#solarpunk story

[justabeautifulgirl]

The next morning Venua woke up, and immediately thought of the robot girl in her basement. She got up and walked to her kitchen, the sunlight streaming in through the stained glass flowers in her window above the sink, casting multicolored lights onto the cob floor of the cottage. She started her electric kettle and started to make her favorite lemon strawberry tea. Once her tea had the proper amount of honey in it she headed down to the basement to see the solar cell's battery life reach 100 percent. "Wakey wakey." She said softly in a joking tone. Venua had always made a habit of talking to the bots she works on. She hears a startup sound and the bot opens her eyes, and screams. She starts to thrash around screaching in a harsh tone, the vocal module clearly damaged. "Please don't kill me!! Please! I don't want to die!!!" "Shhh. Be still! I'm not going to kill you." The girl stopped thrashing but still clearly panicked, looked around at her surroundings as if everything in sight was a threat. Her eyes finally focused on the woman in front of her, she had dark curly hair with gold streaks running through it and a large muscular frame which only served to compliment her femininity. She didn't look a thing like the people who were trying to murder her, in fact she didn't look familiar at all. "Who are you?" The girl asked, a quiver in her voice. "My name is Venua, I... I helped you." "Where am I?" "We're in my basement, I helped you. Are you... sensing, any issues? Anything I can help fix?" "I... I think my voice, it's wrong. A-And there's something wrong, I c-can't move my legs!" Venua looked down and saw that her legs weren't moving despite lights indicating that they were definitely powered. "Okay don't worry, I can help make them work. It just might take some time." "Well, how much time?" "I'm not sure but don't worry, I have a wheelchair around here somewhere, let me go find it." "Wait, where are you going?" "Just upstairs, I'll be right back down okay?" The robot girl sighed, and hung there waiting for her rescuer. As she calmed down she was able to notice more about her surroundings, like the boxes of spare, unfamiliar looking parts and the walls that looked like they were made of sand and clay. She looked down at herself and saw that the clunky battery she was once fitted with is replaced by a sleek, pill shaped device glowing with a light blue light. She tried to reach down and touch the device but her arms are held in place from the hooks under her armpits. "Alright I have a smaller folding wheelchair from when my friend had to use it before they got their prosthetic legs." Venua walked into the basement and unfolded the contraption, it looks similar to ones she used to see but a lot more sleek and refined. "Okay, let me reattach your chest and stomach plates." She quickly moved to fit them back into place, noticing that the girl flinched as she moved. "Can I touch you? I'm gonna have to lift you into the chair." "Y-Yes it's okay, just please d-don't hurt me." "I won't. I promise." Venua slowly held her arms out and lifted the girl off of the hooks and into the wheelchair, making sure that she fit well and was comfortable. "Now please don't try to go rolling off just yet, I want to fix your voice module and see if I can't get your legs working again."

[bumblebeeappletree]

“Drawing in the dirt! Drawing in the dirt! I’m drawing in the dirt!” Little Juniper sang as she drew in the dirt with a stick she found. “Draw up! Draw down. Draw in the dirt all around!”

From flowers to butterflies to fish to trees to imaginary things; Juniper drew them all. A little budding artist could work with any medium after all! And her absolute favorite was dirt.

“June!” A voice called to her.

Popping her head up, Juniper saw her MaPa wave to her.

“MaPop!” Little Juniper cried out in delight. “Look look! I made things!”

MaPa walked over as Juniper pointed with enthusiasm. Her chubby arm was waving all around as she pointed to her grand canvas. As MaPa got closer, a smile grew on their face.

“Oh how lovely! My Little Junebug your drawings are wonderful.” They said, squatting down to the young child.

“Yeah!” Juniper grinned.

MaPa chuckled.

“Is Mama coming? I wan’ her to see!” Juniper spoke fast, mouth fumbling with the word ‘want.’

MaPa glanced up, a mischievous smile taking place. “Why don’t you go ask her?” They pointed out to a tree.

Juniper squinted. The light of the day shining in her eyes. The creak bubbling by occasionally made the shine brighter. It was hard for Juniper to see exactly where MaPa was pointing to. So Juniper looked around the tree.

Was Mama over by the bench where Kyle was sitting with his Auntie in his wheelchair? No. Mama definitely wasn’t running with the joggers with their cool metal legs. Mama hates to run. Mama wasn’t with the bird watchers who come every Tuesday. Mama goes with the bird watchers that come every Thursday.

Juniper blinked hard and tried to look at the tree again. There! Mama’s pretty yellow and green dress was blowing in the wind!

“Mama!” Juniper cried with joy as she jumped up. Carful to go around her art, she ran right to her Mama.

She slammed right into her Mama, hugging her legs with every bit of strength she had.

“Oh my little Juniper. Did you miss me?” Mama’s soothing voice asked her.

“A little bit.” Juniper said. She’s a big girl, and while she doesn’t need to be with her Mama all the time, she still loves her Mama and misses her.

Mama laughed her soft laugh that Juniper loved and ruffled Juniper’s already ruffled hair. Oh! Mama pulled out a stick!

“How did that get there?” Mama asked.

Juniper just made a noise sounding like a ‘I don’t know.’

Juniper finally looked up, but then froze. Wide eyed.

Tears burst from her eyes as Juniper started to sob.

“June!” Mama shifted her to be held in Mama’s arms. “June baby what’s wrong?”

MaPa came over with worry on their face. “Baby what’s wrong?” They asked.

Juniper pointed to the direction of Mama’s face. “Ma-Ma-ma sh-she-“ Juniper hiccuped, “she don’ have her bear no more!”

As she cried her parents blinked before understanding.

“Oh honey,” Mama cooed. “I just wanted to have a little change, that’s all.”

“That’s right our Little June bug, Mama looks quite dapper.” MaPa said, rubbing Juniper’s back.

Juniper momentarily stopped crying. “What’s dapper?” She asked.

Her parents smiled with amusement in their eyes. “It means fancy love.” Mama said.

Her saying that caused Juniper to look at her again. She then promptly burst into tears once more.

Mama and MaPa began shushing her in their ‘I’m here it’s okay’ way as they swayed together back and forth back and forth back and forth the way Juniper liked it.

But Juniper wasn’t happy. No Juniper was sad and some other things she didn’t know. Instead of the fluffy beard Mama had, she got a mustache instead! It wasn’t the same! And because the fluffy beard was gone and it wasn’t the same Juniper didn’t like it.

So Juniper said “I want Mama’s bear back.”

“Aww baby, Mama can grow her beard back.” Mama said.

“Really?” Juniper asked, rubbing her eye.

“Really.” MaPa said. “Hair likes to grow you know.”

Little Juniper pouted, but nodded. Okay, Mama can grow her beard back. “Okay! You can grow it back now!”

“Juniper, sweetheart, it takes a while.” Mama said.

“… tomorrow?” Juniper asked shyly.

“Longer than tomorrow sweet pea.” MaPa said.

Tiny lips wobbled as crystal clear tears started to well up in Juniper’s eyes. Mama shifted Juniper in her arms. Now the child was on Mama’s hip.

“I’m sorry for not letting you know that I was going to shave today. I wanted it to be a surprise.” Mama apologized.

The small nose sniffled. “A surprise?”

Mama nodded with a hum. “I thought you would like it.”

Juniper pouted as she shook her head. She didn’t like it one bit.

MaPa hummed. “Well, your Mama wanted to do something different for herself as well. Don’t you want Mama to do something that she likes?”

Juniper thought for a moment. Then nodded. She wanted her Mama to be happy. What she didn’t notice was her parents doing the face communication on what should be told to a child. They stopped when Juniper looked back up at them.

“I don’t like it… but I want Mama to be happy.” Juniper said solemnly.

Mama kissed Juniper on her forehead, the mustache tickling in a way that the beard had done before.

“How about this,” Mama started, “next time I decide to change my style, from a beard to a mustache or even nothing at all, I’ll let you know first. No surprises.”

Juniper liked this more. But then she scrunched up her nose. “Mama not having a bear on her face? Or a catipiler? Tha’s weird. Your face is naked if you do.”

Both Mama and MaPa blinked at that then laughed. “I suppose not having a bear or a caterpillar on my face would be weird.”

Juniper nodded rather seriously. Mama was prettier with her beard. But maybe Juniper would think Mama would look just as pretty with the mustache. After all, it takes time to adjust to change.

“Come on now darling, you need a bath. One with water. I don’t think your dirt bath did anything.” MaPa said.

That caused Juniper to gasp. That’s right! Dirt!

“Mama! Mama! I gotta show you my art!”

Together the family of three went to the drawings. They ooed and awed at what Juniper created. Later they would go home just the other side of the park. They would go have baths and have dinner at the community room in their apartment building. And later on in the night they would wake little Juniper up to let her see the summer night stars during the designated black out. And in the morning Juniper would hug her mother and say “I think your catipiller need to be brushed.”

———

So some notes on this is that this was created for @solarpunkaestheticweek for the aesthetic week. While I did plan on trying to draw a picture once a day, I figure writing a short story would be good enough. And I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. Juniper and this story is actually based off of a couple of things that happened to me when I was a little girl. My mom suddenly came home having chopped off her long hair to be super short and had it dyed! And toddler me did not like it one bit because it was different! I cried like how Juniper cried. The other inspiration was the opposite of Juniper. I liked it whenever my dad was clean shaven and hated it when he grew out his stubble. As for Juniper’s parents, her MaPa is non-binary and when Juniper started calling MaPa, MaPa it just stuck. As for Juniper’s Mama, you the reader can interpret her as trans, intersex, a cisgender woman who just happens to have facial hair, or anything else. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story!

[solar-sunnyside-up]

Omg let me tell yall about how one act, even if done out of self perservation, can ripple out in the most positive ways.

My friend during covid had her and her family go to a butcher and directly tell them they'd put 400 down every month collectively and they'd just order roughly the same thing every month.

So she's been doing this for like 3 years, still 400ish for like a stupid amount of meat.

But the butcher could do this bc they could regularly supply him and having a garenteed income was such a big deal. Particularly bc that means he could commit that much money to the farmers he orders from, which means those farmers also get that stable income too. So this one act helped all the way up the chain.

It helped her and her family, and friends who they gifted with meals when ppl are sick.

And that butcher offered lower prices to others and could have a steady supply of good quality meat. Because-

The farmer also got a steady income. Free from the worry of getting their next bill covered. They got better feed and could care for their animals better. This improved the lives of the pigs/candle as well as the farmer getting to live a happier healthier life.

This is still happening, this has been happening for years for all of them.

It's baffling that such a small act of community spreads so much stability and joy, ranging from the farmer relaxing to a BBQ at a block party. All bc my friend was sick of grocery store meat prices on chicken.

[reasonsforhope]

African poverty is partly a consequence of energy poverty. In every other continent the vast majority of people have access to electricity. In Africa 600m people, 43% of the total, cannot readily light their homes or charge their phones. And those who nominally have grid electricity find it as reliable as a Scottish summer. More than three-quarters of African firms experience outages; two-fifths say electricity is the main constraint on their business.

If other sub-Saharan African countries had enjoyed power as reliable as South Africa’s from 1995 to 2007, then the continent’s rate of real GDP growth per person would have been two percentage points higher, more than doubling the actual rate, according to one academic paper. Since then South Africa has also had erratic electricity. So-called “load-shedding” is probably the main reason why the economy has shrunk in four of the past eight quarters.

Solar power is increasingly seen as the solution. Last year Africa installed a record amount of photovoltaic (PV) capacity (though this still made up just 1% of the total added worldwide), notes the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), a trade group. Globally most solar PV is built by utilities, but in Africa 65% of new capacity over the past two years has come from large firms contracting directly with developers. These deals are part of a decentralised revolution that could be of huge benefit to African economies.

Ground zero for the revolution is South Africa. Last year saw a record number of blackouts imposed by Eskom, the state-run utility, whose dysfunctional coal-fired power stations regularly break down or operate at far below capacity. Fortunately, as load-shedding was peaking, the costs of solar systems were plummeting.

Between 2019 and 2023 the cost of panels fell by 15%, having already declined by almost 90% in the 2010s. Meanwhile battery storage systems now cost about half as much as five years ago. Industrial users pay 20-40% less per unit when buying electricity from private project developers than on the cheapest Eskom tariff.

In the past two calendar years the amount of solar capacity in South Africa rose from 2.8GW to 7.8GW, notes AFSIA, excluding that installed on the roofs of suburban homes. All together South Africa’s solar capacity could now be almost a fifth of that of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations (albeit those still have a higher “capacity factor”, or ability to produce electricity around the clock). The growth of solar is a key reason why there has been less load-shedding in 2024...

Over the past decade the number of startups providing “distributed renewable energy” (DRE) has grown at a clip. Industry estimates suggest that more than 400m Africans get electricity from solar home systems and that more than ten times as many “mini-grids”, most of which use solar, were built in 2016-20 than in the preceding five years. In Kenya DRE firms employ more than six times as many people as the largest utility. In Nigeria they have created almost as many jobs as the oil and gas industry.

“The future is an extremely distributed system to an extent that people haven’t fully grasped,” argues Matthew Tilleard of CrossBoundary Group, a firm whose customers range from large businesses to hitherto unconnected consumers. “It’s going to happen here in Africa first and most consequentially.”

Ignite, which operates in nine African countries, has products that include a basic panel that powers three light bulbs and a phone charger, as well as solar-powered irrigation pumps, stoves and internet routers, and industrial systems. Customers use mobile money to “unlock” a pay-as-you-go meter.

Yariv Cohen, Ignite’s CEO, reckons that the typical $3 per month spent by consumers is less than what they previously paid for kerosene and at phone-charging kiosks. He describes how farmers are more productive because they do not have to get home before dark and children are getting better test scores because they study under bulbs. One family in Rwanda used to keep their two cows in their house because they feared rustlers might come in the dark; now the cattle snooze al fresco under an outside lamp and the family gets more sleep.

...That is one eye-catching aspect of Africa’s solar revolution. But most of the continent is undergoing a more subtle—and significant—experiment in decentralised, commercially driven solar power. It is a trend that could both transform African economies and offer lessons to the rest of the world."

-via The Economist, June 18, 2024. Paragraph breaks added.

[anipgarden]

Things to Do that Aren't Related to Growing Plants

This is my second post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Some of us just don’t have much luck when it comes to growing plants. Some of us simply want to aim for other ways to help that don’t involve putting on gardening gloves. Maybe you've already got a garden, but you want to do more. No problem! There’s a couple of options you can look into that’ll help attract wildlife in your area without even having to bring out any shovels!

Provide a Water Source

Oftentimes when I see ‘add a water source’ in informational articles about improving your backyard for wildlife, it’s almost always followed by an image of a gorgeous backyard pond with a waterfall and rock lining that looks expensive to set up, difficult to maintain, and overall just… not feasible for me. Arguably, not feasible for a lot of people. And that’s okay! There’s still ways to add water in your garden for all kinds of creatures to enjoy!

There’s tons of ways to create watering stations for insects like bees and butterflies. A self refilling dog bowl can work wonders! Add some stones into the receiving tray for insects to land on or use to climb out, and you’ve got a wonderful drinking spot for all kinds of insects! You can also fill a saucer or other dish with small stones and fill it, though it’ll likely need refilling daily or even several times a day during hot times. 

I've seen people online use all kinds of things to make water features. Some go with terra-cotta pots, pebbles, and a cheap pump to get a small and simple fountain. Others use old tires, clay, and a hole in the ground to create an in-ground mini pond system. If all else fails, even a bucket or watertight box with a few plants in it can do the trick--though do be wary of mosquitoes if the water isn’t moving. In situations like these, a solar-powered fountain pump or bubbler are great for keeping the water moving while still making it a drinking option for wildlife (it not even more appealing for some)--and these items can be obtained fairly cheap online!

Bird baths are an option as well--a classic way to provide for birds in your area, they can be easy to find online or in a gardening store! The only downside is that a good, quality bird bath can be pricey up-front. However, a nice stone bird bath should last a long time, be easy to clean and refill, and be enjoyed by many birds! I’ve also seen tutorials on how to make your own with quickcrete! Bird baths will be a welcome sight to birds, as they provide a space for them to drink and bathe to regulate the oils in their feathers for flight and insulation. Putting a stone in the middle will also help insects to escape if they fall in, and provide a place to perch so they can get their own drink. You’ll want to change the water and clean the baths regularly--as often as once a week, if you can manage it.

If possible, it’s highly encouraged to fill and refill water features with rainwater instead of tap water. Tap water is often treated, so instead of using hoses or indoor kitchen water, collecting some rainwater is a great alternative. Collecting rainwater can be as simple as leaving cups, bins, or pots outside for awhile.

Butterflies and other creatures will also drink from mud puddles. If you can maintain an area of damp soil mixed with a small amount of salt or wood ash, this can be fantastic for them! Some plants also excel at storing water within their leaves and flowers (bromeliads come to mind), making them an excellent habitat for amphibians as well as a drinking spot for insects and birds.

Bird Feeders and Bird Houses

Some of the fancy, decorated bird feeders are expensive, but others can be pretty low-cost--I got my bird feeder from Lowe’s for around 10 dollars, and a big bag of birdseed was around another 10 dollars and has lasted several refills! If you don’t mind occasionally buying more birdseed, a single birdfeeder can do a lot to attract and support local birds! If you’re handy, have some spare wood, and have or can borrow some tools, you may even be able to find instructions online to make your own feeder. You may not even need wood to do so! Even hummingbird feeders, I’ve found, are quick to attract them, as long as you keep them stocked up on fresh sugar water in the spring and summer!

An important note with bird feeders is that you have to make sure you can clean them regularly. Otherwise, they may become a vector for disease, and we want to avoid causing harm whenever possible. Also keep an ear out and track if there’s known outbreaks of bird diseases in your area. If local birding societies and scientists are advising you take your birdfeeders down for awhile, by all means, do it!

Bird houses are naturally paired with bird feeders as biodiversity promoters for backyard spaces, and it makes sense. Having bird houses suited to birds in your area promotes them to breed, raise their young, disperse seeds, and generally engage in your surrounding environment. Setting them up takes careful selection or construction, preparation, and some patience, but sooner or later you might get some little homemakers! Keep in mind, you will need to clean your birdhouses at least once a year (if not once per brood) to make sure they’re ready and safe for birds year after year--you wouldn’t want to promote disease and parasites, after all. But they could be a valuable option for your landscape, whether you purchase one or construct your own! 

Again, do make sure you're putting up the right kind of boxes for the right kinds of birds. Bluebird boxes are some I see sold most commonly, but in my area I believe they're not even all that common--a nesting box for cardinals or chickadees would be far more likely to see success here! And some birds don't even nest in boxes--robins and some other birds are more likely to use a nesting shelf, instead! Research what birds live in your area, take note of any you see around already, and pick a few target species to make homes for!

Solitary Bee Houses

A bee house or bee hotel is a fantastic way to support the solitary bees in your area! For a few dollars and some annual cleaning, you can buy a solitary bee house from most big box nurseries. Alternatively, you can make one at home, with an array of materials you may already have lying around! You can even make them so that they’ll benefit all kinds of insects, and not necessarily just bees.

Though you don’t even necessarily have to break out the hammer and nails, buy a ton of bricks, or borrow a staple gun. Making homes for tunneling bees can be as simple as drilling holes in a log and erecting it, or drilling holes in stumps and dead trees on your property. You might even attract some woodpeckers by doing this!

Providing Nesting Area

There are tons of different kinds of bees, and they all make different kinds of homes for themselves. Not all of them make big cavity hives like honey bees, or will utilize a solitary bee house. Bumblebees live in social hives underground, particularly in abandoned holes made by rodents--some others nest in abandoned bird nests, or cavities like hollow logs, spaces between rocks, compost piles, or unoccupied birdhouses. Borer, Ground, and Miner bees dig into bare, dry soil to create their nests. Sparsely-vegetated patches of soil in well-drained areas are great places to find them making their nests, so providing a similar habitat somewhere in the garden can encourage them to come! I do talk later in this document about mulching bare soil in a garden--however, leaving soil in sunny areas and south-facing slopes bare provides optimal ground nesting habitat. Some species prefer to nest at the base of plants, or loose sandy soil, or smooth-packed and flat bare ground. They’ve also been known to take advantage of soil piles, knocked over tree roots, wheel ruts in farm roads, baseball diamonds and golf course sand traps. You can create nesting ground by digging ditches or creating nesting mounds in well-drained, open, sunny areas with sandy or silty soil. However, artificially constructed ground nests may only have limited success. 

Providing Alternative Pollinator Foods

Nectar and pollen aren’t the only foods sought out by some pollinators! Some species of butterflies are known to flock to overripe fruit or honey water, so setting these out can be an excellent way to provide food to wildlife. You may want to be cautious about how you set these out, otherwise it can help other wildlife, like ants or raccoons. Butterflies may also drop by to visit a sponge in a dish of lightly salted water. 

Bat Houses and Boxes

Big or small, whether they support five bats or five hundred, making bat boxes and supporting local bats is a great way to boost biodiversity! Not only will they eat mosquitoes and other pest species, but you may also be able to use the guano (bat droppings) as fertilizer! Do be careful if you choose to do that though--I’ve never had the opportunity to, so do some research into how strong it is and use it accordingly.

Provide Passageway Points

If you want your area to be more accessible for creatures that can’t fly or climb fences, allowing or creating access points can be an excellent way to give them a way in and out. Holes in the bottom of walls or fences can be sheltered with plants to allow animals through. 

In a somewhat similar manner, if you’re adding a water fixture, it’s important to provide animals a way to get into and out of the pond--no way in, and they can’t use the water. No way out, and they may drown. Creating a naturalistic ramp out of wood beams or sticks, or stepped platforms out of bricks, stones, or logs can do the trick. 

Get or Keep Logs and Brush Piles

I’ve already mentioned logs a good handful of times so far in this post. To be used as access ramps, or as nesting areas for solitary bees. But they have value as much more than that! Logs on the ground provide shelter for all kinds of animals, especially depending on size--anything from mice, reptiles, and amphibians to things like turkey vultures and bears will use fallen logs as shelter. Inside of a decaying log, there’s a lot of humidity, so amphibians are big fans of them--meanwhile, the upper sides of them can be used as sunning platforms by things like lizards. Other animals can also use the insides of logs as nest sites and hiding places from predators too big to fit inside. Fungi, spiders, beetles, termites, ants, grubs, worms, snails, slugs, and likely much more can be found inside rotting logs, using the rotting wood as food sources or nesting places. They can then provide food for mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. They can also be regarded as a landmark or territory marker as wildlife get more familiar with your space.

So how do you get logs for cheap? Try Chip Drop! I talk about them more in a future post, but you can mark saying that you’d like logs in your drop, so they’ll give you any they have! In fact, you may even get a drop faster if you're willing to accept some logs. You may also be able to approach arborists you see working in your area and ask for logs. There may also be local online listings for people selling logs for cheap, or just trying to get rid of them. If there’s land development going on near you, you may be able to snag logs from trees they cut down to make space. Do keep in mind, you don’t need to have huge gigantic logs laying around your property to make an impact--even small logs can help a lot.

If possible, creating and leaving brush piles on the edge of your property can be a great boost to biodiversity--even if you may not see the wildlife using it. They’ll provide shelter from weather and predators, and lower portions are cool and shady for creatures to avoid the hot sun. The upper layers can be used as perch sites and nest sites for song birds, while lower layers are resting sites for amphibians and reptiles, and escape sites for many mammals. As the material decays, they also attract insects, and as such they’ll attract insect-eating animals too. As more small animals find refuse in your brush pile, their predators will be attracted to them as well. Owls, hawks, foxes, and coyotes are known to visit brush piles to hunt. Making a brush pile can be as simple as piling branches and leaves into a mound, as big or as small as you want. You can even use tree stumps or old fence posts near the base, and keep stacking on plant trimmings and fallen branches. Do note that you don’t want to do this near anything like a fire pit.

Don't forget, with all of these, your mileage may vary for any variation of reasons, so don't worry if you can't take all of even any of these actions! Even just talking about them with other people may inspire someone else to put out a bat box, or leave a few logs out for wildlife!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to get seeds and plants as cheaply as possible. For now, I hope this advice helps! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[alpaca-clouds]

White People's Struggle With Solarpunk

Let me be honest. I am so annoyed with the white part of the Solarpunk movement and the people white folks talk about the movement and the genre. Because it seems we always need to have the same kind of conversations again and again and again and again, and people will just not be interested in learning. The same kind of conversations are:

Actually, Solarpunk is like totally not punk! (Answer: Yes, yes it is! You just don't understand what punk means.)

There has to be a way to archive Solarpunk under capitalism!(Answer: No. No there isn't. Sorry to break your bubble. The reason the world sucks is capitalism.)

Solarpunk as a literary genre can only work, if the world it is set in is corrupted, because otherwise there is no conflict in the story! (Answer: ... Have you ever even read another story? Like any other story?)

Why do I reiterate that it is a white-people-problem? Well, because if you look into the history of Solarpunk, the main origin of the genre and movement is in Brazil and generally South America. The origins lie very much with Amazofuturism, which was one of the biggest influences to the genre/movement.

And sure, online you never know what skin color someone has, but I will go so far and say, there is a certain white-ness about some people online. Be it just this very clear white fragility that one can often be found with those people.

One of the big issues here is, that white folks often have a very firm world view, because they grow up in a world that normalizes their culture - and in a way the topics named above.

Today's white people often have a very vague understanding of punk and what punk actually means. If you ask them what punk actually means, they will usually just come up with super vague answers. And if you ask, why Solarpunk is not punk, the answers will not be more defined.

White people come from the culture that invented capitalism, and even more poor white people will relatively profit from the inherent unfairness of capitalism. So many of them - even without consciously realizing it - feel protective of it. Especially of course that most folks in western countries are brainwashed from primary school onwards to accept that capitalism is the be-all, end-all when it comes to economic systems.

About the last thing I have already talked about. These ideas about how conflicts need to be a part of stories - and what might or might not be a proper conflict - is very rooted in western storytelling.

So, once again... Let me talk this week a bit more about those issues. Because... To be honest, I am annoyed.

[1wren]

Grist's climate fiction contest - Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors is now open!

Submission deadline: June 24th, 2024 11:59 U.S. Pacific Time (UTC-7)

Submission Length: 2,500 - 5,000 words

Submission language: English

Author(s) must be 18 or older

International submissions accepted

Stories may be co-authored

Story must not be published

Story must not have received a prize or recognition in another contest

Prizes:

1st place — $3,000 2nd place — $2,000 3rd place — $1,000 4th - 12th places — $300

Oregon State University’s Spring Creek Project will also offer the winning writer (or a runner-up, in the case the winner cannot accept) the opportunity to participate in its Environmental Writing Fellowship and Residency, including a writing residency at the Cabin at Shotpouch Creek. The Fellow will receive a $3,000 honorarium from Spring Creek Project.

Full rules and submission form

@solarpunkani @alpaca-clouds

[solarpunkani]

Psst, hey.

Hey you.

Come closer.

Listen to what I'm about to say good and well, alright?

[moobytes]

people need to start talking about "punk" in solarpunk WAY more. im so sick of seeing people just go: "renewable energy is good! recycle and pick up trash!" when they talk about solarpunk. like that's so BORINGGG...

im not saying these are bad things, but i wish we got more of "the government is in control of pollution, we got to overthrow for a better life, etc." it's still anti-corporatism just like cyberpunk. it isn't always peaceful 👊💥

[justalittlesolarpunk]

Heyo, saw your recent post suggesting reading the Positive News and I was wondering if you happen to know any other sites similar to it, or solarpunk adjacent, sites that offer newsletters?

Yes! Good news network, Solarpunk Magazine, Sam Bentley, outrage and optimism, etc. Comment if you know others, people!

[ellisnyeland]

writeblr intro

I need to make a new pinned post anyway, so it seems like a good time to introduce myself!

I'm Ellis Nye, and I'm a sci-fi and fantasy writer, with occasional elements of historical fiction, horror, and romance. Right now, I'm focusing on short stories.

Two of my short stories have been published:

Shelf-stable: "In a transitional post-post-apocalypse, Ada dreads the arrival of the witch who regularly visits her town." You can buy the issue of Solarpunk Magazine (@solarpunkmagazine on here) that it appears in here. You can see my posts about this short story here.

The Last Great Repair Tech of the American Midwest: "A story about love and community in the midst of an apocalypse of planned obsolescence, framed as an obituary." You can go to this page to buy the entire issue, or read the story for free here. You can see my posts about this short story here. There's also a brief review at Reactor (WHAT!?) here.

(For whatever reason, my published short stories lean more towards the lighthearted/uplifting end of what I write. This is going to make the eventual publication of some of my other stuff really funny.)

I write:

Retellings--mythology, fairy tales, folklore, ballads, classic lit, and more

Small, quiet stories happening in the middle of the action

Dialogue-heavy stories

"Found fiction" (Archive of the Odd introduced me to this term and I love it!)

Disabled characters

Queer characters

Stuff that I hope makes you go "wait that was kind of fucked up" half an hour after reading it

Stuff that makes me cry

Stories that did, actually, come to me in a dream

Gross stuff

I'm very into worldbuilding, but my current focus on short stories tends to limit me there somewhat. I do plan to go back to writing novels, with an eventual focus on getting published, but that's not in the cards right now.

I have a tag for each story I post about, so for example "story: deadname" for posts about my WIP "Deadname" or "story: in perfect light" for a finished-ish story I've started submitting places.

I also have a Twitter account with this same username, but I don't use it as much as I use this account.

[justabeautifulgirl]

She started to rummage around her basement cabinets looking for a spare vocal module but after 45 minutes of near-constant searching she had to give it up. "Okay so." "C-Can't find o-one?" "Unfortunately no, I'm sorry. What I can do though is head into the town closest to us and see if the local repair shop has one they can spare." "P-Please don't-t-t leave m-me!" The robot girl started to look visibly panicked. "Okay, well... you could come with me." "I d-don't know. There c-could be so many p-people, I am scared of someone wanting t-t-to hurt me." "No one is going to hurt you." Venua said confidently. "Everyone in town is super nice! I bet they'd love you." "Really?" "Of course. No one, including me, has seen one like you since before the unification. They'll at the very least think you're really neat." "I d-don't know. This all feels really fast, c-can we just stay here for a while?" "I'm never going to make you leave here, I could even set up a room for you if you wanted." A long silence permeated the room at this pronouncement. "Did I, ever ask you your name?" "N-No." "Can I ask your name?" "My... name is..."

[avalina-music]

I really grieve that I'll never be able to live a normal blissfully ignorant life like I thought I would. Things are so dire and I am called to do whatever I can to help, I can't not, because I for one will never give up hope, never, till my dying breath I'll never give up hope for a better world

[etinceelle]

I was thinking about how Spark could be described as a genre, it's definitely fantasy, but I think hopepunk and solarpunk are really the mood I'm coming for with that story ♥

[greenhorizonblog]

Okay but imagine: a Solarpunk AU fic with beekeeper Aziraphale and angry botanist Crowley.

Crowley asks to borrow some hives for pollination of a food forest fruit orchard, Aziraphale shows up and they meet and it's cute :) You'll know where you want to take it from there ;)