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:23:03 +0000

Kit, Saara and Henry are settling down to life at Lammas after an exciting year of getting married and having a baby. The house has foundations, the polytunnel has a roof and the rabbits have arrived.

Living in the Future 33- Many Hands

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:19:44 +0000

Katie and Leander's Lammas Roundhouse has a problem with the reciprocal frame roof. Luckily, Roundhouse King Tony Wrench is there to advise, along with many other helping hands.

Living in the Future 32- Cae Mabon

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:24:22 +0000

Eric Maddern is host at this "Welsh Shangri La" near Llanberis in Snowdonia.

Living in the Future 31- Married to the Land

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:32:43 +0000

Five years to the day since the idea for Lammas ecovillage was conceived, Kit and Saara bless their marriage on Lammas land.

Living in the Future 30- It's not Easy...

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:32:13 +0000

At Lammas, the residents are getting on with their lives. Green building is bringing proving frustrating, as new techniques are not tried and tested, but experimental. This project is where the experimenting happens.

Living in the Future 28- Open House

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:54:49 +0000

Lammas ecovillage in Pembrokeshire host their first Volunteer Week and Open Day in Spring 2010.

Living in the Future 27 - Ffynone Woodland

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:27:11 +0000

Ffynone Woodland in West Wales is sustainably managed by Growing Heart Workers' Co-operative and provides some of the wood for building at Lammas.

Living in Future 25- Sanford

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:43:16 +0000

Sanford Walk is a London housing co-operative established in 1974 and recently refurbished to reduce its carbon footprint.

Living in the Future 26- Snowed In

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:07 +0000

Snow at Lammas causes enforced hibernation.

Living in Future 24: Building with Mud

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:44:44 +0000

Heavy Autumn rains have made progress difficult for the ecovillage pioneers in Pembrokeshire, but they have still built two beautiful reciprocal frame roundhouses .

Living in the Future 29- Building with Wood

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:57:09 +0000

The communal woodland is an intrinsic part of the Lammas project. How is it managed and how is the wood being used?

Living in Future 23- Steward Wood

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:46:28 +0000

Steward Wood is a low impact community living in Dartmoor National Park. They have just received 5 year temporary planning permission to continue their experimental project.

Living in Future 22- New beginnings

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:45:22 +0000

Lammas is starting to take shape...

Living in Future 21- Sundance Renewables

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:45:05 +0000

Dr Larch Maxey is planning a year fossil fuel free- starting with biodiesel.

Living in Future 20- Coed Hills

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:16:47 +0000

Coed Hills Rural Artspace is a great place to learn about low impact living.

Living in Future 19- Hooray!

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:02:06 +0000

Lammas finally get planning for their ecovillage in West Wales.

EcoVillage Rap Song from Quail Springs (USA)

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:39:17 +0000

Quail Springs is a permaculture and sustainability demonstration and education farm that serves the communities of Central and Southern California, and people from around the nation and the world. A rap song puts the message across http://www.quailsprings.org/

Climate Camp 2009- Welcome to the site

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:01:26 +0000

Activists have take the site for Climate Camp 2009 in London. Daily chat shows from the camp on http://climatecamp.tv

LIving in Future 18

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:22:18 +0000

The Trial! Will Lammas get Planning Permission?

Living in Future 17

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:10:04 +0000

Lammas have bought their land- and are starting to work it!

Living in Future 16

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:10:49 +0000

That Roundhouse finally gets planning permission!

Living in Future 15

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:32:51 +0000

Rachel Shiamh's 2 storey straw bale house in Pembrokeshire

Living in Future 14

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:20:11 +0000

The Design Council like Lammas

Living in Future 13

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:29:42 +0000

As Lammas awaits planning permission, what concerns the new residents?

Trailer-On the Push

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sun, 25 May 2008 10:08:55 +0000

A Surfer's Guide to Climate Changehttp://www.onthepush.org

Living in Future 12 : The Application

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:50:10 +0000

The Application After a first refusal, Lammas have resubmitted their plans for an ecoVillage in Wales under the new Policy 52 of Pembrokeshire Council's planning guidance. Potential residents Simon and Jasmine just have to wait. Policy 52 states that building can be carries out in the countryside under certain stringent criteria. The residents of Lammas will need to prove that they can create 75 % of their household needs from the Land. Each plot will have 5 acres on which to build a natural home, outbuildings and farmland. Each resident plans to make their living in different ways. Simon makes beautiful, natural furniture with wood he finds in the forest. Jasmine has green fingers and plans to help make it easy for others to create organic gardens.

Living in Future 11: Land Matters

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:01:00 +0000

Land Matters low impact community in Devon have been wrestling with the planners... Landmatters Co-operative own and manage a 42 acre holding in South Hams, Devon. Using a design system called permaculture, we are managing the land for the benefit of bio-diversity and wildlife whilst providing for many of our own needs for community, food, water, energy, shelter, creativity, transport and waste management. We are also developing land based livelihoods, reducing our ecological footprint and acting as an educational resource for the wider community.

Living in the Future 10: Permission to Plan

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:59:00 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit www.livinginthefuture.org. Pembrokeshire has new policies for sustainable building under Policy 52 of the Joint Unitary Development Plan for Pembrokeshire - Low Impact Development (LID) Making a Positive Contribution. This allows for some building in the countryside, but only where there are land-based activities which support the community. Lammas have designed their eco-village around the new policies, but will the planners say "yes"? To live a low-impact lifestyle is to live lightly on the earth. In essence, this means to intelligently and intensively manage our surrounding environment in order to maximise return (in the forms of energy, water, food, shelter and products) and minimise waste (through recycling, composting and energy efficient systems). In practice, this means to adopt a land-based, simple, localised lifestyle that works with the land and natural cycles available to us. In order to explore low-impact living, it is necessary to create an integrated system of dwellings and infrastructure able to support such a venture.

Living in the Future 9: Holtsfield

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:58:00 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Holtsfield is a community in Gower, near Swansea where people live in small wooden bungalows commonly known as chalets. A long-standing dispute with the landlord has meant evictions in the past, but now the community is more stable and recent house sales have brought it into the modern world- albeit kicking and screaming...

Living in the Future 8: Centre For Alternative Technology

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:56:00 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org CAT- The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales is at the forefront of sustainable building in the UK. The visitor centre demonstrates practical solutions for sustainability- environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing. There is an site community of around 16 residents, 4 of whom are long term volunteers who can live at CAT during their 6 month residency. http://www.cat.org.uk/

Living in the Future 7: Findhorn

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:55:15 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Findhorn is an eco-community in Scotland based upon spiritual principles, this is because it sits within the largest intentional community in the UK. It was started by Eileen and Peter Caddy in 1963, Findhorn became famous for its giant cabbages as they attuned to the spirit of the plants they grew. The Findhorn Ecovillage is a founder member of the Global Ecovillage Network : http://gen.ecovillage.org and educates in ecovillage design, community and spiritual practice. Findhorn has many workshops and courses to offer : http://www.findhorn.org

Living in the Future 6: The Village

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:55:00 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org The Village is a new eco-town in Ireland. The planners have given full consent, but what do the neighbours think? The site is 67 acres and includes beautiful and fertile land where villagers grow their own food, with plants and trees to promote biodiversity. There are still sites for sale, so you could be part of this! The ecovillage includes: » More than 50 low energy homes and work units so far » A solar- and wood-powered community heating system » 50 acres of land for allotments, farming and woodland » A green enterprise centre and hi-spec broadband » An eco-hostel for visitors » A nearby train station and community farm

Trailer: A-Z of Bushcraft

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:09:04 +0000

When the oil runs out- how do we live with nature? During an A-Z of Bushcraft you will learn to live comfortably in the natural environment with the minimum of modern equipment.www.azbushcraft.com

Living in the Future 5: Sunseed

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:35:20 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org At Sunseed community in Spain they research appropriate technology solutions for use in desert situations. The arrid landscape and sun-soaked climate make it an ideal place to carry out this research. In 2011, Sunseed celebrated 25 years of their work, play research, learning and transformation. The Sunseed village is off grid (they have an abundance of solar energy!) and keep permaculture gardens to help feed the community with vegetarian, organic food. They accept volunteers- short and long term and you can contact them here: www.sunseed.org.uk

Living in the Future 4: Off grid

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:30:11 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Festivals are hotbeds of ideas, music, films and craft and in the UK, The Big Green Gathering is an ideal place to research renewable energy options. We meet low impact "guru" Simon Fairlie, Big green organiser Brig Oubridge and Shannon Smy of activist folk band Seize the Day: http://www.seizetheday.org. Shannon and her husband and co-band member Theo live at Kings Hill, a low impact community in Somerset, which is completely off grid.

Living in the Future 3: Tinkers Bubble

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:12:31 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Tinkers Bubble is a low impact community in Somerset, England. It was established in 1994 on 40 acres of land- woodland as well as orchards and pasture. One of the founders was low impact "guru" Simon Fairlie. Tinker's Bubble earns a small income by selling organically grown produce at local farmers' markets and selling sustainably produced timber which is felled by hand, logged by horse and sawn by a wood-fired steam-engine driven sawmill. The community has a ban on the use of fossil fuels on site (with the exception of lighting such as paraffin lamps). The community fought very hard for planning consent for dwellings on the site and now has permission for temporary dwellings with limitations such as to the number of vehicles owned by the community.

EcoVillage Pioneers Trailer

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:33:46 +0000

A wander through the land of eco-villages. Australia, Ireland, Scotland, England,Spain and back home to Wales. A heart felt insight into alternative ways of living. Now out on DVD from http://www.livinginthefuture.org

Trailer: Cycling 12,000km

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:42:53 +0000

Bike2Oz is a video series about the young couple who successfully cycled the 12,000Km from Oxford (UK) to Sydney (Australia). Rather than damage the climate by flying, they chose to travel from one side of the world by bicycle & cargo ship.Watch the series on www.bike2oz.com

Living in the Future 2: When Two Worlds Collide

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:27:27 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Living in the Future highlights how people have come together to build their own homes, grow their own food, and create lively and sustainable communities. In this exciting series you will meet communities in Australia, Spain, Ireland, Wales,England and Scotland. Lammas is just a dream, but for the dream to become reality, it needs people. Lammas has organised a membership of diggers and dreamers who are keen to get involved with plans for the ecoVillage and an AGM has been called on a potential site. In accordance with Pembrokeshire Planning Policy for Low Impact Development, residents will need to demonstrate that they are substantially meeting their household needs directly from the land. In practice this means that the people involved will need to be working the land to good effect. Lammas residents are proposing a range of livelihoods from the land including woodland crafts, horticulture, tree nurseries, livestock and woollen crafts. At the AGM, potential residents get a feel for the land and get to know each other. It's early stages and some of the people will find that it's not for them. However, some of the people you meet in this episode will become key characters and you will get to know them very well during the series!

Living in the Future 1: In the Beginning

helen@undercurrents.org (Undercurrents) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:45:59 +0000

To watch more episodes or buy feature films visit http://www.livinginthefuture.org Introducing Lammas, the UK's first planned Ecovillage. This is the beginning of a story spanning 8 years now. An idea is forming that will take 9 families on a journey to create an ecovillage in West Wales. You can follow the development of ideas, the inspirations from other low impact projects and the creation of the actual ecovillage. Keep watching!