#i means my phone is at 10% posting this but it aint dead yet so slay

[spiltymilky]

Phone almost died at work because I was distracted by lady D resident evil comics woe upon me

[fortnegrita]

28 times black people were effortlessly environmentalists

i got inspired by all the posts wishing me a happy black history month, that i had to jump in and big up the numerous ways that black folks stunt in the world of sustainability. and no, this isn’t a list filled with facts about 28 eco-leaders in the black community, that’s a whole other post that needs to be published.

this is 28 things commonly known in the black community that we take for granted, but are very much so actions of environmentalism. and it’s more than 28 ways, i could go on for millions of years, like my ancestors, but we’re sticking to 28 because, well, you know why. 

1. black people reuse old containers. whether is that tin can that had shortbread cookies in it one christmas, or butter tubs, or that crisco can full of grease. instead of purchasing tupperware made from virgin materials, we cut back on manufacturing and go the ‘feed two birds with one hand’ route. if i buy this butter tub, i will have butter now, and a food container later. genius!

2. emancipated ourselves through slave revolts and the underground railroad. yup, our most warrior moves in our modern history, was also an anti capitalist move. this is huge! capitalism, and the consumerism by product, is the biggest contributors to climate change; it exploits natural resources like metals found in your phone and coal used to light factories. our demand for things whether it’s cotton to make a pair of trousers in the 1700s or a new cellphone in 2018;  it’s all increasing unused carbon in the air.by resisting, we slowed down demand. also, since agriculture is a leading contributor to climate change because of pesticides by abandoning the agriculture fields, where sugar and cotton both strip the soil of it’s nutrients, we gave the land a major rest.

3. our mommas told us to ‘turn off the damn lights.’ yes, she was trying to save her coins, and why not?! the energy system is monopolized anyways, why spend money with a company you are forced to be in a relationship with. two, cutting down on electricity is cutting doing on fossil fuels (coal or gas) extracted from the earth. this is important because carbon is energy, and energy is never gained or loss, it simply goes some where else. so keeping your momma’s kitchen light on when you not in there, means more coal with be extracted from earth, burnt to put energy into a grid and then sent to your momma’s house via a power line. once the energy it burnt it is exhausted into the air. so instead of that energy being in in the ground it’s now in the atmosphere, making the air warmer, making places that aren’t typically hot like the Arctic, melting archaic ice, rising sea levels, and in the future possibly pushing you and your momma out of your house because of horrible flood damage, and now your property is considered a floodplain.

4. multiple families living in a single home. my family like many black families and even families of color have lived with multiple people outside of their nuclear family in the house. most of my childhood, some extended family lived in my parents’ house. my aunt and her kids, my uncle, godmother, granddad. how is a crowded house an environmental plus? homes take up lots of energy, imagine all those people forgetting to turn off your mommas lights. :-D trying to keep homes warm or cold require an insurmountable amount of energy, the more people in one house means less energy usage, also more body heat. and don’t front like your favorite memories weren’t created in a house full of people.

5. our elders tell us ‘no ins and outs.’ again, an issue of energy usage, when children run in and out of the house they ar eletting air (or heat) out of the house making our controlled climate sysmtem to work harder to keep our home at a certain temperature.

6. when yall packed snacks for outings. moms probably made an amazing tuna salad for the beach. you may have missed out on boardwalk fries and pizza slices, but look at the upside, oyu avoided so much packaging all those years.

7. when the matrons kept a few good plants. whether it’s hanging from a macrame-styled planter or in her garden, greenery is always good for the air. also photosynthesis is a sink in the carbon cycle, meaning is absorbs carbon helping to decrease carbon in the atmosphere.

8. when families sit on the porch. a seemingly idle activity, but it is a huge element of community activism. how else are neighbors suppose to talk about their kids asthma, the rotting smells of landfills, or getting more fresh foods into their neighborhood? on the porch is where conversations are sparked that could lead to policy change, closing landfills, or even, the drafting of something as powerful as the ‘principles of environmental justice”. also, healthy communities = healthy planet.

9. when that plastic grocery bag has 237 lives. conditioner cap, fried chicken batter bag, lunch box, bathroom trashcan liner. it’s in our DNA to be resourceful, why buy cheap single use showers caps when you can use a plastic bag before you turn it into a trash bag?

10. seeing the potential in a 98% empty toothpaste tube. there’s no such things as waste, and there’s still toothpaste in that tube. my trick? pinch the head of your tooth brush directly into the tube cap.

11. our enslaved ancestors made a meal out of pig intestines. being from a 5% household, i’ve never been into pork, but i find beauty in my ancestors’ ingenuity to turn literal shit into sugar. this is zero waste at best. globally family of the diaspora have used every part of their preferred animal. the ancient tribes of the americas who use every part of the buffalo, my carribean yardies who can cook a mean goat and save the leftover for mannish water. zero waste takes a lot of creativity, to avoid the trash can, the most convenient, yet unfortunate option.  

12. when you sick, take a nap. medical care, one of the largest expenditures for the american budget. lot’s of infrastructure, products and people banking on your sickness so they can ‘cure’ you. chances are high that you can sleep off whatever is wrong with you, before you need to go to see a physician.

13. the montgomery bus boycotts. for 381 days, black commuters in montgomery, opted-out of the bus system. Considering the amount of fuel it takes to get a city to work for 381 days, black commuters help to cut fossil fuel usage and decrease particulates and carbon released into the air from the bus’ tail pipes.

14. when we take public transit. yes, contrary to #13, but public transit i still an alternative transportation option to cars. the us has the third largest vehicle per capita at 795 people out of every 1,000 people. cars reliance contributes to climate change with exhaust of particulates making the atmosphere warmer, water runoff (subsequent flooding) from asphalt (impervious) roads, maintenance and upgrades, all demanding more manufacturing, more carbon usage.  

15.  since we still don’t have complete road infrastructure in our countries. this is tricky, because people praise roads for their ability to offer accessibility to jobs, but it also means an increase of development, gentrification, removal of indigenous folks from land they’ve stewarded for centuries, more trash flying in to sacred places, etc…. the best way i can say this is there’s no jobs on a dead planet.

16. crafted the principles of environmental justice. in 1991 we, with our brown and yellow brothers, crafted the principles of environmental justice, during the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, shout out to Ms. Dana Alston. the list of principles is the coldest thing i’ve ever seen written on behalf of the planet. my favorite principles?  

#4 Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

#9 Environmental Justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.

#8 Environmental Justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environmental hazards.

17. black americans stayed in the south. post reconstruction era, for those of us that took the road less traveled. we stayed in the south and maintained a connection to the land. we stewarded the land, keeping rural farms in black ownership for over 100 years while also expanded their resourcefulness (see #21 remedies) as black southerners were intentionally isolated from resources (racism). shout out to fannie lou hamer.

18. moved up north. contrary to staying in the south, folks moved up north during the great migration for ‘opportunities.’ sure, there was a lot of industrial jobs, but what’s bigger than that is the minimized lifestyle. thanks to red lining, black people were racially discriminated against and only able to live in ghettos, confined to centralized areas in the uban core, making walking to work or public transit more accessible (see #14), living quarters were smaller so know need to heat an empty house ( see #4), condensed purchasing because a lack of homes square footage and funds (see #)

19. hand me downs. yall got a shirt that made it through a whole line of cousins? yea, me too. we are in a time where american hands me downs are stifling clothing markets in african countries, so getting your big cousins bedazzled jeans aint so bad. and my soap box, never buy brand new baby clothes, like fah what!?!!

20. you got mcdonald’s money. easily one of the corporations that hate black people and the planet the most. and even though that corporation hates both black people and the earth, it exploits both. micky d’s takes our money, bombards our neighborhoods, feeds us crap and makes us look like clowns in marketing campaigns. all while contributing to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes cases, so no, we ain’t got no mcdonald’s money.

21. home remedies and traditional african medicine. before capitalism saw an enterprise in the health of people, our ancestors were developing cures and ailments with plants found in nature;; tonics, elixirs, poultices, YOU NAME IT!  some modern day remedies include; red clay and vinegar for bee stings, chickweed tea if you’re sick, mint for digestion, rubbing your skin with eucalyptus to keep mosquitoes away. onions on the bottom of your feverous feet and #12 above. a few of my favorites.

22. marooning. from north african moors to the somalian gypsies on caravans through the dessert, to the isrealites in exile from egypt to nanny in the jamaican mountains to the escaped slaves on the coasts of ecuador and columbia to the geechee folks on the gullah islands to MOVE in Philly; we are the the original off-the-griders. going into maroon communities (like many communities built after revolts and ‘making it’ north) we relied heavily on the earth for livelyhood including food and shelter, it reconnected us with the land in a very intentional way. we ain’t new to this we true to this. we’ve always been nomads, when a place doesn’t provide us with our most basic needs, we dip. this is eco-friendly for several reasons. 1. we understand the importance of living of the land, and because of that we are better stewards of the earth. 2. in maroon cases we didn’t have the infrastructure like running water, so we may have depended on natural catchment systems, 3. we likely composted food and human waste to create our own safe and sanitary waste systems.

23. black farmers. as much as we predominately run from the idea of farming, there are many black families that continue our legacy of farming. our legacy of farming didn’t start in the slave trade. matter of fact, some of us were kidnapped to american because we could grow a particular crop, like rice (which the us affectionately calls ‘carolina gold’). farmers are the most concerned citizens about the state of the planet. climate change and the human impact on agriculture could mean a food scarcity and lost of jobs. there is a growing number of young farmers filling in the intergenerational gaps between them and the elder farmers, so that we don’t loose these skills. we are grateful.

24. being financially poor. there is a positive feedback between the increase in climate change and the increase in global affluence. and that is because as more people have more disposable income, they buy more dispensable things. for instance, shoes in every color instead of one pair of functional shoes for work. with countries like India and Chile’s growing middle class, we are over-consuming for what the planet can handle. not that it’s glamorous but being poor means that you are contributing less to climate change. in fact, the countries most vulnerable to climate change make up 70% of the world’s population, but only 3.2% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

25. historically being sea explorers, alchemist, astrologists, engineers, masons. our skill sets run deep, and many ofthem are reliant on the earth. mansa musa, the world’s richest man, used a certain sea current to carry him and his 2,000 boats to the americas. also, you remember how we built those massive three triangular monuments, that were built without any construction equipment. that are aligned with the stars and the summer solstice, when the sun reaches it’s highest point in the sky.

26. literally the entire being. essence. and inspiration. that is george washington carver. carver the great, developed techniques to prevent soil depletion caused by cotton farming. one of his most notable techniques was crop rotation a practice used by many farmers (see #23) today. he also created 200 products from the peanut plant and another 100 from the sweet potato. he wrote literature on how to start self-sufficient gardens, uses for wild plants and how to compost. he is the GOAT!

27. reusing grease for frying. every black family got a old pot of grease. if not, check your pockets for your black card. the notorious pot of grease is symbolic to so many things; 1. your family understands that nothing should be single-use, you need a handful of uses out of everything, even cooking grease. 2. your mother knows how to save a good coin. 3. there’s been several crispy dinners cooked at your house. 4. the next fried meal gonna be fiy, because the flavors from the last four fryings have marinated at the bottom of the pan.

28. midwifery. a practice we never lost through time. even, when hospital services became available to black families, some women have always preferred a midwife to deliver their babies. in this way, black midwives are helping to usher more life onto the planet; creation being the number one late of nature. their practices tend to be holistic, and  that cutbacks on epidurals and disposable hospital garbs.

that’s all folks! black people are certified everywhere, you ain’t gotta check our resumes

[paradox-oflife]

massive q and a post part 5 ignore this pls

(unless ur interested) 

1. Do you have a favourite mug? Not really. I had one that was literally so cute it was like a neko atsume art style and it was a cat going uwu

2. Do you know any self defense or martial arts? Yes, actually. My mom was pretty supportive for it because the women’s side on our family is all under 5′2″. I did Aikido and Muay Thai throughout from the beginning of high school to the end. I don’t have as much time in college anymore though, but I’m looking forwards to starting it again. I’ve had to use it one time in my life. Hey Angelica, if you’re reading this you should ask me about it. That’s a story for later though.

3. Who's your favourite movie action hero? uuuuuh Thor? idk

4. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle? Haha in Taiwan that’s the main form of transportation. It’s an electric scooter.

5. Do you collect anything? I wear retainers when I sleep so I have an ongoing collection of retainer cases. 

6. Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion? i was never really one for fashion haha

7. Do you stick to conventional fashions or like to try and be original? bro i literally wear like a sweater, tshirt, and black jeans.

8. Have you ever given someone a handmade present?  I did a woodburning painting of kermit the frog for my friend’s bday

9. Are you introvert or extrovert? I used to be an extrovert, then I turned into an ambivert. High school made me more introverted. So on the spectrum, I’m in the middle but more towards introvert now.

10. If you could have any feature from an animal what would you want? Hmmm. I’m not sure actually. Wings? But that’s kind of inconvenient when I want to sleep.

11. Whats your prefered swimming stroke? Freestyle all the way

12. Have you ever been scuba diving? No

13. Have you ever had a disasterous interview? So far, no, but an interviewer once said I seemed very nervous lol.

14. What makes you nervous? A lot of things really. Too many.

15. Which of the 5 senses would you say is your strongest? Not eyesight because I’m slightly colorblind. Not hearing because I was born with tinnitus. Maybe smell? Or touch? But how do you compare that to taste? Idk

16. What colour are your eyes? Your average asian dark brown

17. Have you ever been to an Art gallery? Yeah. It’s pretty nice, but it’s hard to enjoy it when your impatient brother thinks it’s boring and wants to move on 

18. Do you shout out the answers at the TV whilst watching quiz shows? All the time man. Granted that I actually know what the answer is

19. Are you a valuable asset on a Pub Quiz team? (equivalent to trivia quizzes) To a certain extent I suppose

20. Have you ever won any kind of quiz yourself? Yeah, name the countries. My geography isn’t too bad

21. Do you get over-involved with TV or movie plots at times? Um yes haha

22. Do you own any inflatable furniture? No, but I’d totally get one if it looked sick

23. Whats the highest hill or mountain you've ever climbed? Yosemite’s “Oh my Gosh Point”. The hike up there is so freaking hard because it’s like a 2 hour uphill climb. But the view is so worth it. It literally took my breath away.

24. Do you have a piggy bank? Nope

25. Whats the fastest you've ever travelled in a car? Not that fast. Like idk, maybe in an empty highway. 

26. Could you ever hand milk a cow? I mean... if I had to

27. Do you have popcorn with a movie? Yeah, if I’m hungry. But otherwise I stay off movie snacks because it’s hella expensive.

28. Whats the futhest you've ever got a paper airplane to fly? 20 feet.

29. Have you ever built an igloo? Nope

30. Can you play the harmonica? It doesn’t sound good but yeah

31. Have you ever made a ball of twine or rubberbands? One time, it took forever to make though. My brother and I were being a bit too careless and it somehow exploded.

32. If given the option of having sprinkles in your ice cream do you always take it? Nah. Some ice cream is so good without any added sugar.

33. Could you ever be a living organ donor? Uuuuh, maybe. God my answer sounds so pretentious but if I was a dead body, yeah, sure go for it! Do whatever.

34. Which was your favourite science? Biology, Physics or Chemistry? Bio and Chem were hard but I’m taking it rn so it’s fine. Physics was lowkey boring but it was easy due to being math based.

35. Would you ever go out with someone just cause they're rich? Nope.

36. Have you ever contemplated sueing someone? haha no 

37. Are you pretty devious? Only when it comes to fun games. If it’s a legitimate match in Martial Arts, or some type of thing like that I don’t cheat.

38. Have you ever had a surprise party? (that was an actual surprise) No, the parties I ever go to are just small get togethers.

39. Are you any good at giving massages? No, I kinda feel awkward when I do it.

40. Whats been your worst date ever? Haha imagine having a relationship ;w;

41. Have you ever slapped someone in public? My brother, but it was in a playful manner

42. Have you ever drawn on a sleeping or inebriated person? Yes. Good thing they’re pretty chill. Me and my friend were wheezing.

43. Have you ever warn clothing with the labels/tags still attached? Yeah, and I didn’t even notice until my friend pointed it out.

44. Have you ever slipped on a banana skin? No, but I have seen someone do it before.

45. Are you scared of the dark? Nah.

46. Do you have a lawyer? Nope

47. Have you ever been wolf whistled in public? Uuuh my friend did it out loud in public to me before and I punched her so hard.

48. Whats the worst pickup line you've heard? Something to do with chickens and impeccable?? Can’t remember exactly what it was but I remember cringing.

49. Have you ever been water skiing? Nope

50. Have you ever hopelessly failed a test? Omg yeah in Alg 2/Trig I bombed the HELL out of my first trig test.

51. If you had a year off, what would you want to do? Um, I guess there’s not much I can do because I’m not that rich.

52. How many sms/txt messages do you recieve on average a day? From my discord group chat, a lot. But actual direct text, maybe like 3.

53. How long did you last phone call last? 5 minutes.

54. Do you go to flea markets? Sometimes, if I have time.

55. If you saw someone drop a $10 note, would you claim it for your own or try to return it to them? Return it to them.

56. Have you ever helped someone across the road? No, haven’t stumbled upon that situation yet.

57. Have you ever been horseriding? Nope

58. Have you ever walked a tightrope? Nope x100

59. Have you ever demolished a wall or building? Yeah, it was a thin wall and I used a hammer.

60. If you and a friend both wanted the same thing would you let the friend get it first? Of course, they’re my friend and they deserve the world :)

61. Have you ever argued over who should pay for something? um YES have you ever been to an Asian dinner with other asian families??? The fight to pay the bill for your mates is a war.

62. Do you have any family heirlooms? Nah

63. Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous? No, but it’d be kind of cool.

64. Whats your favourite ocean? The pacific I guess? Idk there’s only seven to choose from

65. Do you correct peoples mistakes? Nah, unless it’s a super important one.

66. Have you ever helped out an injured animal? Yes it was a hummingbird that crashed into my window

67. Do you throw bread for the ducks? I did in New Zealand, but I found out that it was bad so...

68. Do you think babies are little bundles of joy or smelly noisey things? Both

69. Do you give money to street performers? Nah

70. Have you ever tossed your own pancake? Yup

71. Are you any good at egg and spoon races? Bruh i’ve never actually done it before but I’d probably be bad lol

72. Are you allergic to anything? High dosage of cortisone cream

73. Are you ticklish? If you taser me and squeeze my thighs

74. Do you prefer tea,coffee or cocoa? Tea all the way baby

75. Do you like Turkish Delight? If I’m thinking of the right thing, I think they’re alright

76. Do you buy people presents to bring back when you go on holiday? Only for those that ask me

77. Are you tired of answering questions yet? Not yet Angelica!! Keep ‘em coming

78. Have you ever been wheelbarrow racing? No

79. Do you ever forward or reply to chain mails? Never

80. Do you often have a tune in your head you can't name? YEAH it’s classical music so i can’t search up lyrics

81. Has anyone ever approached you thinking you were someone else? Yes. Their excuse was all asians look the same (?!)

82. Have you ever been approached by someone who knew you but you couldn't remember them for the life of you? Yes it was so awkward I kept calling them “dude” until they went away

83. What do you do to keep fit? All I really do is jumprope, some pushups, planks, that sort of thing

84. Are you the sort to step in and try to break up a fight? Depends on who’s in the fight. Sometimes if you try to get involved, they’ll start attacking you

85. Have you ever been in a fight? Yes, ask me about it

86. Have you ever started a rumour? Nah, ya girl aint like that

87. Have you ever heard any outstanding rumours about yourself? YES. Some boy said I got into a car crash. Then one day after school some of my acquaintances asked me if I was okay and I was like ???? what?? Weirdest rumor ever

88. Have you ever been in or had a food fight? Nope

89. When its your birthday do you always wear an age badge? I think this is another UK thing because i’ve literally never heard of anyone doing this before

90. Have you ever starred in an amateur or professional video? Nope. I mean, depends what you mean by amateur. I’ve been in a couple of school projects.

91. If you were comfortably rich would you work hard for more or rest on your laurels? Work, but in a laidback job. Like a flowershop keeper or something.

92. Have you ever been in a position of authority? Yeah, one time in elementary school when the teacher left for the bathroom, she put me in charge B)

93. Have you ever been caught in a compromising position? even despite a valid explanation? uuuh no

94. Have you ever tried to make your own alcohol? Nah because I’m underage

95. If you were ruler of your own country what would you call it? No idea

96. And what title would you give yourself? I’d be the founder, but leave the government stuff to other people. Like I’d be in textbooks, people will be like “Oh yeah, that’s esther she’s pretty cool, she founded this country.” But I wouldn’t do anything.

97. Have you ever had a dream you chased only to be let down when you achived it? Mm it’s comparable to buying an outfit and thinking it’d look nice on you but when you put it on you look bad.

98. Is there anything about the opposite sex you just don't understand or comprehend? How oblivious they can be sometimes. like learn to read between the lines man..