bloomsnake:

feltelures:

foxteethandflora:

zinjanthropusboisei:

persolem:

nibblesthegardener:

solarpunkwitchcraft:

Hey solarpunk community! In light of several posts that have been going around, I was thinking it would be worthwhile to talk about the real, physical things we can do to make this world a more solarpunk place. Because speculation and aesthetics and thinkpieces are awesome, but a movement isn’t a movement without real action behind it. So what are things we can all do to make the present closer to our solarpunk future?

¤ Persuade your local gov’t and city mayor to support the Paris agreement! Call your state reps too!

¤ Be involved in local community and charity!

¤ Barter where you can, and buy local & thrift where you can’t! Make! Make! MAKE!

¤ Get some solar panels! Small ones, big ones, whatever you can afford.

¤ If you can get away, go forest bathing! Appreciate nature, and teach your children to do the same. Remember–leave only footprints.

¤ If you got a patch of land, garden it! Can’t grow it yourself? Volunteer it to someone who will!

¤ Collect your rainwater!

¤ Got kids or going to have them? Have two. Then stop. The third kid is SO much more expensive in terms of… Well literally everything. Bigger house. Bigger car. More resources.

¤ Cloth diapers, reusable wipes. Homemade laundry soap. Clothesline. (I realize this is house spouse territory, but do what you can.)

¤ Encourage your local school district to open an outdoor classroom, or a class garden! Or volunteer to help with one of those “circle of life” lessons that involve baby chicks or silk worms. (Tada! Now you have chickens!)

¤ Collect local deadwood (my area has loads), and either turn it into works of Art–or of it’s not good for anything else–Biochar. By removing dead wood from urban areas you reduce the ever increasing risk of fire.

¤ Time to end the rent rat race? Buy a tiny piece of land and build your dream house YOUR way. Natural building. Tiny. Reclaimed materials. Solar. High tech. All good.

¤ Eat less meat. I get it. We all have different dietary needs, and not all of is can go vegan. I know I can’t. I’m not here to shame anybody, but cows especially are particularly bad. It would be nice of they were all grass fed dwarf cattle (mini-moos) though.

American activism and resistance:

Find your Representatives
Contacting Elected Officials
Activism events near you
United Resistance

If you live in NY State, you can lobby your town/city/county government to become a Climate Smart Community by adopting the pledges here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/50845.html

I’m assuming other states might have something similar (hopefully).

-Bee boxes, bird houses, bee gardens, bat boxes - make your neighborhood more friendly for flora and fauna.

-try composting. If your city has a compost program, opt in. If not, make your own!

-track your water usage. Then try to limit it in small ways. Do the same with your electricity!

-plant a tree. Or five. Seriously - they’re such a great investment.

- go to a co-op and buy…well…anything. Often they have eco friendly soap, shampoo and cleaning products!

-or you can try making your own!

Sewing 101

Articles on container gardening

Free cloth diaper patterns

Recipe for laundry soap

How to make biochar

The homesteading movement

24 meatless recipes

Make a:
- Bee box
- Bird house
- Bee-friendly garden
- Bat box

Track your daily water usage

Make eco-friendly:
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Cleaning products

So, I’d like to add in some more environmentally focused options:

1) Familiarize yourself with your state and where you live.

o   What types of ecosystems are near you (Chaparral, Tropical Hardwood Hammock, Longleaf Pine Forest, etc)? What is so special about them?

o   What rare species live in your state? What state-threatened and state endangered species live near you? What federally threatened and endangered species live near you? Pay EXTRA close attention to non-charismatic species, such as reptiles, amphibians, insects (hello NATIVE BEES AND POLLINATORS) and arthropods, PLANTS, crustaceans (there are TONS of threatened crawfish), mollusks (Florida has at least one threatened snail and a few rare clams!), fungi, etc. What threats do these organisms face, and what can you do to help them?

o   What environmental issues are prevalent in your state, and why? What is one local environmental issue that is very close to you?

For example, in Florida, a major environmental problem is the ongoing fight to restore water flow to the Everglades, an ecosystem that NEEDS a continuous flow of water through it. However, the sugar industry would rather use that to grow MORE sugar and divert its nasty ass fertilizer water full of toxic algae to canals and rivers that dump into the ocean. I’ve seen several articles detailing major losses for local economies that depend on tourism, as well as more discussing how toxic algae is actually REALLY BAD for people (who knew, amirite?) More info here.