[homunculus-argument]

in Finland, it is illegal to kill a bear when it’s hibernating. If you ask a hunter why that is, a number of them will tell you it’s wrong simply because it is the law, and they don’t make a distinction between what is right, and what is legal. Most people like that are perfectly normal, decent and respectable people, just like the rest of us.

 But if you ask people who think about things, the answer is vague. Killing a hibernating bear would just feel… impolite? You can’t fucking shoot a man when he’s sleeping, that’s just fucking rude. It’s just not the right thing to do.

 Long before hunting laws were established in Finland, you couldn’t kill a sleeping bear, and what commands you is something older than law: tradition. Even at a time when hunting was a matter of life and death, and a bear fighting for its life is mainly a matter of death, you just didn’t kill a hibernating bear, you have to wake it up first. Hunters risked their lives, the lives of their brothers and everyone in the hunting party, who were friends, family and men that they loved, to give the bear a fighting chance.

 In the modern time, the hunting season of bears is in the summer, for the warmest summer months. There are many reasons for why they are allowed to tread safely in autumn and to sleep in peace through the cold months, almost all of which are rational and scientific, and do not touch the old traditions.

 Old faith says a living thing has many souls - henki, luonto, itse. Plants only have one - the one that wills them to grow. Animals have two, both the spark of life and nature that enables them to act. A human being also has the third, one that makes them a person, personality, itse, literally “self”. But the soul that travels in your dreams is not the soul that defines a human - animals have that one as well. When your dog runs in her sleep, her soul is elsewhere, where a dog is needed.

 One’s waking soul is elsewhere when they sleep and dream. A bear’s soul is somewhere else when they are hibernating - there are two words for “hibernation” in finnish, one of which is talviuni, “winter sleep”, and that is the one that bears have - and if you kill a sleeping bear, their soul is not in the body, it is still out there, and it can find you, and as a revenge for killing its body, Ghost Bear will kill your entire fucking family.

[queererrant]

Inevitable Planetary Doom Has Been Exaggerated

Ultimately, 2031 could be pretty good.

“But environmentalists are so good at emphasizing worst-case scenarios that when we look to the future, apocalypse often feels inevitable. After all, aren’t we in the “sixth mass extinction”? Haven’t populations of wild animals already crashed by 60 percent? Don’t we have just “10 years left” to avert climate meltdown? Do we really dare to hope?

Yes, we do dare to hope. Looking at these problems from a distance, they seem like impenetrable, mountainous barriers to a good future, but in every case, there is a path through.”

[falseknees]

🌲💬

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

Windcatchers are fascinating.

Also called wind towers and wind scoops, windcatchers have been used in North Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years to provide natural ventilation & passive cooling. They fell out of popularity after the introduction of HVAC systems, but are now experiencing a revival because they’re so practical and cost-effective. Here’s how they work:

Not only are they an engineering masterpiece–they’re gorgeous

Windcatchers rely on local weather instead of the electric grid, making them affordable, reliable, and eco-friendly. they’re a terrific example of how vernacular and traditional architecture is often more suited to its environment–and more livable–than modern polite architecture. 

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

Windcatcher Facts™

The wooden rods protruding from the sides serve a variety of purposes. They stabilize and strengthen the structure, serve as scaffolding [1], and can be used to mount cloth and re-direct airflow [2].

Windcatchers vary greatly in design, and are tailored to individual building sites. The location’s airflow direction will determine the windcatcher’s shape, and the number and direction of its openings. (Windcatchers can be uni-directional, bi-directional, or multi-directional [3].)

The way the air flows through a wind tower is determined both by local conditions and by its cross-section design. Internal walls divide the tower in order to influence the way air passes through the building (see diagram) 

Windcatchers can be much smaller than the examples shown above! More modest structures like the one below can provide affordable ventilation to smaller buildings. 

Windcatchers can also be used to provide subterranean cooling, by ventilating underground structures, or evaporative cooling when used in conjunction with qanats (underground water chanels) or indoor bodies of water.

Due to the high cost and heavy CO2 emissions of electric air conditioning, windcatchers are receiving renewed interest. Specifically, architects are researching ways that windcatcher technology can be improved and adapted to modern times [4]. Long-standing issues with traditional wind towers include performance problems such as air short circuiting, and practical issues such as the ingress of dust, insects and small animals. New concept designs are emerging all the time, and some have already been built, and are being used in cities and universities throughout the Middle East.

In conclusion, be excited about windcatchers!

ko-fi / paypal

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

#i spent 2 hours researching/writing this bc adhd so if anyone wants to shoot me 4 bucks that would be amazing honestly

[rjzimmerman]

Nearly $640 billion coal investments undercut by cheap renewables: research

Excerpt from this story from Reuters:

Nearly $640 billion of investment in coal power capacity worldwide is at risk because it is cheaper to generate electricity from new renewables, research by think tank Carbon Tracker Initiative showed on Thursday.

Institutional investors are increasingly withdrawing from fossil fuel companies due to the risk their assets will become stranded as tougher emissions-cuts targets discourage their use and renewable energy becomes even cheaper.

The report examined the economics of 95% of coal plants which are operating, under construction or planned worldwide.

Globally, 499 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity is planned or under construction with an investment cost of $638 billion.

More than 60% of global coal plants are currently generating electricity at a higher cost than could be produced by building new renewables.

By 2030 at the latest, it will be cheaper to build new wind or solar capacity than continue operating coal in all markets, the report said.

The capital recovery period for new investments in coal capacity is usually 15 to 20 years, making these investments risky.

[hope-for-the-planet]

“More than 60% of global coal plants are currently generating electricity at a higher cost than could be produced by building new renewables. By 2030 at the latest, it will be cheaper to build new wind or solar capacity than continue operating coal in all markets.”

[birdandmoon]

Strategies.

Original on my site | My mailing list

[queererrant]

TP for treehuggers

The pandemic and TP supplies have made me think about toilet paper recently. Unfortunately, most toilet paper is pretty unsustainable. Companies clear-cut forests, and even brands that promise to re-plant trees are replanting a monoculture that’s no replacement for the old-growth forests they’ve removed. Even certification from agencies like the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forests Initiative, and Canadian Standards association is more greenwashing than real accountability. Worst of all, most US toilet paper comes from old-growth boreal forests in Canada, which are an important carbon sink.

Getting a bidet attachment definitely reduced my TP usage (as did anxious rationing at the height of the shortage!), but my bum still needs to be dried! Tushy advertises bamboo towels for just this purpose, and something like this would probably be the most sustainable choice, but I’m not quite ready to drop the money yet.

Another good choice is the company Who Gives a Crap, which makes recycled and bamboo toilet paper--and they’re the top-rated US toilet paper brand for sustainability! And look how cute the rolls are! I’m going to give them a try, and I’m hoping this is one more way I can be just a little more sustainable.

[mithli-archive]

american leftists seem extremely focused on anti imperialism (good) but rarely- if at all- discuss decolonization in their own fucking country, despite acknowledging that it is a settler colonial state.

[mithli-archive]

im serious about this though. as an urban indian, i definitely cant speak on this as much as a rez indian could. but i know from talking to rez friends i have and from what the american indian movement has screamed for over the years that we need land we can grow on, we need clean water, we need to allow the wildlife that once lived in this land to live here again (meaning you need to listen to us before building those high speed rails you all get so hard over).

you cant drool over the zapatistas while ignoring people in your own country who have a similar goal

[mithli-archive]

silly me I never provided things to read on the topic of decolonization! I'd personally suggest the following as "beginner level" essential reading to understand decolonization:

Discourse on Colonialism (Aimé Césaire) - this is more a focus on colonization, but I feel it's a necessary read in my opinion as in order to understand decolonization I believe it's important to first understand colonization.

Wretched of the Earth (Franz Fanon)

Decolonization is Not a Metaphor (Tuck, Yang)

also an "easy to process" read, to understand landback specifically here in Turtle Island, I'd suggest reading The Red Deal (there is a pdf, I don't mean the article with the same title)

[marxism-transgenderism]

Discourse on Colonialism (PDF, ebook, mobi)

The Wretched of the Earth (PDF, ebook)

Decolonization is Not a Metaphor (PDF)

The Red Deal (PDFs of Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

[springtoothharrow]

successfully darned a hole in one if my work sweaters but it was kinda ugly (it was my first time darning anything) so i felted on some lil sheep in a tiny pasture ✨🐑

[sosuperawesome]

Hand Painted Glassware

Steklo Craft on Etsy

[solarpunk-aesthetic]

Oh! About trees, my government has recently announced an initiative to expand our (deciduous) rainforests to go from border to coast after a successful programme for planting 2 trees for every child born. They're hoping to fully integrate the ancient woodland too. (I also don't think the plans include the Highland areas where the soil is too thin and the low lying vegetation is currently doing the most carbon absorption)

Oh, I like the sound of this. The boreal forests in the northern hemisphere have a huge impact in regulating the Earth’s overall CO2 levels!

It’s sad to think that most of Europe used to be old growth forest which has gradually been chipped away by humanity over the past several centuries. I like the idea of restoring it, in whatever way possible. Only a few pockets of that primeval forest still remain, like Białowieża Forest in Eastern Poland and West Belarus, and Perućica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’d like to visit one of them someday, if I can.

[theatsymbol-deactivated20210220]

Its such a rip off that flowers don’t taste good

[recoil-operated-deactivated2021]

Spoken like a woman who’s never used garlic blossom in a stirfry, had an elderflower fritter or used Calendula and Nasturtium in a salad.

[theatsymbol-deactivated20210220]

I have not but im going to now

Add pics of the tasty flowers plz

[recoil-operated-deactivated2021]

garlic blossoms (allium) balls of tiny flowers, may be white to deep purple. literally just the flowering head of the garlic you use in food. it tastes like garlic. but colorful.

elderflower, the blossom of the elderberry bush. can be battered and fried. excellent with elderberry syrup or honey. tastes fruity with a tiny hint of anise. also good in teas and sweets.

Calendula, also known as pot marigold. (please, verify you’re using pot marigold, not regular marigold. calendula is actually a daisy.) tastes similarish to bell pepper, sans crunch. leaves are also edible. should be grown with broadleaf plantain:

as a poultices of calendula and plantain can be used to rapidly heal small cuts and scrapes, and are also helpful for other dermatitis. don’t use it on deep wounds though, as it can and will cause the surface skin to heal before the underlying tissues. all of broadleaf plantain is also edible. if bitter.

Nasturtium ranges in color from bright yellow to deep red. it’s peppery and very slightly spicy.

[glumshoe]

Personally I love squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and fried in a pan. Not ideal if you also want to harvest squash, though.

[3gallopingdogs]

Elderflowers also make great wine or cordial! I concur with the squash blossoms, can always just use the male ones so the female flowers can still form fruit.

[blackwoolncrown]

Finally a thread for the REAL folks: those who eat flowers

[therestlesswitch]

Borage! Looks like blue stars and tastes a like lightly sweet cucumber. The young leaves tase like cucumber too!

The flowers that come from any brassica (cabbage, radishes, broccoli, kale, etc) are all excellent and taste like the rest of the plant.

Queen Anne’s lace blossoms, (daucus carota, just like our domestic carrots) super common wild plant, and the flowers make a jelly that tastes kind of like pink lemonade?? It’s /delicious./ but make 100% sure you have a correct identification as water hemlock and other toxic species look similar.

Rose!!! Rose flavoured things taste exactly as they smell. So scrumptious!

Same with lavender and lilac, and violets! The list goes on! 🤩✨🌱

[heatherwitch]

Here are some of my local (PNW) favorites:

[X] Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) blossoms are excellent in fritters.

[X] Dandelion (Taraxacum offinale) is also excellent in fritters, or my favorite is separating the petals and mixing them into pancake batter.

[X] Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia sibirica) flowers have a delicate, lettuce-like taste.

[X] Oregon grape (Berberis/Mahonia aquafolium) flowers are delightfully sour. I like to pick off a few small flowers from the cluster!

[X] Wood sorrel (Oxalis sp.) also sour (from oxalic acid).

[X] Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is mildly sweet.

When eating wild plants, you should be completely certain in your identification and aware of any lookalikes. Be sure you are allowed to harvest and that the area has not been sprayed by any chemicals. Many of these plants are also medicine, so you should be sure that you can safely ingest them (do your research before putting things in your face pls). This was just intended to get them on your radar!

Resources for plant identification.

[flower-in-the-ashes]

Also please make sure that none of the plants you want to harvest have poisonous lookalikes that you need to be aware of! If they do, educate yourself on the differences. It could save your life, or at the very least help you avoid some unnecessary suffering

[angelswithdreams]

i honestly believe human beings are not meant to live like this. we are meant to live in loving communities and be around nature every day and grow our own food and create art and not work day and night until we die. this longing for another life is not human nature, it’s a symptom of modern society.

[t-stride]

we are meant to share burdens, collaborate, create. art is part of the human experience, but it’s also part of the human species. the fact that we are not all living comfortably in communities of support and love and creation and song is the greatest sin of mankind. you’re telling me that the pursuit of wealth, an invented idea born of artificial scarcity enforced by the artificial idea of class, is the ultimate expression of humanity? how unimaginative. don’t you dream? I invite you to dream with me.

[vero-in-technicolor]

Part of Nature by Stuart McMillen

[solarpunk-aesthetic]

what do you know about grow lights or growing plants ( fruit and veg ) indoors?

So when you say grow lights, I’m guessing you mean those purple coloured ones which they use in specialist greenhouses? I’m not sure exactly you’re asking for, so here’s a miscellaneous infodump.

Botanists use these. They contain two types of LED light, emitting in the red and the blue part of the spectrum, which is why they make everything look magenta. The reason for this is that chlorophyll only absorbs light at those parts of the spectrum, so if the only purpose of the lights is to grow plants, then using only those wavelengths of light saves energy.

This is the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll a and b (the two most common varieties in plants). See that stretch in the middle where there’s no light being absorbed? That’s why plants are green. The peaks show the colours which chlorophyll absorbs. Red and blue.

Specialist grow lights are a bit expensive though. If you have a dedicated growing area, like an indoor farm setup, they may be a good option. But if you’re like me and you live in a tiny apartment, you might not want your entire life to be constantly purple.

Another option is to use household LED lights, because they work surprisingly well. Here’s a spectrum.

The green shows where chlorophyll b absorbs, and the blue and red lines show cool white LEDs and warm white LEDs. That big spike in emission on the left lines up pretty well with chlorophyll’s absorption. 800-1000 lumen bulbs work well.

tl;dr plants like household LED lights, and they’re also low energy.

Cool white is probably best, but I use warm white in my apartment, because aesthetics. The baobab and the lemon tree in this photo have never grown under natural light. A note though, it’s difficult to grow fruit this way. My apartment tomatoes didn’t taste as sweet as the ones grown in sunlight.

(The humidifier isn’t really necessary. I just use it to make my apartment smell nice.)

[biophonies]

ah, i’m so bad at posting here. acknowledging this Day of Mourning from the lands of Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Potawatomi, Myaamia & Ochethi Sakowin people, aka Chicago, derived from a native word for garlic (mmm…) which is really suitable for me because I live here now 🌱🧄✨

whose.land are you on? talk about it over dinner this weekend with your fam & what it means to give the #landback. considering everything, listening & learning from indigenous people is the least you can do.

[tag-devilish]

Shoutout to the breakers of generational curses