Solarpunk Collective

"Our aim should not be to secure a somewhat thicker slice of bread today, even if this would make us happy; we must not forget what our real aim is. Our main duty is to consider the needs of others. If we become alive to this duty, there will be no unjustly treated people in our midst, and we, in turn, shall not be treated unjustly. Our day-to-day motto should be: "Your problems are also my problems." We must extend our friendship and strengthen our solidarity." Anna Walentynowicz A few months ago, I started working on an idea for a Solarpunk Role Playing Game. At the time, I felt it was possible to leave the setting completely open, so that GMs could design their own worlds. It can be hard work though to create a compelling universe for people to visit, and having some backstory, shared elements and persistent elements which wouldn't change from game to game would be something that would appeal to hosts and players alike. Since then, I've ...

With the popularity of Marvel/Disney's Avengers and the story line concerning Thanos, it's probably inevitable that people would start talking about overpopulation. And some of those conversations are going to bring out people who support eco-fascist ideas like forced population control. It think it's essential to reject these ideas as strongly as possible. Bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights are very important topics that everyone should make an effort to educate themselves about. We only have to take a look at the history books to see why concepts like forced sterilization or selective breeding must be consigned to the dustbin of history. Whether a woman chooses to have a baby or not must be her choice to make. Eugenics. We all know about the National Socialists of 1940s Germany and their attempts to engineer a "master race", but it was not only jack-booted Far right movements who were involved in attempts to control human reproductio...

Two years ago South Koreans took to the streets to force an unpopular and corrupt government from power. Could the same happen elsewhere? Is there anything that the people of other countries can learn from the success of the so-called “candlelight-revolution” of South Korea? When I first came to Korea 10 years ago, I noticed right away how common protests are here. The country has a long history of protests. I won’t go in to detail, but you can Google the Gwangju uprising for just one example of when people were literally prepared to put their lives on the line for what they believed in. More recently there have been protests about agricultural policy, the American Free Trade Agreement and university tuition fees. Just today I drove past a group of middle aged women protesting outside the local police station. I was too busy driving to read their signs, but they seemed to be having a great time; sitting cross-legged on the floor, gossiping and sharing food. In a country wh...