Optopia - A Solarpunk Zine

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[optopiazine]

op•to•pi•a (noun): A place in between utopia and dystopia. Not a perfect world, but the best possible one we can achieve given our circumstances.

Optopia Zine is a solarpunk magazine focused on the intersection of humanity, technology and the environment. We publish pieces that explore climate change, nature, sustainability, and potential hopeful futures. We're currently taking submissions for our mushroom issue.

[samwisethewitch]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[what-even-is-thiss]

I'm volunteering for a literary journal right now and there's two things I think you all should know.

1. Most people that submit to literary journals are cis white men. We know this because our journal has an anonymous survey about demographics for people that submit.

2. Most things that get submitted to the creative non fiction section are on the level of middle school "What I did over the summer" essays.

I cannot see the demographics of the people whose essays I'm reading, but guys, if you are wondering if you should submit your work to a literary journal or not, I promise you that just in terms of statistics there are a lot of mediocre cis white men and people in general confidently submitting weird crap that isn't literature to literature magazines. Do it. Submit your work. Please. If you want there to be more diversity in literature, be the diversity. Do it. Do it do it do it.

[what-even-is-thiss]

In general literary magazines want to include more diversity, but if poc, queer people, disabled people, etc. don't submit their work then they aren't gonna get more diverse because we just won't have the material necessary to get more diverse. Submit your work. Do it. Do it. Do it do it do it.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Here's a list of university run literary journals. Do it. Get published.

[what-even-is-thiss]

[wilthered-dreams]

Many indie lit mags also welcome works from BIPOC and LGBTQIA creatives because the editorial staff themselves are in that demographic. Quarantine brought on the start of the SO many indie lit mags - it’s almost a golden age. Don’t be afraid to submit — there will always be so many niches and aesthetics that one will bound to be the one that fits your style. 

There is so much work from marginalized narratives in litmags these days — people lament there is no representation in media, but that disregards the progress and diversity of the works of editors and writers who help make these litmags possible. 

There is representation, and it is flourishing. They are waiting to be read. 

The Lumiere Review compiles a list of submission opportunities every month, and it are always very useful: 

https://lumierereview.com/sub-sep-oct-2021

List of Litmags that Specifically Look for Work from Marginalized Creators or is Run by Marginalized Creators:

Warning Lines: https://warninglines.com/

With Confetti: https://with-confetti.com/

Giving Room Magazine: http://www.givingroommag.com/

The Bitchin’ Kitsch: https://www.talbot-heindl.com/

Tealight Press: https://www.tealightpress.com/

Tipping the Scales: https://www.tippingthescalesjournal.co.uk/

The Winnow Magazine: https://www.thewinnowmagazine.com/

perhappened: https://www.perhappened.com/

AZE Journal: https://azejournal.com/

Honeyfire Lit: https://honeyfirelit.com/

and so much more!!

(And even if some litmags’ mission statement isn’t specifically for marginalized creators, they will always welcome these narratives.)

So please, please submit!

[what-even-is-thiss]

Independent magazines are great too! I’m more familiar with the university journal scene so I appreciate this addition.

[afrosolarpunk]

When I think of solar punk, I think of my grandparents. I think there are many approaches and solutions to solar punk depending on where you live, the climate, rural or urban, land availability, budget and so on.

But for me, I remember my grandparents and I think it is crucial to gather the knowledge of our elders and let it feed into the new we create. Both were farmers and extremely resourceful. Long before my mother was born, and while our country was still under British rule, they had tried to live in the city as labourers. It was the modern thing to do in a colony, leave what was called the primitive life of huts, farming, animal herding and hunting behind and instead contributing to the colonial project. It goes without saying that this project was extremely racist that they were destined to be labourers for the rest of their lives. They both hated it.

In the city, my grandfather had done several manual jobs including working in an industrial bakery and working in a sausage factory, which lead to him never eating sausage again. My grandmother worked as a cook and housemaid for an Indian family (above Africans in the colonial construct) and found it demeaning. She had two miscarriages during this time.

It was then that they decided to turn their backs on the city and return to the village. For many this would have symbolized a step back, a step away from civilization, and it also meant a lot more hard work. But instead of living in a crowded, dirty slum (Africans were not permitted to live outside these slums), they got to build their own homes in an ancient tradition. Instead of breaking their backs for a demeaning overseer and paid pennies, they got to do whatever they wanted with the fruit of their labour. My grandfather immediately set up gardens which he cultivated with vegetables for sale back in the city. My grandmother followed suit and always made sure to make some money of her own. It was after this return that my mother was born.

The work was hard, but not any more or less than it would have been back in the city. In the village they were their own lords and weren‘t dependent on anyone else but themselves. It‘s where they were human and among those who saw them as such.

I think about this a lot and I think about how I could perhaps improve on their project. Find a way to build on what they left us. This is where I would love to continue, adding solar punk to the mix. Some people hate rural Africa, want to hide it and I get why, it‘s not nice to be reduced to it. But I love it, I see it as a chance, as something that can be cultivated and grown.

[upsettingandunfortunateclasshate]

[todaysbird]

in 2022 may you find many seeds, nuts, berries, etc

[mjalti]

I didn’t even look at the name I was just like damn I hope so too thanks

[gendercents]

sorry just remembered how very many underground fungal networks exist and how we've only begun to map them and i need to lie down

[gendercents]

"A single gram of soil can contain up to 90 meters of mycelium. The total length of mycorrhizal mycelium in the top ten centimeters of soil is around 450 quadrillion kilometers: around half the width of our galaxy."

[plantyhamchuk]

On Miracle Gro

@gelana78​ said: Hey Planty may I ask you to vent about how bad miracle Gro is for a few minutes? Or alternatively how bad the company is? Because my uncle recommended it to my burgeoning baby-gardener mom. And she won’t listen to me. I feel like what would take me hours of research will take you three minutes of knowledge in your brain

Ok so first off, Miracle Gro is owned by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. They started out in the late 1800s as an agricultural company, they are now one of the behemoth monstrosities that buys up little companies all the time and are traded on the NYSE. They own a gazillion brands including Roundup and Osmocote and they have a minority share in the ubiquitous Bonnies Plants (veggie herbs and seedlings you can find at the big box stores, they are also a massive company buying up tiny ones across the country). 

They’re not really a nice company, they got into a huge fight in the UK about peat bog harvesting, and were eventually handsomely compensated for losing the ability to wreck some ecosystems there.

Miracle Gro, as a brand, offers a variety of products. They do offer some organic products. However they are mostly known for their chemical-based fertilizers and soils. These have the same issues as any other brand - chemical fertilizers work very fast and will feed the plant, but they don’t feed the soil, whereas organics feed the soil, that then feed the plant. Chemical-based stuff is not a good long term approach, especially for anyone gardening in actual soil in the ground. 

I can’t entirely hate because like.. sometimes all people have access to is what is at their nearest walmart or big box store. And given constraints, the best thing to do is try to get their organic line.

This is actually a pretty good looking organic fertilizer, and it’s got OMNI approval, which means it’s got legit certification.

Here’s the thing - chemical fertilizers are very very easy to grow in. Like you will get banging results with very little effort. They can actually be a good choice for someone just beginning to garden who may be overwhelmed by what all there is to learn, or easily discouraged by growing failures. 

In a perfect world, we’d all have access to awesome locally made organic fertilizers from fantastic little companies. And some people do! But for everyone else, the perfect is the enemy of the good. 

In this situation, since she won’t budge on the brand, maybe you can just get her to buy the organic line.

The ingredients look fine on their organic raised bed mix, it is also OMRI approved, and has very good reviews online.

For everyone else in North America interested in going organic, the quick thing to do when looking at a new product is to scan it for the omri listed logo. You’ll note it in the lower right corner of the two product photos above.

OMRI, or Organic Materials Research Institute is an independent 501c3 nonprofit who verifies that organic products are actually organic. In their words “OMRI’s mission is to support the growth and trust of the global organic community through expert, independent and transparent verification of input materials, and through education and technical assistance.” 

[funnelcloudd]

Not to sound like a fuckin hippie but please for the love of god start noticing and appreciating the natural world around you. You don’t have to go hike the entire Appalachian trail or anything and I get that not everyone has access to the outdoors for various reasons, but just fucking … look around you when you’re outside. Notice the sky and the sun and the birds and creatures. Start caring about them. I’m begging you.

[eskewcity]

AND what about it.

[optopiazine]

ID: A screenshot of a tiktok reading "ecobrutalism fans waiting for a city to be abandoned." A man looks at his watch, and behind him is a background of a harsh-edged concrete building with some terraces that have greenery growing on them. the caption of the TikTok reads "what architectural style should we do next?" end ID.

[solarpunks]

Why doesn’t every big box store have rooftop solar? | Grist

The amount of space available on the rooftops of Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, Costcos, and other large stores and shopping malls in the continental U.S. is staggering. Environment America estimates that it amounts to 7.2 billion square feet, or about the size of El Paso, Texas. Even tiny little Rhode Island has 279 stores that span at least 25,000 square feet each.

From one perspective, these shrines to consumption represent the root cause of our climate catastrophe. But there’s a potential silver lining: These stores can make up for at least some of that damage by opening up their vast rooftops to solar development. At best, blanketing these stores in solar panels could reduce the need to site solar farms in rural areas where they often face opposition from neighbors and can threaten endangered species.

Here’s the Solarpunk bit! 

David Hughes, an environmental anthropologist at Rutgers University, has a more radical idea. When Grist spoke with him last fall, he suggested that when the owners of these large flat rooftops fail to take advantage of their solar potential, they should forfeit their rights to do so to the community or municipality. Hughes bases his argument on a law from the 1800s called the Homestead Act, under which the government offered up plots of land (stolen from Indigenous peoples) to white settlers to cultivate. But if the homesteaders failed to do anything “useful” with it within five years, the rights to the land reverted back to the government. Hughes argues that the Homestead Act could be repurposed for progressive priorities today, ensuring that when a company doesn’t take advantage of the resources at its fingertips, the local community can.

An excellent proposal! The sort of thing local solarpunks could and should be agitating for in their local town halls and meetings!!

[mirkokosmos]

Solarpunk Is Not About Pretty Aesthetics. It's About the End of Capitalism

At its core, and despite its appropriation, Solarpunk imagines a radically different societal and economic structure.

[solarpunkwitchcraft]

It imagines a world where energy, usually from the sun or wind, can be used without harming our environment. Where green roofs and windmills allow humans to live in harmony with nature. On the surface it might seem like a rosy, perhaps even naive perspective for our moment, when climate change-fueled disasters are in the news every other day. But imagining Solarpunk purely as a pleasant aesthetic undermines its inherently radical implications. At its core, and despite its appropriation, Solarpunk imagines an end to the global capitalist system that has resulted in the environmental destruction seen today. “One of the things that I often see that spurs people toward this very doomy place is they can’t imagine people as anything but destroyers,” Adam Flynn, a Solarpunk strategist and futures researcher, told me. “But why can’t you think of humans as stewards of the ecology and of a human society built on a more symbiotic partnership with nature?” Many solarpunks agree that the “punk” element becomes clear when they go past the movement’s visuals and into the nitty gritty. Solarpunk is radical in that it imagines a society where people and the planet are prioritized over the individual and profit. Of course utopian visions of the future aren’t new and art and technology have long drawn from nature: Just take the example of Belgian architect Luc Schuiten, whose drawings and buildings often employ biomimicry, where the form and function of organic elements influence design. The movement gained traction in progressive circles on early 2010s Tumblr, but as its popularity has bloomed over the past 10 years, early Solarpunks fear capitalist co-option. Flynn calls it “fake Solarpunk urbanism,” luxury condos with a green roof that price out existing communities and might end up doing more environmental damage.

[optopiazine]

The elegant art nouveau aesthetic is beautiful, but in reality, not everything will be decorative or perfect-looking—and if it is, be suspicious.

[windturbinepunk]

'Scalability is wind power's strength but also its Achilles heel – we need a fresh take' | Recharge

'Scalability is wind power's strength but also its Achilles heel – we need a fresh take' | Recharge

OPINION | Expanding production footprints have helped renewables drive down prices but now increasing volatility means a more collaborative

[practicalsolarpunk]

Anon asked:

I feel so useless in a solarpunk way because I hate hate hate gardening so much. So much of my childhood was spent gardening, and I hate 90% of what can grow in my area. Maybe it’s the equivalent of having a tantrum, but I just refuse to do it anymore. Then with the craft thing I’m so slow at knitting and not that great at it to begin with… Is there anything I can realistically do that will matter?

Hey, thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you’re having a hard time, which is totally understandable. It’s hard to feel like we’re making a difference in the face of everything going on right now.

Good on you for knitting! I (mod S) also knit! Mainly because it is a great way to fight those feelings if uselessness, because look! I made a scarf for my friend! They’re gonna be so warm this winter! If you’re feeling frustrated because you feel like it isn’t going fast enough, try small projects like hats for preemies - hospitals usually take them, but if your local one doesn’t, there’s organizations that help with distribution.

I know there’s a major focus on gardening in the solarpunk community, but there is so much more that must be done. In my opinion, the single biggest focus of solarpunk is community building. Because yeah, on our own, we are pretty limited in what we can do, but we are capable of so much more when we work together.

Some things to do that are absolutely solarpunk:

Mending and repairing

If you haven’t already, learning how to mend your own clothes is an awesome way to extend their usefulness. @wastelesscrafts is an absolutely fantastic resources for mending, and youtube has many tutorials on just about everything.

Learning how to repair and maintain other stuff you have is also great! Sometimes a piece of furniture just needs a little sanding and a fresh finish to look fantastic. Learning how to take apart, clean, and reassemble small appliances is good too, it can really help extend their lifetime. I promise most of that kind of stuff is easier than it may seem. Again, youtube has so many videos on just about anything you can think of. (If you’re doing anything like that to something that uses electricity - make sure it’s unplugged first!!)

Once you know how to do some of these things, you can also reach out and offer to trade skills or to teach others. Community building!

Volunteering

There is likely an organization or five somewhere near you, that have a cause you agree with. Go find them. Email, call, show up where you know they are, whatever is easiest. Tell them you want to help, tell them what you are able to do, and have at it. Most libraries, at least in my area, accept volunteers, but if that isn’t something you want to do, they may have info on other places you could check out - libraries are often a gathering place for the whole community, and have connections with groups in the area.

Don’t want to get involved in an organization or there isn’t one you’re interested in nearby? Look around. Maybe there’s a stream nearby, or a street, or a little patch of land, where you can pick up trash. Pick an area and adopt it. Visit regularly, get to know it, care for it as best you can.

The Seven R’s - Rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, re-gift, recycle

This a chance to take a step back and examine your life. What do you need and want in your life? Are there different choices you could make that would lead to a more sustainable lifestyle? Rethink what you need. Refuse what you don’t. Reduce what you do need. Reuse what you have as much as possible. Repair what you have. Re-gift what you don’t want. Recycle only what cannot be dealt with another way.

Buying local

Buying locally sourced foods is great, but it applies to other things as well. Finding local craftspeople and supporting them is a great way to get really cool stuff, while also being more environmentally responsible.

Get second hand things

The most responsible option is the thing that is already made. This can mean shopping at thrift stores and yard sales but it can also mean asking around in your community.

I’ve gotten huge amounts of cardboard for my garden by asking my neighbors to save it for me, same with egg cartons to hold eggs from my chickens. A friend of mine had a whole bunch of extra sheets and was asking around to see if anyone wanted any. Again, this helps build community.

Remove graffiti

Alcohol based cleaners (like hand sanitizer) and a little elbow grease will remove sharpie. A metal scraper can do wonders with paint and stickers. Covering it up also works, but that can be a bit riskier, so do what you feel is best. Don’t let them spread their hate.

Celebrate every achievement, no matter how small

It’s hard to feel like we’re doing enough, I get that. The world is literally on fire and not nearly enough people care. But hey, guess what? Something is better than nothing. Every single baby step taken is just that - a step. Did you switch to a reusable water bottle, instead of buying plastic? Good for you! That’s a step! Did you walk or take public transportation rather than drive somewhere? Fantastic! Did you talk to a neighbor and arrange a skills trade? Absolutely amazing!!! You are making changes and those changes are having a real impact, no matter how small. The world is better today because of every single one of those steps. Be proud of what you have accomplished. Look forward to everything you will accomplish.

In the face of a world that feels increasingly hostile - be kind. Everyday we face choices where we can keep doing what we’re doing, or we can stop and help. We can help a neighbor carry groceries. We can help that kid up who fell off their bike. We can help a lost pet get home. We can move a trash can that has been blown into a street by the wind. We can hold doors. Even a smile and a kind word, a compliment, can change someones day. We can slow down, look around, and choose to be kind. And that is radical and punk as hell.

 - Mod S

[guerrillatech]

[optopiazine]

ID: a tweet by @roxiqt reading "'Oh so you think everyone should just be handed enough money to live?' lol. lmao. yeah.

[rednines]

[optopiazine]

ID: snufkin from moomin photoshopped with a gun. Text says 'POV: you called my local ecosystem"undeveloped land'." End ID

[vykodlak]

the bad news is that my mom was sad that her eggplants haven’t been growing; however, it turns out that the reason her eggplants haven’t been growing is because her eggplants were actually spinach. The good news is that her spinach is growing very well. She was also sad that her peppers haven’t been growing either, but it turns out that the peppers were actually eggplant. And I’m happy to report that the eggplant is also growing very well.