Solarpunk Presents

Hi! This is the summary of days 61 to 70 where we discuss critters and critter control, coding games, spinning plates, missing my pet, performing badly on TV, the expenses of modern life, looks versus real, saying 'lol' and trying not to cringe when I hear it loool, solarpunk answers to the polycrisis, and more.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as my musings about the world as it is now.Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic (also on Fastfrwrd): https://aleya.bandcamp.comSolarpunk Presents Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/solarpunkpresents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi! This is the summary of days 51 to 60 where we discuss plastic-free shopping, tasty salad tests, performing on TV (and not being good at it), the true cost, protesting but still serving the system by driving with fossil fuels to get there, manifestos and omens, sentencing the exploiters of the planet, 666 in my payslip and the way watermelon should be.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as my musings about the world as it is now.Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic (also on Fastfrwrd): https://aleya.bandcamp.comSolarpunk Presents Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/solarpunkpresents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi! This is the summary of days 41 to 50 where we discuss not wanting to worship nature, natural remedies and skepticism, self promo or pride? Speaking life through stories, being the Avatar, Freudian Slips, ants trying to keep me from cheating on the strike, Instinct Trust, trying my hand at programming, textiles having memory and traumatic experiences, the illusion of choice and the need for a Climate Commons to save our lives by revealing how to make and thereby render sustainable the materials and products we use everyday.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as my musings about the world as it is now.Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic (also on Fastfrwrd): https://aleya.bandcamp.comSolarpunk Presents Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/solarpunkpresents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi! This is the summary of days 31 to 40 where we discuss the right to land, access to food and water, fair wages, self-censorship and cancel culture, billionaire bosses, my swollen lymph node, reputation economies, alternative currencies and bubbles, rights to life, solar generators, blood, National Housing Trust, Permaculture’s slave problem, weird rituals, and 1.5 to Stay Alive.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as with my musings about the world as it is now.Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic: https://aleya.bandcamp.comSolarpunk Presents Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/solarpunkpresents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the summary of days 21 to 30 of my Carbon Neutral Strike where we discuss eco porn, socialist mental healthcare, becoming someone who can go to work everyday (ish), Climate Sins, and Parseltongue.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as with my musings about the world as it is now.Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic: https://aleya.bandcamp.comSupport the Solarpunk Presents Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/solarpunkpresents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the summary of days 11 to 20 where we discuss Elon Musk’s obscene wealth, scams and the lack of access to payment portals in Jamaica, Direct Democracy possibilities, welfare and leisure, LPG gas in Jamaica and a salad recipe at the end.I’m Aleya, and I founded Fastfrwrd.info. I have been carrying out a Carbon Neutral Strike where I avoid oil, gas and plastic as much as I can. I have been posting daily updates since Earth Day, April 22, 2025 on this process as well as with my musings about the world as it is now.Music featured in these episodes are from me under the name Aleya Jobson. The songs can be found on most music streaming services, bandcamp and Fastfrwrd.infoSo much more to say, but as you listen, I'm sure you'll find out. Thanks so much.Update lengths vary based on what I have to say on a given day. I will be releasing 2025's clips in chunks of 10 and then when we're all caught up, I aim to release regularly as much as possible as long as I am not repeating myself too much, or feeling unwell, or need to reflect. Are you ready? Then let's go.Links:Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic: https://aleya.bandcamp.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey Solarpunk Presents listeners, my name is Aleya Jobson. While your regular listening material is on hiatus, I thought I would pop in and provide some material of my own that have accumulated since April 22, 2025. Starting Earth Day 2025 I commenced or recommenced, rather, my Carbon Neutral Strike and Challenge, where at least one choice per day avoids needless oil, gas or plastic. During the process I began to share musings, emotions, opinions, and findings around the central tenet of what is essentially a 'clean' lifestyle. One that is truly aware of its wastes and excesses. This process, I believe, is eye opening and very interesting to observe, even if you don't do it yourself. It was made all the more fun and engaging because I was acquiring points called 'Dews' on my platform Fastfrwrd.info for sharing my findings and keeping a green lifestyle. Dews can buy user-generated goods and unlock games, while still surfing green on Fastfrwrd, which is a sustainable oasis on the internet with green energy credits powering it. As you listen, I hope you feel, as I do, that the process is a worthwhile method for figuring out where you stand in the Anthropocene, and what really matters in life. Ariel and Christina have been so gracious to platform me, and I am forever grateful.Music featured in these episodes are from me under the name Aleya Jobson. The songs can be found on most music streaming services, bandcamp and Fastfrwrd.infoSo much more to say, but as you listen, I'm sure you'll find out. Thanks so much.Update lengths vary based on what I have to say on a given day. I will be releasing 2025's clips in chunks of 10 and then when we're all caught up, I aim to release regularly as much as possible as long as I am not repeating myself too much, or feeling unwell, or need to reflect. Are you ready? Then let's go.Episode includes: Mangoes from the neighbourhood, climate sins, 666 sightings, plastic brick plans that (spoilers) still haven't come true, and attempts at carbon neutrality through offsets, emissions avoidance and waste prevention.Links:Website: https://fastfrwrd.infoMusic: https://aleya.bandcamp.comThe Stellar (Lunarpunk TTRPG): https://fastfrwrd.info/the-stellar-%c2%a4-lunarpunk-ttrpg-%e2%98%86/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back! (Kind of…) In this episode, Ariel interviews Aleya Jobson about gamifying climate action with the Fastfrwrd website, where people can be rewarded for positive climate actions in their own lives. They also discuss Aleya’s Carbon Neutral Strike: how Aleya started it, how it’s going, and its pros and cons. Starting next week, Aleya will be taking over the feed with reflections on her Carbon Neutral living; Christina and Ariel are still s t r u g g l i n g but Aleya is willing and able to keep the solarpunk content going in the meantime. Tune in - you won’t want to miss this.Read more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/we-are-so-back-152321240 *At 2:48 Aleya mentions IRL, which is short for “In Real Life”.Links:Fastfrwrd website: https://fastfrwrd.infoGame makers group: https://fastfrwrd.info/groups/fastfrwrd-games-group-for-game-makers/The Stellar TTRPG: https://fastfrwrd.info/the-stellar-%c2%a4-lunarpunk-ttrpg-%e2%98%86/Carbon-neutral game jam: https://itch.io/jam/fastfrwrd-twine-game-jamBrowsers/search engines that plant trees or remove plastic from the ocean: https://wavebrowser.com/; https://www.searchfortrees.com/#gsc.tab=0; https://www.ecosia.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Ariel chats with Joseph Brannan about sustainability workshop series at the Kitchener Public Library, unionizing library workers, and bringing solarpunk into the sustainability conversation.Links:Everyday Permaculture by Anna MatildaWaterloo Region NatureBuilding for people : designing livable, affordable, low-carbon communities by Michael EliasonLow Tech Magazine articleReep Green Solutions Article on the neighbourhood effect and solar panels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We like to think that a rising tide lifts all boats. But, according to Stanford University historian Dr. Walter Scheidel, wealth and income inequality have almost always only grown drastically toward the maximum level a society can sustain in times of peace and prosperity. Instead, as he outlined in his book The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century, true leveling of inequality between, for example, the rich and the poor, has almost always happened as a result of exceptionally catastrophically violent events that take the lives of a good chunk of the population (see, for instance: the Black Death, World War II, and the communist revolutions of the 21st century). This has shattered Christina’s previously strong faith in democracy, and we discuss just how and why that happened. Does human society stand any chance of leveling inequality voluntarily, intentionally, and peacefully aka, which is to say, without having to go through an event of widespread death, turmoil, destruction, and suffering? Join us as we wonder whether, in order to reach a solarpunk future world of justice, equality, and harmony, we will ever be able to escape this historical pattern.Links:The Great Leveler by Walter SchiedelThe Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Encyclopedia Britannica Entry“Government accused of hoarding Canadian history in 'secret' archives” CBC News articleEa-Nasir meme explainerMartyr! by Kaveh Akbar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cory Doctorow’s 2017 novel Walkaway has a reputation in solarpunk circles as a great example of a solarpunk lifestyle, and a must-read book for everyone from the individual who lives and breathes solarpunk to the solarpunk-curious to general science fiction fans. But what is it about Walkaway that gives it solarpunk cred? Ariel and Christina ponder this, discussing features of the novel that could be considered solarpunk, and some that might be more post-cyberpunk than anything, and how some of the ideologies and technologies are or have been applied in our present world. Is the world of Walkaway an achievable solarpunk paradise, or a nice hopeful story featuring very cool gadgets and bites of lefty philosophy? Or something else entirely? What is the draw, here, anyway? Join us to think through some of the quandaries and ideas the book raises.Links:https://catholicworker.org/aims-and-means/https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/79r7c7/is_cory_doctorows_book_walkaway_solarpunk/?rdt=44395https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/1fgv88h/has_anyone_on_this_sub_read_walkaway_by_cory/https://theportalist.com/solarpunk-bookshttps://alxd.org/solarpunk-lenses-and-foundations.htmlhttps://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765392770/walkaway/https://edgeryders.eu/t/solarpunk-and-permaculture/12079https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/18ajw7y/solarpunk_fiction_where_to_start/https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/1bfrpy6/solarpunk_fictionutopias/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_pinghttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10384867/https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20230120-how-gut-bacteria-are-controlling-your-brainhttps://www.news-medical.net/health/Signals-from-Gut-Biome-to-Brain-and-Behavior.aspxhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-so-funny-the-science-of-why-we-laugh/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ariel talks with BrightFlame: witch, workshop leader, co-founder of the Center for Sustainable Design at Columbia University, and author of solarpunk witchcraft short stories and now a new novel, called The Working. They discuss what solarpunk witchcraft looks like and how, though witchcraft’s manipulation of energy on the astral plane is extremely important, magic is only one half of the equation: the other is activism - actually getting out there and doing the thing, whether it’s attending a protest, contributing to a potluck to strengthen community bonds, or making something with a specific intent in mind. BrightFlame (she/they) writes, teaches, and makes magic towards a just, regenerative world. In her debut novel, The Working, a modern coven must thwart a looming eco-cataclysm and find the key to the bright futures we need. She's a member of the Climate Fiction Writers League and SFWA, and her solarpunk stories are featured in Bright Green Futures, Solarpunk Creatures, Bioluminescent, and Solarpunk Magazine. She’s known for her teaching in the worldwide pagan community and co-founded the Center for Sustainable Futures at Columbia University that features her workshops and nonfiction. She lives on Lenape territory (Turtle Island/U.S.) with a human, a forest, a labyrinth, the Fae, bees, turtles, fungi, and many other nonhumans. Visit brightflame.com for musings, doodles, workshops, and more.Links:https://brightflame.comhttps://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/working/https://starhawk.substack.com/https://starhawk.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Christina talks to Dr Gabriel Filippelli - one of the first scientists to have a running project canceled by the Trump administration. This fascinating interview reveals just how important internationally and domestically these American grants can be, and Dr Filippelli passionately describes this unprecedented attack on science and education and what we all lose when the work that scientists do grinds to a halt or is extremely politically curtailed. It's important, he tells us, to support the institutions that you care about and are vital to the continued knowledge of how to survive our climate-changed future.Dr Filippelli is the Chancellor’s Professor of Earth Sciences at Indiana University Indianapolis and the Executive Director of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. He works at the junction between biogeochemical cycles, climate change, and human health.Dr Filippelli has also written the book Climate Change and Life: The Complex Co-evolution of Climate and Life on Earth, and Beyond, which explores Earth's ecological resilience to the great changes in climate that have occurred over the history of the Earth. He was also part of the driving force behind Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond, which details local efforts to reduce the risks and lessen the harmful impacts of climate change, as well as prepare for the unavoidable consequences of climate change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Christina talks to Ariel about what it's been like to live as a solarpunk with a visible - and then invisible - disability. Science fiction has spent decades dreaming of how future tech will make disabled people able to function as if they were fully abled. Now solarpunk has arrived on the scene to ask why should disabled bodies have to always be the ones to adapt? It can be uncomfortable, intrusive - not to mention expensive. Solarpunk wonders why can't cities, society, workplaces, and the like be the ones to use the tech to make themselves more accessible to and inclusive of disabled people?Tune in as Ariel and Christina discuss the portrayal of disability in science fiction and solarpunk and how having to suddenly live with a disability opens your eyes to many of the ways cities fail people with disabilities.Links:The Spoon Theory: https://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/The Place of Disability in a Solarpunk Future: https://sammylincroft.medium.com/the-place-of-disability-in-a-solarpunk-future-1db5e40ddb55r/solarpunk plea for solarpunk not to exclude the disabled: https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/comments/oxpj34/please_dont_exclude_disabled_folks_from_a/Disability Justice page by Sins Invalid: https://sinsinvalid.org/10-principles-of-disability-justice/"Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction" Uncanny Magazine: https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-disabled-people-destroy-science-fiction-manifesto/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode, Ariel speaks to Sam Nabi about One Million Neighbours, a project bringing together the voices of local non-profits that envisions the future of Waterloo Region once the population has reached one million. Sam discusses the impetus for the project, providing a voice for the voiceless, the issue with grant applications, funding the future, being proactive instead of reactive to harsh policies, and much more. What might an abundant, inclusive, resilient (Ariel says: solarpunk) city look like on the human level? Who lives there, what do they value, and what are their daily lives like? And what does it look like to take action now at the regional/municipal level to ensure that utopian vision?Links:https://onemillionneighbours.ca/https://samnabi.com/https://www.holdthelinewr.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these dark times of (American) political backsliding/the general rise of fascism in the Global North, Ariel and Christina consider four things that we'd made great progress on, to the point of taking those achievements for granted. Let's take the time to acknowledge them and the danger we are in of losing them. Because how can we fight for what we don't recognize as being incredible yet fragile? Links:"From White Guilt to Race Traitors": https://illwill.com/talk-amongst-yourselves-from-white-guilt-to-race-traitors "What Does it Really Mean to be a White Ally?": https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-really-mean-white-ally-cecily-rodriguez/.Exploring Actor -> Ally -> Accomplice: https://www.whiteaccomplices.org/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ariel interviews Doug Jones from Waterloo Region Community Garden Network, and he discusses about how the Network was started, what it does, and the benefits of gardening for the health and wellbeing not only for you but for your entire community. We discuss gleaning, food insecurity, access to land, and much more; this is an episode you’re going to want to listen to, especially if rising cost of food and food security are concerns for you these days.I (Ariel) have included some links to the local organizations he mentions, as well as some that expand on some of the topics we discussed.*Carol Popovich was the public health nurse who worked with Doug to create the original Waterloo Region Community Garden Council.Links:Waterloo Region Community Garden Network official site: https://wrcgardennetwork.ca/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRCGN/“Cost of a Healthy Diet: A Population-Representative Comparison of 3 Diet Cost Methods in Canada” - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39270849/“Every hour children spend on screens raises chance of myopia, study finds” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/21/every-hour-children-spend-on-screens-raises-chance-of-myopia-study-finds“Cura Annonae” aka grain dole: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura_annonae“Addressing vitamin D deficiency in Canada: a public health innovation whose time has come” - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20413135/Iodine Deficiency on the rise in Canada- https://blog.mdpi.com/2022/08/19/iodine-deficiency-canada/The Raw Carrot: https://therawcarrot.com/Eat With Afia: https://www.instagram.com/eatwithafia/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you meet a Japanese American, depending on their age, it’s a pretty good bet that they, their parents, and/or their grandparents (or great-grandparents) were imprisoned by the US government in so-called internment camps for several years during World War II. Most families lost everything they had built up: farms, homes, businesses, jobs, possessions, and whatever wealth they had accrued. If you meet a Japanese American, it’s also a pretty good bet, they probably won’t spontaneously start talking about what they or their family went through, how they feel about it, and how they or their family recovered from the ordeal. I (Christina) wanted to rectify that by sitting down with my old friend Chie Furuya, whose parents (as tiny children), grandparents, and other family members were “sent to camp”, to ask her about it. The answers and stories she had for me were both fascinating and unexpectedly heartening. Her people are a resilient, cheerful people and I feel like there are life lessons for all of us here, in terms of withstanding and recovering from severe injustice (and coming out on top).Ariel’s addition to this episode description is to point out that Japanese internment occurred in Canada in the early 20th century as well. We (by which she means Canada, or perhaps so-called Canada, as she likes to call it) aren't some bastion of anti-racism and tolerant plurality (if we ever were). Here are a few links for further edification if you are interested or want to know more about the Canadian side of the story:-"Where is Japantown?" a Secret Life of Canada podcast that describes this history in detail: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/203-the-secret-life-of-canada/episode/15776151-s3-where-is-japantown-Obasan by Joy Kogawa is an incredibly famous work of Canadian Literature - or at least, it was, back in the day, as it came out in 1981. But IYKYK. It describes the fallout of the Japanese internment camps through the eyes of a young girl growing up in Alberta and it galvanized the nisei community to stand up to the Canadian government and demand accountability and reparations for the atrocities of the internment camps. Link here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9723.Obasan-Here is a link to the Japanese-Canadian centre in Toronto, the only Japanese cultural centre that I know of in central/eastern Canada: https://jccc.on.ca/ and the Nikkei Museum in BC: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/Download the transcript for free here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/125524354?collection=1380839 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ariel and Christina try to get to the bottom of why our fictional visions of utopia are so negative. They often involve mindless acquiescence to an authoritarian nanny state, the oppression and labor of an underclass, or both. It’s as if we can’t imagine a situation in which we all voluntarily treat each other (reasonably) decently and life can be good for everyone. We discuss the literary origins of utopia, how it has evolved (or not) as a concept, and Ariel gives a few examples of sci-fi futures that are about as close to her style of solarpunk utopia as can be. Ultimately, the topic of utopia raises more questions than answers!Links:Original blog on the concept of a protopia: https://kk.org/thetechnium/protopia/Audio dramatization of "Kitaskinaw 2350": https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1020-this-place/episode/15862270-kitaskinaw-2350"This Place" publisher's page: https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Books/T/This-PlaceEpisode 6.10: the Dilemma of Utopian Joy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saBnIh3jZq4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in summer of 2024, in a bonus chat, Ariel & Christina tackled the question of whether or not hydrogen is a sustainable fuel. In this Season 7 opener, Ariel & Christina tackle the next obvious question: are biofuels any better? Join us while we shatter any dreams you might have had of biofuels being a sustainable, carbon-neutral fuel. As we discovered when we started digging, they do far more harm than good. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S6E10: The Dilemma of Utopian JoyWhile solarpunks often choose to stand in direct opposition to selfishness, greed, and systemic problems, the choice to be kind and to prioritize joy, sympathy, and understanding is also central to solarpunk in fiction and in real life. As Christina and Ariel discuss, while acts of kindness occur in all sorts of fictions, even cyberpunk and dystopian fictions, acts of kindness in solarpunk stories tend to be transformative, especially for the person or group on the receiving end. They then explore the sacrifices that it takes (and who has to make them) in order to maintain peace, prosperity, and joy in society by two famous solarpunk–adjacent stories set in utopias, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin and “The Ones Who Stay and Fight” by N.K. Jemisin. Christina is not sure if she’s on board for either of these stories, but she agrees with the premise that now is the time not to walk away in disillusionment, but to fight hard for human rights, justice, and fairness in all of our different political systems and societies.Links:The Ones Who Walk Away From OmelasThe Ones Who Stay and Fight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Due to personal issues, Christina couldn't take part in the original interview with Andy Gross about the solarpunk role playing game Fully Automated! that made up S6E2. But she had questions. In this episode, she had a chance to ask them. Before you grab your dice and download the game (for free!) at https://fullyautomatedrpg.com/ have a listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the USA, the far right candidates have been getting themselves elected to local and county school boards. Their goals include financially choking public schools by diverting government funds toward charter schools, often religious in orientation. Tune in to hear what Dr Sam Myovich, retired history teacher turned school board candidate campaign field coordinator, has to say about what’s at stake, the far right’s deployment of fascist tactics in their fight to destroy public education, and what we ordinary citizens can do to fight back against them, save our schools, and protect our very democracy itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.