47 Genius Analog Solutions To Modern Problems That Make Silicon Valley Tech Look Entirely Overpriced

Some people embrace these ideas so fully that they even build entire lives around them. Can Decreix, or the House of Degrowth, is an off-grid, low-tech living lab with a clear mission: to live less, but with purpose.

Founded in 2011 by a group of activists and researchers frustrated with theoretical debates about Earth’s demise but lacking action, Can Decreix describes itself as a “center for exploring, experimenting, and practicing organic agriculture and agroecology, eco-construction, and renewable energy, for research and activism around ideas of degrowth.”

Here, simplicity is an intentional act of resistance against overconsumption and technological dependence.

The community uses solar ovens in summer, harvests wood to fuel stoves for both heat and cooking, and grows food without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Waste is repurposed and reused, ensuring that nothing is squandered.

Even cleaning products are homemade from plant matter, such as ash and clay, to keep chemicals out of the environment. Laundry is done with a repurposed bicycle.

At Can Decreix, the goal isn’t just surviving without high-tech gadgets but embracing the richness of simple, sustainable practices.

As François Schneider, one of Can Decreix’s founders, explained to writer Zoe Rasbash from Shado Mag, “We didn’t know much at first, but we learned to live with low-tech solutions, tuning ourselves to the seasons. Every day, we keep learning.”

Their approach encourages a curious self-sufficiency, solving problems by repurposing what's available. With reduced waste, solar-powered electricity, and a sociocratic approach to collective decision-making, Can Decreix has developed an iterative model for fostering resilience and connection with the earth and each other. And as good as this sounds to me, it’s not exactly overrun.

“I think there’s still very little interest in finding out how it (low-tech) could work (in the wider world) because it’s disturbing for people,” Schneider added. “It’s easy to design some solutions, but to live with [them]? To critique people’s way of life feels untouchable, because individual liberty is something we’re not supposed to challenge.”

Degrowth is a practice, a process, and a school of thought. It claims we have the resources and capacity to ensure a good quality of life for everyone on our planet, but have organized our economy in a way that won’t let us do that.

Schneider himself wrote papers, protested, and organized the first degrowth conferences. In 2004, he spent a year walking around France with a donkey to connect with people about degrowth ideas.

“In December 2011, I felt that we couldn’t just hypothesize about Degrowth,” Schneider said about creating Can Decreix. “We have to get feedback from practice.”

“We can’t wait around until we get the right theory that starts the revolution.” They were interested in experimenting with how we can live with radically less: less stuff, less tech, less work, and have a good life.

While degrowthers claim techno-optimism does nothing for the crisis of global inequality, at its heart, the question is also philosophical.

“There are lots of debates on what we do with innovation. Is Can Decreix about ‘going back to the old ways’ or embracing more innovative approaches?” Schneider said.

Looking at these pictures, what do you think?