Solarpunk Now!

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 fails to meet global needs, and where we go from here.

Note: Since October 7th, much of this work in Gaza has been destroyed. And the needs right now are much more immediate–food, water, shelter, and a ceasefire. If you have the resources, Jess recommends a donation to KinderUSA (http://www.kinderusa.org/), currently providing food support to the region.

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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.

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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 familiar and the alien.

Ruthanna Emrys (website, and links to buy the book): http://ruthannaemrys.com/

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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 committed to “a new culture of open-minded inquiry on the Left.” In this episode I chat with two Strange Matters editors, Kyle and Frances, to discuss the magazine, the process of developing it, and what makes it so exciting!

Strange Matters Magazine
Strange Matters on Twitter

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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 Solarpunk Presents, and Andre of HydroponicTrash.

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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 marginalized groups. And finally, Dan makes the case for an anti-fascist alternative: radical care as the antidote to careless tech-solutionism.

Find Dan on Twitter, Mastodon, or visit his website

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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!

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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 an awakening of political consciousness, and an expansion of the horizon of possibility for disempowered and disillusioned tenants.

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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. Scientists can do a lot when they organize together, and when they bring their skills and knowledge outside of the academy to benefit their community. In this episode we’ll hear what it takes to get together, get involved, and make change happen as a scientist.

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This episode is about tenants unions, fighting for the right to secure housing in an increasingly precarious world.

Tenants are uniquely situated between socioeconomic inequality and climate change, so a tenants union fights against a wide variety of challenges: harassment and illegal evictions, gentrification, natural disasters, displacement, racism, and more. In this episode, we’ll hear from two tenants unions who have faced unique regional challenges. We’ll see where their struggles overlap, as well as unique obstacles they face and strategies they’ve developed as a result.

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