Now I'm Going To Obsessively Research Everything I Can About Coastal And Desert Areas, Since I Live In

Now I'm going to obsessively research everything I can about coastal and desert areas, since I live in the Middle East but come from a place known for it's coastal backwaters.

I think one thing that would be nice to see explored a bit more in Solarpunk art/aesthetic posts is how Solarpunk will likely look different depending on where you are, what’s feasible in that area, weather patterns, etc.

Like its almost 5am so I’m gonna be rambly but like. A lot of the most common features of Solarpunk art so far are a bit of an art-noveau type look, with lots of stained glass. Heavy emphasis on solar power and windpower and trees. In no way, shape, or form am I going to pretend this is BAD! I love this look, I think its great and inspiring and I love the color green I just.

Maybe Solarpunk doesn’t mean ‘green’ for everyone everywhere. Solarpunk might be more… yellows, and reds, and oranges. If you live in a desert, where there aren’t a lot of trees. I’m thinking places like Arizona, New Mexico, Niger, Chad, Libya. What would solarpunk fashion look like in these places—I feel like embroidered jean overalls won’t be common here. Traditional wear from these places is GORGEOUS, and I’d love to see more of a highlight on it and these biomes in Solarpunk. What would the housing look like—how would you keep cool indoors and out? I’ve seen a few ideas put into practice, but what would you dream up? How would you make them fun?

Similarly, how about coastal communities? Sure there’d be lots of green—but green may stand for seaweed just as much as it would trees. Not to mention the vibrant blues of the sky and seas, and the rainbow of colors from coral and seashells and glittering scales. What would a solarpunk community look like along the coasts of places like Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica, etc.? How are some of these places already Solarpunk? Wind and solar power could be an option, but we can also use hydropower as well—what would a solarpunk hydropower system look like in your wildest dreams? Fish-shaped spinning turbines underwater, swimming like sharks? Would houses float and bob along the water? How would gardening be handled with mostly salt water around—rain water capture would be critical, I feel—or desalination of small amounts of salt water. What would the fashion look like HERE? What does it look like already?

What does solarpunk look like in snowy places—like Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia? When green comes around in spring and summer, but fall and winter brings expanses of snow and ice? Solarpunk fashion here would be a LOT cozier than the solarpunk fashion on a Florida beach. I’m imagining lots of furs and layers. How would traditional practices be used to stay safe and warm, how would energy be captured and stored during long and dark winters? Would communities here be more nomadic, traveling further south during the coldest months, or would they stay where they are and construct homes that easily stay warm with little output?

Its actively 5am now so if I don’t make sense by all means. I guess I don’t make sense. But this has been on my mind for a few days now and I guess as we get closer to Solarpunk Aesthetic Week, this can be a fun and interesting thing to keep in mind! Let this inspire your art, your music, your fashion, your stories, your musing, and how you reach out to others about the ideals of Solarpunk.

A Solarpunk Christmas

As we all know Christmas today is a holiday that requires us to participate in the capitalist system, often beyond our means.

While writing this, I just wanted to clarify: I spent the day Christmas shopping. I do not have the place (or energy) to judge or shame you for how you practice.

My biggest issue with Christmas is that I feel obligated to buy gifts. As a very materialistic person I do enjoy giving and receiving gifts, however I don't believe participating in a culture of overconsumption and fast fashion is in the spirit of christmas.

The question I have is: how can we make Christmas sustainable and environmentally friendly? and what does Christmas look like in a solarpunk future?

My ideas:

Use recycled paper as gift wrap, through reusing wrapping paper, newspaper, or ruined books

handmade gifts, hand-me-down gifts, thrifted gifts

Donate your Christmas tree! If you use a live tree you may be able to donate it to an environmental organization in your area. Some organizations will replant your tree as part of an environmental restoration project!

Use what you have: putting out Christmas lights is a beautiful tradition I love. Many people feel the need to "go bigger" every year and buy more lights. I promise you, less is sometimes more and small lights are beautiful. I also recommend making your own decorations

On the note of light, the only thing I would recommend buying is Christmas lights that are solar powered or an adapter to make your current lights solar power

Use the holidays as an excuse to build community! Include your neighbours in your celebrations or gift them extra baked goods

I'd love to hear from everyone what you think would help make Christmas a more sustainable holiday. How can we introduce these concepts to our friends and family?

I need people to stop buying into the idea that "small business" = "ethical business." Many small businesses are wonderful, and absolutely deserve your support, but plenty others aren't. If you're genuinely concerned about where you spend your money, you have to do your due diligence even if a business isn't a mega-corporation.

The lady who owned the small business I used to work at was horrible to work for, gave free coffee to cops, treated us all like shit, and got pissed if you didn't worship the ground she walked on for giving you a job. I would never work for her again, and if someone asked me if they should apply to work for her, I'd tell them to run for the fucking hills. The turnover rate was atrocious when I worked there, and I wouldn't be surprised if she still burns through employees at an unholy rate.

Small businesses are just as capable of worker abuse as big businesses, and they frequently get away with it because people refuse to believe that their beloved Mom & Pop Shop is run by rancid assholes who think Jeff Bezos has the right idea about how to run a business.

Small business owners CAN be better! They CAN be pro-worker and pro-union! But it's not inherent, and small business owners can be some of the most abusive pieces of shit you've met in your life.

The devil works hard but the Hollywood propaganda machine and the White liberals who take part in it work harder.

This week I went back to visit the discussion in the notes on @seaweed-solarpunk’s post on solarpunk fashion. I collected all the suggestions in reblogs and tags and tried to find common themes to organize into a concept map. This is just my interpretation, but I think the three most important tenets of solarpunk fashion are eco-friendliness, inclusive design, and personal significance.

[image ID: a colorful branching concept map where the central idea is Solarpunk Fashion, and the three main branches are in primary colors. Where the branches connect and overlap, the color changes to a secondary color between the primaries. All text in the bubbles is listed in the text to follow. End ID]

Eco-Friendly

• Local sourcing

• Biodegradable textiles

• Durable

• Closed-loop production

• Biomimicry

- Integrated biotechnology

- Upcycled electronics

• Heirlooms and Secondhand

- Thrifted

- Hand-me-downs

- Dumpster-dived

- Clothing swaps

Inclusive Design

• Body-type inclusivity

• Accessibility

- Decorated disability aids

- Physical comfort (including for those with sensory issues)

Personal Significance

• Radical authenticity

- Genderfuckery

- Rejection of mega-corporations

• Handmade/modified

- Small practices

- DIY

- Visibly mended

• Culture

- Religious symbols

- Pride flags

- Traditional dress

I’d love to hear what the solarpunk community here thinks of this framework, what you’d keep, remove, or change.

reminder: "zio" is a slur that was coined by white supremacists & popularised by former KKK grand wizard david duke, before being co-opted by progressives.

here's an informative article about duke's usage of the word - it suitably demonstrates why "zio" is antisemitic, not anti-zionist.

Southern Poverty Law Center

David Duke Claims Zionists Are Behind YouTube's Plans to Jerk His Videos

stop calling jews "zios". it is an antisemitic slur. we shouldn't have to explain this to you. holy shit.