Collaborative Climate Action resource list and discussion

[KurtisM]

I've been wanting to make this post for a while, but a mix of dread, anxiety, depression and procrastination dragged me down in getting there.
No matter, I won't put it off any longer. I will post it now.
The recent Russian Invasion of Ukraine made me incredibly pissed and disoriented. My body took it badly. The best I can do is try to create stuff that provides a healthy dose of optimism. I have no desire for whatever dumb authoritarian or apathetic future people think we will have, so I'd rather we change that.
Hence, why not create an awesome resource and discussion board for Climate Action?

Climate Action is a big topic in and of itself, but it is a necessary one, and if we want a brighter future, we all have to participate in climate action. It's inconvenient, but it's a reward in and of itself, not only for us, but for the animals and our Earth.

 

 

I'm not exactly sure how to organize all the stuff I've compiled in an aesthetic and simple way that does not overwhelm, but I have done my best to do so within the constraints of a TLE Forum.
I invite anyone to share articles, videos, films they have found here, and discuss their perspectives and personal choices/changes to make our world a better, brighter place.

 

I have organized everything I've found into 6 Categories for now. They are color coded, though I understand color blind people may not find that useful, I still enjoy the colours breaking everything up into chunks.

The articles and videos I share below don't necessarily mean I 100% agree with them, or that you have to. They are merely for the sake of sharing information and building plans and knowledge.

 

 

 

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VEGANISM

 

From, The Vegan Society: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

 

VEGAN VIDEOS

 

• Veganism could save the planet. Here's why. Youtube video by activist Earthling Ed, presented as an animated infographic.

• The Truth About Plant Milks: Displacement of Indigenous People, Destruction & Deforestation. Youtube video by Earthling Ed.

• Feeding Bill Gates a Fake Burger (to save the world). A 2020 video by Youtube Celebrity Mark Rober (he is not vegan just experimental).

• Here's why we need to rethink veganism. A video by Our Changing Climate.

 

VEGAN ARTICLES

 

• Going Vegan and How it Helps the Environment. An article by Happy Cow.
• Removing the Meat Subsidy: Our Cognitive Dissonance around Animal Agriculture. An article by Colombia Journal.
• The Causal Relationship between Eating Animals and Viral Epidemics. This is a scientific article relevant to our Pandemic.
• "The Most Dangerous Single Source of Ocean Plastic No One Wants to Talk About" by Sea Shepherd. Describes fishing and its contribution to plastic waste.

 

VEGAN FILMS

 

• Cowspiracy facts and sources. (There are A LOT of sources, but many are very important. I recommend everyone watch the film Cowspiracy on Netflix or Youtube.)
• Seaspiracy facts and sources. (Seaspiracy was made by the same producers as Cowspiracy.)
• What is Carnism? with Dr Melanie Joy -  This is an Interview, but it's as long as a film so I'm including it here.

 

From a Reddit Poster.

 

 

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MOVEMENTS

 

 

• The Venus Project. Our good ol' friend the Resource-based Economy.
• Prevent Year ZERO. A Manifesto for creating a Vegan World by 2026.  --- Another page for Vegan World 2026!
• 2022 needs to be about Climate Action. An article by Livekindly.
• Scholars Strategy Network for connecting with Top Researchers in America. They have various articles on Climate Change, Pandemic Response, Environmental Protection etc.

 

SOCIAL & POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

 

• How to contact your Elected Representatives (US Focused). Another one for Canadians.  -  I invite others to share some guides for their own countries!
• Halla Tomasdottir's TedX Speech on using our Voice, Vote and Wallet for change. 
• How To Turn Climate Anxiety Into Action. A Youtube video by Our Changing Climate and Ankur Shah.

 

SOLARPUNK
 

• What is Solarpunk? TV Tropes page.
• How we can make Solarpunk a reality. A Youtube Video by Saint Andrewism and Our Changing Climate.

 

The Fifth Sacred Thing by Jessica Perlstein www.jessicaperlstein.com

 

 

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PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

 

• Designing streets for Everyone. An exploration of Universal Design in City Planning.
• Planned Obsolescence and why it still exists. A Youtube video by Our Changing Climate.

 

HOUSING

 

• Mixed-use Zoning.
• Why Sustainable Housing Matters. A video by Our Changing Climate and Aime Maggie.

 

BUILDINGS

 

• Timber Buildings by Tomorrow's Build.  -  Similar Video: Wooden Skyscrapers: Sustainable? by Cambridge University.
• The new and upcoming Graphene Revolution by Tomorrow's Build.

• The Race to 3D-Print Our World by Tomorrow's Build. Talks about the challenges and promise of 3D printing.

• No Waste 3D Printed Housing.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

• Electric Cars are Not Sustainable and they're Terrible. Video by Alan Fisher.
• Why are US Cities car-based? by Alan Fisher.

 

HEMP

 

• Why This Plant Could Save the World. A Youtube video by Our Changing Climate discussing the wonders of Hemp.

 

 

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VIRTUAL REALITY

 

• CBC article on how we can use Virtual Reality for building Climate Awareness and Action.
• Using Virtual Reality to drive Social Change.  -  A similar article by Andrea Bomo on Linkedin.
• Virtual Reality in Healthcare.

 

 

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FROM MICHAEL

 

 

 

• Closing the Gap to Our Sustainable Future and Common Sense.
• Climate Change Solutions, Vegan lifestyle, Oppression, Revolution. Post by AnnaD.

 

RELEVANT PARALLEL REALITIES

   

 

• Non-merging Parallels (2013) and Sessions on Bundles & Non-Merging Parallels (2021). These links discuss parallels from 1839 where everyone uses AR & VR that we are close to merging into.
• The Great Depression and a World of Abundance. This discusses parallels from 1930 where the Great Depression was averted, that have experienced great overhaul towards global prosperity.
• The Cost of Inequality & Need for Environmental Sustainability. This discusses parallels from 1980 where Reagan wasn't elected and focus turned to Environmental Security, which we are close to merging into.

 

 

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MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

 

• On Mexico City's sucky Geography.
• On Japan's Geography.

• Singapore’s Bold Plan to Build the Farms of the Future by Tomorrow's Build.

• The time America almost stopped Climate Change by Climate Town.
• Industry 4.0 and Sustainability. Talks about the Internet of Things, Smart Homes etc.
• Radical vs Incremental Change. An article by Jenna Schroedel on Citizen lab.

 

 

 

To close this post I'll add a bittersweet song by Nikkialiah about Humanity's addiction to violence and apathy. I really like it.

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by KurtisM
added new images

[KurtisM]

While I was writing this out, I thought about how it might be cool to find articles on how to sustain motivation or build communities/groups that can act on climate together.

I think it would be cool to add resources for that stuff because it is often easy to lose motivation and inspiration, especially without someone or some group sharing in that momentum.

 

I have not found anything on this stuff yet, but if any of you do I'd love if you shared it.

 

I wonder how effective habit tracker apps are in maintaining healthy and dustainable routines? Do they make them more convenient to do?

 

In any case, these are just some thoughts. I hope that this forum post proves helpful in some way, as that is my goal.

 

I'll leave off with this video that Our Changing Climate just recently posted:

 

[Delphi]

Thanks for taking the initiative. I like the idea of using TLE to educate each other. I may be able to obtain more lists of resources, or perhaps @Kenneth would have some on hand as well

[Juni]

This is great, @KurtisM, beautiful work!

[KurtisM]

Today I'd like to share a video I found while salvaging for "Solarpunk Music" on Youtube.
It is in spanish, so even with my French knowledge I can only understand bits and pieces. But I share it because the aesthetics and transitions are downright gorgeous. I can definitely see the meshing and merging of the various aspects of parallel realities from 1839, 1930 and 1980/2000 that Michael says are likely moving towards the "Love Timeline" in this video.
There are other much more practical facets to Solarpunk which we can explore at a later date.
This is to get those creative juices flowing.
 

 

 

I will also share one of the Solarpunk music track lists I found with you. I love this stuff.

 

 

[Lawrence]

What an amazing effort, @KurtisM. Thank you!

[Jeroen]

@KurtisM Thanks for compiling and sharing all the resources for a more sustainable future!

 

Below is a link on vertical gardens using technologies such as aeroponics or hydroponics. Vertical gardening opens up a new world of sustainable food resources by replacing existing unsustainable and harmful outdoor and factory farms. These farms could be setup in any community reducing the need for importing of foods from other locations and can operate 365 days a year. If there are climate disasters in some parts of the world, communities can still sustain if these gardens are available locally. Energy and water consumption is significantly reduced. At the moment, the technology is already available to implement across the Earth. Eventually, vertical farms will be used for off-planet colonies on Mars, Titan, and beyond.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4SaSfnHK3I

https://www.freethink.com/series/hard-reset/vertical-farming

 

[kees berg]

Hi everyone, cool thread! I am currently writing a thesis for my premaster anthropology and development studies about ecovillages. In The Netherlands we have a few; Boekel and Olst (earthships). Probabaly gonna do fieldwork in one or both places. Long story short, I thought it would be nice to share how they solve the heating challenge in the ecovillage I was in yesterday for a visit; see image.

 

It is actually a very simple system in which electricity based on ecosystem 'services' like wind and solar is rooted into a massive thermal mass base of old steel and rest materials and basalt or cheap, local volcanic rock. As you see in the picture the energy central is massive and the dimensions are made extra big to be safe during cold years. The electricity heats the pipes, which heats the rocks up too 450 degrees, which makes basalt perfect to use for. Then this thermal mass of heat gets distributed into their ecohouses which are built in circles actually, I could share maybe more on that later if interested. 

 

This solves the problem of storing electricity by converting it into heat and solving the heating challenge in sustainable architecture. However, this is not suited for only one household. It needs at least 10 households to make a thermal mass like that efficient enough to be durable. So that makes of an interesting viewpoint I thought here. What is the future of villages and cities if solutions like these require people and households to share a collective resource among 10 other members? Is this one of the solutions that ties in with Michael's channelling about 'harnessing other ways of producing and consuming energy' (top of my head) more locally, but also how this infrastructure works as a response on mitigating anthropocentric climate change. it would require a pretty radical change in infrastructure around energy, food and water, and, therefore, also community. I could share their solutions around that as well maybe if interested. 

 

I am very sceptical still about the scalability and accessibility about such grassroots initiatives. However, in this place Boekel, there is much support from the local government and even the EU came for a visit and it is now like an experimental garden for the 'village of the future'. 

 

plus the basalt thermal mass system is really simple

 

Just spitting out some thoughts and what I am currently researching! 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2022 by kees berg

[KurtisM]

I'll have to respond to everyone's stuff in a bit. Been very busy. Constantly dealing with appointments, homework and trying to catch up with overdue things.
I would like to share two things I found.

First off, take a look at this Senakw Building Project in Vancouver by the Squamish First Nations.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/senakw-squamish-first-nation-vancouver-rental-housing-development

 

This isn't climate-related per se, but this is a housing project for helping First Nations peoples that have been homeless, on housing waiting lists or otherwise dealing with financial difficulties. The intention is twofold: show Canadians that First Nations living is not archaic and that they belong in the developed world, and use the funds to help Indigenous autonomy, safety, shelter, education, healthcare etc.
I thought this was a deeply inspiring project. It was recently approved for construction, and I cannot wait to see more inclusive and green infrastructure all around the world. These buildings are beautiful. Ultimately, there are many issues we have to address today for better urban life, but this is a short-term plan that I can see inspiring something grander in this decade.

 

 

The second thing I wish to share is a very informative Youtube channel called Plant Chompers.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PlantChompers

This is a channel run by an old vegan man known as Chris MacAskill. He is an incredibly thorough investigator, always responds kindly to criticism, backs up everything he says with expert science and fact checking, and produces incredibly insightful and entertaining videos with beautiful camera work.
He often goes to interview people in positions that are creating a big impact on the shift to Plant-based Diet, alongside his wife, children and grandkids. He's refreshingly easy going but also takes no bullshit, from what I have found. All around a great watch.

Here's an example of one of his videos:
 

 

[KurtisM]

Gonna bump this topic, cause it's time to and I've been wanting to post this for a bit.
About one-two months ago, I made this set of zines and poster for class as part of a project for climate action. These were shown at an event in the end of April to people from around the community I live in, though the teacher refined and updated them. I wasn't at the event as I couldn't attend, but it does make me glad that people saw and interacted with these.
I have no clue if I helped anyone with them, but I like to think that I did.

 

I was tasked with creating Zines and a Poster to clarify and convey some action on Climate Change, and naturally, mine was always going to be on Plant-based Diets. Always.

The project involved much more to hand in, but this is what I will show you all.

 

 

KurtisM_ENV410_Zine.pdf

KurtisM_ENV410_Poster.pdf

GDD Interpret 3 Kurtis Final.pdf

 

My Zine:

My Poster:

Edited Poster from Teacher:

 

The teacher also refined the Zine, but not nearly as much as the Poster. I got the Poster proportions messed up, so that's probably why.
Regardless I am proud of this work, and there's not too many things I have been proud about myself making/doing in school these last few Covid-infested years, so it's a nice change.

I have all the links/references I used for the above designs in APA Format on standby, if any of you want me to post them.
 

Edited June 3, 2022 by KurtisM

[KurtisM]

Also, besides my own work...

This video just came out and boy is it relevant to the ridiculous work work work world we live in that drains us and our planet.

Time for change. As always.

 

 

[Kasia]

20 hours ago, KurtisM said:

I was tasked with creating Zines and a Poster to clarify and convey some action on Climate Change, and naturally, mine was always going to be on Plant-based Diets. Always.

 

These are great @KurtisM, I'd totally pick one up if I saw it in a store. Well done!

[KurtisM]

Wow, really?

That is one of the kindest compliments Ive ever received. Thank you @Kasia

[AnnH]

I would, too. This is a really good campaign.

[KurtisM]

7 hours ago, AnnH said:

I would, too. This is a really good campaign.

If you want to, any of you can print them out
I see a few errors on there now that I look deeper. There were a few edits I made to the zine and poster, so it looks like I shared one before those few edits. But other than that, they're good.
And I really like them.
I'm glad you all do too.