Solarpunk Now!

Nov 10 2024 20 ep. 65 mins 146

Solarpunk Now! Podcast artwork

The podcast about politics, science/tech, philosophy, and whatever else it'll take to get us out of this mess. Let's demand a brighter future together!

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We Have to Consider Collapse

Nov 10 2024 55 mins

As solarpunks, we have to consider the possibility of collapse. Matthew Azuley–aka EpicTomorrows–introduces us to collapse awareness, a view of the climate crisis which accepts the inevitability of societal collapse on some level. We'll hear a bit about his forthcoming book, an anthology of global perspectives on collapse, as well as how this view might fit within a solarpunk p

No Healing Without Decolonizing: Community Mental Health in Gaza w/ Dr. Jess Ghannam

Aug 15 2024 60 mins

In 1995, Dr. Jess Ghannam was one of two psychiatrists for the entire population of the Gaza strip. Jess’s work centers around community mental health, a model that aims to deliver care at scale by integrating with the community. We talk about how Jess’s own experience with intergenerational trauma as a Palestinian drew him to the mental health profession, how the Western model

Ecology is Radical: A People’s History of Environmentalism

Apr 12 2024 62 mins

This Earth Month, we’re looking back on the history of environmental radicalism. Brian Tokar is a teacher, activist, and writer who’s been involved in the movements he writes and teaches about since the 70s. We discuss how leftism and environmentalism came together, why ecology matters for the left, and what lessons we can learn from these traditions and put into practice today

When the Aliens Land, Invite Them to Dinner: Ruthanna Emrys on Monsters, First Contact, and Hope

Mar 10 2024 59 mins

What happens when a solarpunk world is visited by aliens? Ruthanna Emrys writes stories for monsters - stories that challenge the role of the monster as something “other,” something to be feared. Her latest novel, A Half Built Garden, is a story of high-stakes interspecies negotiations, of hope and progress despite immense challenges, and of bridging the divide between the fami

Bringing Theory Beyond the Academy: Strange Matters Magazine

Feb 10 2024 92 mins

The editors of Strange Matters Magazine want your reading experience to feel like meeting a grad student friend for coffee. Meaning: they explain the most exciting parts of their research, give you all the hot gossip in their field, skip the jargon and elitism, and still deliver the information in a rigorous manner. Strange Matters publishes a variety of genres and viewpoints, all

From Capitalist Realism to a Solarpunk Reality

Jan 07 2024 88 mins

After the 2023 Solarpunk Conference, my fellow panelists and I got together for a follow-up. Our panel, From Capitalist Realism to a Solarpunk Reality, discussed the thought and action necessary to bring solarpunk to life. In this episode, we expand on these ideas and develop connections between our related areas of research. Featuring Joey of The Fire These Times, Ariel of Solarpu

AI is Already Existential: The Case for an Anti-fascist Resistance

Jul 13 2023 93 mins

AI, as it currently exists, already poses immediate risks. We don’t need to wait on the singularity for AI to become existential – the resistance starts now! In this episode, Dan McQuillan (Goldsmiths Department of Computing) critiques AI from an informed, technical basis. We explore the risks of currently existing models, from shaping our subjectivities to eradicating marginal

Fashioning the Future: Why Accessible Fashion Matters

Jun 10 2023 58 mins

AJ is a fashion designer who focuses on making accessible fashion: clothing for diverse bodies, abilities, and genders. AJ offers his view of the problems with the fashion world, how he’s navigated fashion as a trans man with disabilities, and how his design processes challenges harmful norms. We’ll also hear some great ideas for making fashion part of a brighter future! Suppor

More than a Measure: Building Political Consciousness through the Electoral System

May 06 2023 86 mins

In fall 2022, Pasadena’s Measure H established citywide rent control, “just cause” eviction protections, and a rental housing board to implement the law. But the campaign to get there wasn’t easy, and the struggle certainly isn’t over. On the face of it, Measure H might seem like just another electoral campaign. But Aeryn, Ryan, and Bee of the Pasadena Tenants Union saw a

Scientists for Socialism! Why Activism and Research Go Hand-in-Hand

Apr 05 2023 68 mins

Bee Rooney is both a scientist and a socialist. She got her PhD in environmental engineering and science at Caltech (Pasadena, CA), and now organizes with the Socialists of Caltech and Pasadena Tenants Union. Bee shares her insights on balancing the demands of research and activism. We also discuss her work in relation to climate, public health, and building a solarpunk future. Sci