root systems: a zine series
Practical steps to survive the world that's coming and resuscitate the one we have
I have always been interested in the hyper-local, and that's where this series starts. People's real neighbourhoods, real economic realities, the resources actually to hand, site-specific needs.
Real solutions for real people.
It’s not about what a government should be doing. It’s for you and me: what we can do on our streets, now, with what we already have.
Eight issues published every two to three months. Below is the full schedule, what each one covers, and the further reading, books, videos and resources that go with it.
Out Now
Issue 1 · Degrowth / Moss
Published August 2026 · Free download
Mosses are smarter than us. When conditions are good, they luxuriate. When conditions turn bad, they stop growing, hold on tight, and wait. They don't die. They just stop consuming. That's degrowth, and it's where this series starts.
Learning from Filipe Milanez, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Jason Hickel and Julia Steinberger. Strategies range from contacting your local representatives, to supporting agencies working in the field, to growing food and learning simple electrical repairs. Plus, a section on how I channel the philosophies of degrowth in my day job as a corporate marketer.
Further reading: 14 resources on degrowth for local climate activists
COMING NEXT
Issue 2 · Toward Better Beekeeping
October 2026
The problem of breeding and imported colonies at the expense of native bee populations. The apis mellifera mellifera — the European dark bee. Can ethical beekeeping exist at all?
Issue 3 · Drought Proof Gardens
January 2027
Shrubs, flowers, grasses and groundcovers. Edibles. Lawn alternatives. Soil improvement. Irrigation ideas.
Issue 4 · Beyond Airco
March 2027
You're right, America — Europe hasn't yoked itself to air conditioning, and here's why. Heat pumps: an option or not? Passive cooling and air circulation. Thermal curtains. Climbers on the outside.
LATER IN THE SERIES
Issue 5 · Pollinators: Bats
May 2027
Why bats are vital to ecosystems. How bats navigate: the explain-like-I'm-five guide. Fighting for trees. Turn out the lights. Bat boxes and roosting stations.
Issue 6 · Covert Rewilding
July 2027
Guerrilla gardening. Breaking up concrete: concrete acts of resistance.
Issue 7 · Mycelium Politics
aka my own brand of eco-anarchism
October 2027
Networks over hierarchies. Mutual aid. Local decision-making for local people. Interdependence and adaptation.
Issue 8 · Pollinators: Corridors
December 2027
What is a pollinator corridor? Building our own neighbourhood pollinator highway. Stepping-stone gardens. Hedges. Roadsides gone wild.