#the environmental awareness group

[comunidadpueblaverde]

Conoce acerca de cómo está isla volvió a tener vida a partir de diferentes sucesos tanto históricos como por animales... 🏝️

Edición: Luz León

Publicación: Abigail Bautista

[tumbloggingattheendofitall]

Yeah I know it's stupid to say it again but Russian bots and children buying their rhetoric can actually leave the room and still please fucking vote actually if you have the right

Crazy to say but, when it's a right that we're still working on getting imprisoned people to have, I don't think it's a very Hot Take to say it's useless. Sorry, maybe crazy of me, but I'm one of those people who would've been lobotomized before getting my right to vote in The Olde Days and I think maybe we ought to consider whose agenda we're endorsing by discouraging The Literally Bare Minimum Of Civic Engagement for your average Joe or Jane

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

When a man with painful cystic acne came to dermatologist Eva Rawlings Parker for help in a Nashville clinic, she couldn’t prescribe him doxycycline or minocycline, two medications she’d typically use to treat this condition. This is because the man was a roofer, says Parker, and these medications would have impacted his ability to tolerate heat. 

Parker’s patient was far from alone. Other common medications for physical health, like beta blockers, can impact people’s ability to handle heat. Many medications for mental health do, too.

Conventional wisdom tells people with conditions that make them unusually vulnerable to the sun, like the autoimmune disorder lupus, or are on medications that lead to heat sensitivity, to avoid staying outside when the sun is at its strongest.

But for the one-third of US workers who must spend regular time outdoors, that advice bursts into flames. For some, such as farmworkers, hours and hours of heat exposure, with minimal or no reprieve, are just part of the job. Increasing heat waves and more frequent wildfires point to the need to find real solutions for outdoor workers—and highlight how labor and climate change are intertwined. 

Edward Flores, faculty director of the Community and Labor Center at the University of California, Merced, specializes in the conditions of low-wage and immigrant workers in California. He says the need for heat safety policy reform is acute. “We know that workers have been dying,” Flores says, “because of chronic conditions that accumulate through heat stress over many years and decades that lead to shorter life spans.”

Parker, the dermatologist, is acutely aware of how heat can trigger or worsen skin problems. She is co-chair of the American Academy of Dermatology’s group on climate change and environmental issues, and was an author of a 2023 review on the ways climate change can contribute to dermatological issues, including triggering flares of conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa—which causes painful lumps deep in a person’s skin—and skin cancer.

Workers do have some legal rights to breaks and water, depending on the locale. California, Oregon, and Washington are the only states that mandate those breaks. And roughly half of crop farmworkers have no legal work authorization. That lack of legal status, and the threat of deportation, gives many workers reason to fear complaining about working conditions.

In July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a new set of rules which would help protect more than 36 million workers from heat-related illness or death. The proposed OSHA rules would require employers to monitor their workers for heat exhaustion symptoms, provide adequate water and shade, designate break areas, and provide mandatory rest breaks, among other things. 

[reasonsforhope]

"The Netherlands is pulling even further ahead of its peers in the shift to a recycling-driven circular economy, new data shows.

According to the European Commission’s statistics office, 27.5% of the material resources used in the country come from recycled waste.

For context, Belgium is a distant second, with a “circularity rate” of 22.2%, while the EU average is 11.5% – a mere 0.8 percentage point increase from 2010.

“We are a frontrunner, but we have a very long way to go still, and we’re fully aware of that,” Martijn Tak, a policy advisor in the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and water management, tells The Progress Playbook. 

The Netherlands aims to halve the use of primary abiotic raw materials by 2030 and run the economy entirely on recycled materials by 2050. Amsterdam, a pioneer of the “doughnut economics” concept, is behind much of the progress.

Why it matters

The world produces some 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, and this could rise to 3.4 billion tonnes annually by 2050, according to the World Bank.

Landfills are already a major contributor to planet-heating greenhouse gases, and discarded trash takes a heavy toll on both biodiversity and human health.

“A circular economy is not the goal itself,” Tak says. “It’s a solution for societal issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, and resource-security for the country.”

A fresh approach

While the Netherlands initially focused primarily on waste management, “we realised years ago that’s not good enough for a circular economy.”

In 2017, the state signed a “raw materials agreement” with municipalities, manufacturers, trade unions and environmental organisations to collaborate more closely on circular economy projects.

It followed that up with a national implementation programme, and in early 2023, published a roadmap to 2030, which includes specific targets for product groups like furniture and textiles. An English version was produced so that policymakers in other markets could learn from the Netherlands’ experiences, Tak says.

The programme is focused on reducing the volume of materials used throughout the economy partly by enhancing efficiencies, substituting raw materials for bio-based and recycled ones, extending the lifetimes of products wherever possible, and recycling.

It also aims to factor environmental damage into product prices, require a certain percentage of second-hand materials in the manufacturing process, and promote design methods that extend the lifetimes of products by making them easier to repair.

There’s also an element of subsidisation, including funding for “circular craft centres and repair cafés”.

This idea is already in play. In Amsterdam, a repair centre run by refugees, and backed by the city and outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, is helping big brands breathe new life into old clothes.

Meanwhile, government ministries aim to aid progress by prioritising the procurement of recycled or recyclable electrical equipment and construction materials, for instance.

State support is critical to levelling the playing field, analysts say...

Long Road Ahead

The government also wants manufacturers – including clothing and beverages companies – to take full responsibility for products discarded by consumers.

“Producer responsibility for textiles is already in place, but it’s work in progress to fully implement it,” Tak says.

And the household waste collection process remains a challenge considering that small city apartments aren’t conducive to having multiple bins, and sparsely populated rural areas are tougher to service.

“Getting the collection system right is a challenge, but again, it’s work in progress.”

...Nevertheless, Tak says wealthy countries should be leading the way towards a fully circular economy as they’re historically the biggest consumers of natural resources."

-via The Progress Playbook, December 13, 2023

[somerottingthing]

Hello for my USAmerican therian/otherkin/alterhuman/etc pals and to whoever it may concern:

For this native american heritage month I ask you to think critically when describing an area as "your territory". We are on stolen, indigenous land. You do not own the "territory". You are living on indigenous territory. You can absolutely have places you call home! We all do! Everyone has their little secret wild places which they may enjoy the privacy of, share with their therian friends or pack, and feel at home in. But at the end of the day it is not your "territory". It is already indigenous territory.

I see all different statements here and there from the alterhuman community, along the lines of "Do you have territory? If so how did you claim it? How do you mark it as yours so others don't go there? What if you are doing quads or in a shift and a non therian comes in your territory? Urgghh humans in my territory! God I wish people would stay away from my territory" -- And like I get that it's not that serious considering it's mostly younger/newer therians making statements like this, but for those who are aware and want to make a difference please remember that you do not actually own any of this land. You are on stolen land. And I encourage you to research where you are living and which tribe(s) it belongs to! And if you are passionate about the environment, about animals, about inclusivity and acceptance (which I hope you are as a therian/otherkin/alterhuman), that you do your best to PROTECT this land. Find ways you can get involved so that the land can be given back and protected. Get to know the environmental politics in your area. Support tribal efforts and land back campaigns. Join groups committed to this cause if you are able. Sign petitions at the bare minimum! You can totally make a difference!

[friend-crow]

I think I've rambled about this a little bit before, but I really believe that if we were able to shift our standard burial practice to human composting and memorial tree planting, the impacts could be huge.

Imagine how much more people would care about trees if they were the grave markers of their loved ones (and unlike grave markers, actually grew from the remains of their family). Think of the legal protections people would place on ancestral forests. A lot of people would probably be more invested in learning about the biodiversity needed for a forest to thrive -- not like the bullshit "carbon offset" single species tree plantings used to alleviate consumer guilt.

Some people would probably be motivated to spend more time in and learning about forests. Others probably wouldn't really, but you'd better believe people would be up in arms if they heard that somebody wants to cut down grandpa's tree.

Something I've seen in recent years is that the increase in fires on the west coast has made the reality of climate change a lot more real for a lot of people here. Especially after the week in 2020 when Portland had the worst air quality in the world due to wildfire smoke, people could no longer think of it as something for future generations to deal with. It became clear that we were going to be living with this, effective immediately.

I'm not saying that having ancestral forests would suddenly stop forest fires, but it would be another thing to get more people invested in environmental protections and technology.

And yes, I am on some speculative fiction hippy shit, but dammit, ancestral forests would be cool. Don't you want to remember your loved ones by going and talking to a tree? Or a group of trees? Like yeah, they'd be less permanent than a stone monument, but once an ancestor's tree falls, it can become a nursery log for younger generations.

Don't you want to become part of the forest when you die??

*Disclaimer: idea presented primarily as an alternative to preserving corpses with toxic chemicals and burying them in expensive boxes as is common where I live, and not meant to replace all other cultural traditions related to death and burial. Please don't come at me for responding to the norms of my own culture, I am aware that other cultures exist.

[the-roo-too]

not my fault -> plastic! oh haewon

-the trio owns the school, but you own the queen bee’s heart

warnings: loosely referencing mean girls; basically making out in the closet lol; more of a short drabble than an oneshot tbh

genre: secret relationship; fluffish

notes: i might be in love with reneé rapp

⌦ .｡.:*♡

as your lunch tray hit the table with a soft thud, you became aware of how quiet your spot in the cafeteria was compared to the other tables.

while you wouldn’t necessarily call yourself a loner, you wouldn’t be caught dead talking to someone without a reason. it just felt like none of the cliques were for you.

taking a small bite out of your food, you could feel a pair of eyes burning into the back of your head. even from across the cafeteria, the sensation was unmistakable.

the table in the middle of the room was occupied by the most influential trio in the whole school—the plastics. not to be mistaken with an environmental group, the plastics were a very closed off clique, like a teen royalty.

there was bae jinsol, an actually nice girl. she just wasn’t on the brightest side. rumour has it she tried to spell orange with a ‘d’ once.

then there was seol yoona, more commonly known as sullyoon. she knew everything about everyone and had connections basically everywhere.

at last, there was an apex predator. the queen bee of the school. the devil in human form.

oh haewon. the girl who’s eyes were currently burning holes in the back of your head.

one secret not even sullyoon knew about was the one that you shared with haewon.

despite all the rumours of her hooking up with this or that jock, she was very much not interested in men. you were the only one she had her eye on.

⌦ .｡.:*♡

haewon let her eyes linger on you for a little longer before she turned her attention to her friends with a bored sigh. sullyoon was yet again talking about some boy she had in her gym class. no one worthy her attention.

“what’s his name again?” she asked in a dismissive tone.

when sullyoon looked at her, slight hurt flashed in her eyes. the queen be rarely ever listened to them.

“jake.” she said before smiling stiffly. “the one i’ve been talking about for a week.”

“yeah, i remember now.” a bored sigh escaped haewon’s lips before she turned her attention to the third girl in their clique. “say, jinsol, wasn’t he invited to your party this friday?”

“who, jake?” bae glanced briefly at yoona as she nodded. “i think so.”

“great. i’ll help you talk to him then.” sullyoon looked at her in shock before a small smile broke out on her face.

“thank you, haewon.”

“it’s whatever. you guys wanna skip the rest today?” she got approving nods from her friends, making her grin softly. “i’ll meet you two by my car. i have to go see minjae before we leave.”

sullyoon smiled at her, as did bae. they both thought she was dating one of the jocks—she did let him be seen with her sometimes. he thought she was just playing hard to get, while in reality she just kept him around for appearances.

haewon typed a quick text to the contact ‘my baby 🩷’ before she stood up from the plastics table and left the cafeteria.

⌦ .｡.:*♡

“i missed you…” she whispered, pinning your wrists above your head with one hand, keeping your body close to the wall. “you looked so pretty today, my baby.“

“i missed you too, haewon…” you mumbled back against her lips, gently kissing her. those intimate moments in the janitor’s closet weren’t ideal, but it was all you could get in school without being caught.

“i told jinsol and yoona i was seeing that jock again… does that make you jealous, pretty girl?” the grin she sent you made you feel weak in her hold. she knew damn well what she was doing, and boy did she enjoy it.

“you know it does… i hate that we have to hide.”

“awh.” her soft pout didn’t ease your nerves as much as she hoped it would. “i’m sorry, babe. you know i can’t have people knowing i’m gay. do you know how much it would cost me?”

“yeah.” you gave her a weak glare before kissing her pink lips yet again. “you care about your reputation more than you care for me.”

“i wouldn’t be sneaking into this dirty closet with you during lunch time if i didn’t care, would i? you knew what you were getting into when i told you this had to be a secret.”

of course she was right. when was oh haewon ever wrong though?

“it’s not my fault you fell for me, silly girl.”

“i hate that you’re right.”

she grinned at you, her free hand sneaking to your waist. “course you do.”

⌦ .｡.:*♡

[srbachchan]

DAY 6101

Jalsa, Mumbai Nov , 1, 2024/Nov 2 , Fri/Sat 12:08 am

🪔 ,

And the wishes to the Ef ..

November 02 .. birthday wishes to Ef Erlika from Indonesia ��🇩 .. Ef Abhijit Jagtab from Pune .. and .. Ef Dipagala Gala .. 🙏🏻❤️🚩

November 01 .. birthday wishes to Ef Vishan Lal 🪈 from Gurugram .. Ef Honey Aishu from Bangkok - Thailand 🇹🇭 .. Ef Nouranne Achraf from Egypt / France 🇪🇬🇫🇷 .. Ef Pankaj Shukla from Indore .. Ef Shubhra Rattan .. and Ef Somraj Mane from Kolhapur .. 🙏🏻❤️🚩

..

may this new year in your lives bring greater joy and prosperity ❤️🌹

Govardhan Pooja ... नमस्कार 🙏

and the festivities continue .. as do all the rituals .. and among all this Australia declares the month of October as a heritage month of Hindu festivities .. grace and divine blessings ..

But the intimacy of soft celebrations and the adherence to the control of many environmental obligations is revered .. as another year of the year of Lights ends , to another day of light ..

The intrigue of religious festivities .. their time and date and occasion still brings a wonder to many .. indeed to a great many .. and the readings of our Ef Sudhir and his dedicated research on the subject does evoke curiosity .. and awareness ...

The Calendar

There are two lunar calendars in the Jyotish Shastra… One is Purnaant and the other is Amaant…

There's a gap of 15 days between the two, although the order of the months are the same…

For instance, Deepavali's Lakshmi puja is on Purnaant Kartik Amavasya… while the same day is Amaant Ashwin Amavasya in some states…

So, the festival has a different reason in each region, and one common reason at the national level…

Like, the South, where the Lakshmi puja night of diwali is to recall the victory of Krishna over Narakaasur… In the North, it's for the return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya…

The concept of a civilisation made of many cultures dates back to the Treta Yug…

Diwali is celebrated for different days in different places… One day, three days, five days and eleven days… depending on the local history…

Yes… the different calendars, different cultures, but the same festivals, and the same civilisation…

You know, what… I think it's always an advantage when we do something that has no precedence… when there is nothing to refer…

This organisation of a nation is first envisaged in the chronicles of the satyug… each kingdom was called a country… group of countries was a region… the collective of regions was called a nation…

In Hindi - देश, प्रदेश तथा राष्ट्र…

What calendar do I follow?

I follow Rishi Varāhamihira's Brihat Samhita… In that, there is no need of dividing time into months and years…

The movements of cosmic objects don't need a calendar to have months and years… Only days are enough… Just count the days from a no-moon or a new-moon… the patterns are measurable and predictable…

Like,

The diwali always happens on the same no-moon night… regardless of which month in which state…

Thus, all the differences are dissolved in the universal medium… 🙂

About the light…

Darkness is not displaced by light… darkness is eliminated by light…

तमसो मा ज��योतिर्गमय।

Easiest way to do it is: Use one lamp to light the next… A series of lamps… Hence, Deepavali… Deep + Aavali - strings of light…

एक ब्रह्म है… एक सत्य है… एक ही है परमात्मा… प्राणों से प्राण मिलाते चलो.

my obsessed gratitude ..

my love and regard ...

Amitabh Bachchan

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

[cognitivejustice]

Food, fertiliser, fuel … seaweed has been a life force for centuries. On a coastal foraging trip in Pembrokeshire, we discover it’s now behind a new green initiative in Wales

 A happy combination of increased environmental awareness and more people seeking vegan alternatives has taken seaweed mainstream. It’s estimated that the industry in Europe will be worth €30bn by 2030, with seaweed already used for food, plastic alternatives, biofuel, fertiliser and cosmetics. In Asia, it’s always been a dietary staple, but in Welsh cuisine (despite the earliest written record of seaweed eaten here dating from the 12th century), it’s lost favour in recent years

A new collection of chefs and farmers has started to change that. I meet Jonathan Williams the next morning in driving rain at the Freshwater West Beach seaweed hut. A tent-like building that juts bravely into the horizon. This is the last survivor of a group of about 20 that were used to dry seaweed in the early 20th century, and it was this hut that first inspired Williams (the founder of the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company and the solar-powered seaweed boat kitchen, Cafe Môr) to rediscover a taste for seaweed. Laver seaweed has been eaten in Wales since at least the 17th century.

[cyb3rtarot]

Pick a Pile: Self Care Advice

Disclaimer: this is not about self care in terms of skincare and the like, this is about improving your overall well being. Tarot readings are not replacements for professional advice. Take what resonates; don’t force a reading to fit. In this reading I used the Alice in Wonderland Oracle, Zerner-Farber tarot, Tarot of Mystical Moments, the Oracle of the Radiant Sun, and a recolored Smith-Waite.

pile 1‣pile 2 pile 3‣pile 4

𓆸

Pile 1: 

Cards: Curioser and Curioser rx, wheel of fortune, temperance rx, Organization (Mercury in Capricorn, 10th house), Dagaz rune|| I Wonder What Will Happen, Impossible Things, You Are Rare and Free, Optimism (Moon in Sagittarius, 9th house), five of swords, ace of wands, Uruz rune

Current State of Self Care: hello pile one! It seems like you guys really like routine. You do similar things everyday or when you practice self care, and this helps you stay on track and organize your thoughts. It’s comfortable, and you’re not too enthusiastic about exploring things that get in the way of this routine. I feel like this pile really likes spending time with animals and nature (some of you are farmers or gardeners), and you might feel disinterested with people and their “strange” activities as a whole. I also feel like you guys really like to do things during the day when the Sun is up. People might invite you out in the evening or night—maybe to casinos or clubs—but you’d rather not. You might prefer to do things alone, or to just spend your free time really peacefully instead of doing something that requires a lot of social energy. Totally understandable! However, there’s a feeling that rigidity or sameness is causing imbalance when it comes to other areas of your life.

Self Care Advice: you guys are encouraged to try new things that fall in line with your individuality. A large part of why this pile likes to stick to the familiar is because of past experiences when trying new things with others. I feel like you’ve tried to step outside your comfort zone before; you’ve been roped into the family vacations or group activities you didn’t want to do and it didn’t go well. Some of you have trouble meshing with the other people in your lives. So, instead of continuously ending up in uncomfortable situations, you’ve stuck to yourself and what you know. I see some of you feel limited due to your health or physical ability? However, there are things you can do in your home or in solitude to expand your world. Perhaps, you could try at-home hobbies, such as crochet. I see a lot of you would really enjoy solo travel. If you want to socialize, maybe you can do something chill with just one friend instead of 5, or do something online (an online event?). You guys have a sense of disbelief when it comes to new things, thinking if it can go wrong it will. But both great experiences and lessons come out of the unknown. You’re encouraged to allow yourself curiosity without compromising on your boundaries.

Extra Details: environmental activism, walking through the forest/woods (some of you that believe in God feel most connected to Them in nature), pet dog (a black one, red collar?), tea (some of you might really enjoy trying new teas? Or reading tea leaves), international travel, homebody, small house, lives with parents but isn’t close to them, stuffed animals, recent graduation, eagles, video call meetups/events

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Pile 2: 

Cards: You are Rare and Free, Falling, Mortality, the moon rx, Exaltation (Moon in Taurus, 2nd house)|| Gebo rune, seven of wands rx, You are Rare and Free (again), Uncertainty, Impossible Things, the hierophant

Current State of Self Care: hello pile two! You guys came through with a very YOLO attitude; “I’m here for a good time not a long time.” You guys are hyper aware that you have a limited amount of time to experience this life and try to practice self care by living accordingly. This pile might like to do very experimental or impulsive things. Things that others are afraid of like zip lining or skydiving. Or, you might make decisions that others perceive as careless, like traveling on a random whim or suddenly moving. Many of you have already experienced living a limited life, or watched someone else spend their life without ever doing what they really wanted. You’d rather make security where you go and find what makes you happy instead of having external security with regret. 

Self Care Advice: a lot of you use a super-free and independent lifestyle (or mindset) as a defense mechanism. The less attachments you have, the less chance to be hurt or stifled. You have a lot of fun chasing freedom, but I’m getting that you do it to the point where it’s not fun anymore. I sense a curious energy towards some kind of attachment; maybe you’re interested in what it would be like to be in a committed relationship, to move somewhere permanently, or to get a job that would require you to be more stationary. Some of you view spontaneity and freedom as a way to get the most of what you want while giving the least. But in truth, no matter what we do we exchange something. If you are always doing something new, you exchange possibilities that can only come from being still. And when you don't do new things, you exchange opportunities to explore. You’re being called to care for yourself by sitting down and deciding what you’re really drawn to. Maybe you don’t think you could be happy unless you adhere to your current lifestyle—like this is how you can protect yourself. There are many possibilities outside of current habits that can bring joy. Your energy reminds me of Sandy from Spongebob when she’s trying to do every extreme activity she can before she has to hibernate. You are not being asked to compromise who you are (the cards strongly emphasize that your uniqueness is amazing!), but instead to be open to what your soul is calling for—even if you’re not sure how it will go. The cards also emphasized your security ultimately comes from -you-, not the world around you. 

An extra message wanted to come out with the king of pentacles, strength rx, and queen of cups: you’re prompted to be vulnerable with your feelings! You’re encouraged to face fears and apprehensions so you can emotionally appreciate your blessings. And as a lot of you are in relationships, this includes vulnerability with the other people (or person). Examine what in your life has made you feel the way you do today, and if it’s necessary to bring these mindsets forward. Your extra advice is to be real with yourself and know you have the strength and courage to express yourself authentically.

Extra Details: experiencing death of loved ones at a young age, feeling life is unfair or you have to make your own fairness, revenge or vigilante mindset, you might feel like you’re on a timer? Anxieties about health, confident demeanor but anxious inside, wanting to settle down, being at crossroads, feeling really ready for something, being in nature or gardening (tomatoes?), you could write a lot of movie reviews or fanfiction?, you could also write fantasy stories, environmental or social justice, catching feelings for a casual partner is significant for some of you (aww it feels like they give you butterflies :] )

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Pile 3: 

Cards: Use Your Time Well, Curioser and Curiouser, Nonsense!, I Wonder What Will Happen Next, Ace of Swords, Mortality rx|| Clock time, Acquisition (Sun in Taurus, 2nd house), Flirtation (Venus in Sagittarius, 9th house), Bluff (Jupiter in Gemini, 3rd house), the hierophant rx, Protection (Moon in Aries, 1st house), three of hearts rx, the chariot rx, Berkano rune

Current State of Self Care: hello pile three! I feel like your self care right now is not what most people consider self care. Your cards emphasize being in a period of life that’s closing or feeling like you soon have to make a decision about something. You’re trying to get serious with yourself so that you’re able to transition into the next chapter. This is manifesting as more thought-based activities like researching, studying, meditating, brainstorming, and the like. You’re organizing your thoughts and trying to be informed for whatever is approaching you (for some this is literal with final exams coming up). I did get this stifled, antsy feeling when I connected to your energy; you might feel overwhelmed with your own brainstorming or with reality. Many of you are comforting yourself by dragging through this phase. You may keep telling yourself you have a lot of time or that you can do something later, so you keep procrastinating and lengthening the process.

Self Care Advice: you’re being called to be realistic with your time pile 3. I think you’ve enjoyed toying or flirting with ideas and not committing—and for a chunk of you this is literally about stringing someone along. What would be beneficial now is a re-evaluation of how you’re allocating time and energy. Eventually procrastination does become harmful—especially if other people are involved. I don’t feel this is necessarily the case for most yet; I see you've been able to bluff your way through life and take it day by day. But the time is coming where you’ll have to choose a path to take. I see many of you getting overwhelmed due to a lack of support and guidance. You might be surrounded by people who make you feel more confused, either because they can’t help you or because their advice doesn’t resonate with you. Some of you aren’t actually as unsure as you come across. You may be drawn to something already but it feels unconventional, and this instills doubt in you (or you might be afraid of financial instability too?). Whatever your situation is, protecting your energy will be helpful. When you feel pressure, you can redirect this into productivity instead of procrastination. You may have to draw back your energy from draining sources to better channel it into yourself. This includes protecting yourself from being swayed by what is not authentic to you. Even though you feel the weight of your life upon you, know that taking one path doesn’t mean you have to walk it forever. A very specific note for some people in this pile is that there are better ways to protect your feelings and vulnerability in relationships than just ignoring important conversations!

Extra Details: Northern US (New England or close to the Canadian Border), graduating, final exams, researching real estate for a move, this is so random but you might like catching or eating crab? You might’ve played a browser game called Catch a Crab bc that’s what popped in my head 😭, or you might feel nostalgic about your youth—wanting life to freeze forever. Maine, Orlando, Louisiana, feeling insecure, eating muShrooms, a new phase of life, not telling your plans to everyone, plants and plant medicine are very specific for this pile. Spending time in nature—with trees specifically, being more in love than you admit (waay more lol), wanting to be a musician, listening to ariana grande, liking someone with blue eyes. Wanting to move with a partner, unhelpful advice from parents/guardians, procrastinating study sessions

𓆸

Pile 4: 

Cards: Falling, It’s Always Teatime, King of Swords, Elk rune, six of swords rx, the empress rx|| Messages for a Rabbit, Set Your Course, death rx, I Wonder What Will Happen Next, seven of swords

Current State of Self Care: hi pile four! This pile’s goal is to cope with the lack of control over their life. There’s a sense of feeling stuck in a free fall where you’re constantly pushed around by crazy, external forces. There could be a sense of repetitiveness too. For example, maybe you go to school or a job everyday, but there’s always an extreme deadline to meet. Or when you’re finally getting a grip on the last major life event, another one barrels you over. It seems like you’re constantly in a reactive state or tower moment. To cope, you might like to engage in the same things repeatedly for comfort. I’m also getting this pile might like to read up on their interests a lot in their free time; there’s emphasis on mental activities. You’re quite aware you need to balance constant stress with self care, but physically taking care of yourself may be difficult. For example, knowing you need extra sleep, healthy food, or exercise, but feeling like these are outside your capacity. Some of you may be drawn to pile 1; there’s very similar themes and details.

Self Care Advice: first of all, if you have pets, you’re encouraged to spend time destressing and cuddling with them as self care. But your main advice here is to plan. You may currently be in a space where it’s not easy to go and do new things. So, use this time to really lay out what you want. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by your current restraints. Think about what in your life you’d remove if you had the chance, and what you would pursue if you could. Writing it down could be helpful. This way, even if you can’t currently obtain those things, you’ll be ready if an opportunity comes your way. Instead of ruminating over whether you should or shouldn’t and miss it, you’ll know which path in the crossroads to take because you’ve done most of the thinking. Many of you may also feel tied down by people or duties around you. You’re being reminded that you don’t have to let everyone know your every plan. It’s easy to be influenced when you’re already under stress—or literally controlled by others. It’s ok to keep your thoughts to yourself or protect your future wishes from those who aren’t aligned with you. If you’re in a tough spot, maybe you have to do this planning kind of on the secret side. For example, if you’re trying to escape a family situation, maybe be extra careful about browser history if you choose to research at home. Overall, you’re being asked to think, plan, and be smart with your current situation and resources.

Extra Details: special interests, neurodivergence, executive dysfunction, some of you experienced several huge shifts in life or family one right after the other, Europe, church (mainly getting Roman Catholic), stuffed animals, feeling controlled by family or society (perhaps being pressured to perform traditional gender roles), Australian accent, animals as signs, a pet or multiple, wanting a humanitarian or environmental job. You may feel like your life has been the opposite of a fairytale, like Cinderella with no ball or carriage. Social isolation. Some of y’all really like fanfiction lool

𓆸

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Earth Day History

Earth Day, first observed on 22 April 1970, is considered the beginning of the modern environmental movement.

As a response to increasing environmental concerns, like the oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day to raise awareness about how to protect the environment.

Nelson and activist Denis Hayes organized teach-ins on college campuses that included various groups and organizations, drawing inspiration from protest teach-ins of the era.

With this massive mobilization, the U.S. developed key environmental laws and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created.

Earth Day 2024 Theme

The theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.”

This is about fighting the big problem of plastic all over the world. Earth Day organization wants to bring people from different places together.

The goal is to make much less plastic, 60% less by 2040.

We want a future without so much plastic. This is not just about having less trash, but it is also about keeping us and the environment healthy.

[wyngigi]

ꕀ LUST FOR LIFE ꕀ 04

↳ sex money feelings die remastered .ᐟ cross posted on ao3

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“ they say only the good die young, that just ain't right 'cause we're having too much fun, too much fun tonight ”

↳ synopsis: a group of individuals find that their first taste of freedom in the world brings more obstacles than expected. some of them, find solace by drowning in liquor or in the backseat of somebody else’s car. a lot of them have got to get their shit together. a lot of them won't.

mdni » story contains nsfw content intended for 18+ audiences pairings » member specific, not listed for spoiler purposes ↳󠁪󠁪 ateez x female reader, ateez x ateez ↳ genre » coming of age ↳ word count » 2.3k ↳ general warnings » substance abuse & consumption, sexual content, morally grey characters, unreliable narrators, internalised homophobia, angst, basically every struggle young adolescence can go through ↳ a/n┆i hope u guys love this chapter as much as i do !! a little blast from the past always has me excited <3 p.s let me know which pairings ur rooting for after reading hehe (and yes next chapter we will be back at the party dont worry the drama has just begun)

04⌇memories of summer bring you

As San weaves his way through the crowd, past the drunken bodies of guys and girls alike, he finds himself reminiscing in just how much he had changed the past few years. Was it okay to live a life like he was right now? He’s not too sure. San first thinks of high school, then his thoughts float to you.

San watches the clock tick above his teacher’s desk, mind wandering as he scribbles on his worksheet with a ballpoint pen. He’s trapped in a god-awful environmental science class (which mind you would’ve been a free period instead), courtesy of not taking enough science courses earlier on to hit the credit minimum. It’s torturous, making him study about the world in a stuffy classroom when he could be out there learning by simply living in it.

San might just be a little salty, but the lesson isn’t actually that interesting either, so his mind has been elsewhere the last half hour. He’ll listen when it actually gets important, maybe. First he was daydreaming about buying a motorcycle and speeding off into the sunset, away from this boring sad old town to go live some larger-than-life bullshit.

Then he thought it’d be too lonely to do by himself, so he brainstormed an alternative. If he were ever able to do it, he’d probably try convincing someone to come with him. He hasn’t even finished his senior year, yet his ideas still don’t seem all that crazy to him. It might be farfetched to others, but San disagrees. If you aren’t dreaming big, could it even be considered a dream at all?

Then he starts wondering if his thoughts are too reckless most, if not all of the time, if attempting to move through life hastily would be too irresponsible and could scare the people around him. But he really doesn’t want to miss out on living, San wants to go see and do the things you have to go out of your way to experience. Something you make the journey for to begin with, not just a simple detour.

The type of stuff you have to just hold your breath for and jump into with no regret before it’s too late, the tide retreating, water becoming far too shallow. (He truly wasn’t lying earlier when he said he loves to be on the move, or that the thrill of exploring had always been dangerously enticing to him.) Those mantras, principles, whatever you wish to call them replay in his mind daily. They always have.

San knows the world won’t slow down and wait for him too. He sees it outside the classroom window right now, how the cars still pass down the street as the birds fly high into the sky even if he’s confined to his seat. San is well aware that it’s him who has to be the one to take the leap of faith and choose to start living. The problem is that sometimes he just can’t.

When San would think about the daredevils, adrenaline junkies, risk takers of the world, those who love to live on the edge of things, preparing for their big take off, he’d think of how he would love to be like that someday. Yeah, someday. The difference was he liked staying on the edge too much. Didn’t like the feeling of climbing to the highest point just for the glory if he could end up tipping over, see himself falling down and lose control of everything in the process.

When third period ends San makes his way out of class then down the hall, stopping at his locker so he can drop off the notebook and stationery he no longer needs till after his second lunch break. San knows he has PE next, so he quickly grabs his gym clothes. It’s not that he cares much about being late for it or missing out on any of the “action” though, he only really enjoys it depending on what sport they’re playing.

He likes the sports where his only role is to defend whenever a ball or something comes his way. It’s why he thinks volleyball is torture; trying his best to stay in his position once his team scores but then somebody is already telling him to hurry up and rotate. Those days are just endless cycles of torture. Actually, were.  He started to sit in the nurse’s office on those days.

It’s a good thing they’re doing netball today (he doesn’t have any more passes to sit in the med bay now). San has a lot of fun playing it. He’s even claimed the goalkeeper bib before anyone else can so much that whoever he plays with just lets him have it. The people he usually plays with are good enough to the point where the opposing team never even gets to his third of the court.

Goalkeeper suits him for that exact reason, he enjoys getting to win without even having to take a shot with the ball. San liked how it was so much he didn’t think or want to try being a goal attacker or centre. Well, maybe sometimes he did a little. There were a couple instances where he wanted to try a different role for the first time. San had gotten as close as picking up a different position bib even. Thoughts like that were shoved away quickly however, and the bib would end thrown back into the crate. The mere possibility of letting anyone down in case he was terrible outweighed his curiosity (and potential) on multiple occasions.

Failure was a funny thing; it had given him a terrible feeling that would sit in the pit of his stomach or make him so nauseous it was awfully dizzying. The funnier thing was that San had never truly failed at anything in life, simply because he had never tried much to begin with. That was the case, for quite some time in his life as he knew it. He had been growing more than okay with that knowledge as time passed, then one day he wasn’t.

As he turned away from his locker, San spotted you walking the opposite way to your own fourth period class, clearly getting ready to ditch the rest of the day. His heartbeat had sped up and his palms were awfully sweaty but for the first time ever, he shut out every reasoning voice in his head and chose to do something he never had the courage to before.

The two of you were in the same grade, so he had seen you passing by in the hallways always with both earphones in (to drown out everyone else he assumes, you never talked to anyone when you had them in while carrying an almost sorrow expression). Despite how you looked, you would still be humming away to a tune he could never fully quite catch.

He also knew your lunch times were spent eating shitty snacks from the vending machines and that you really liked the strawberry lollipops from the cafeteria (which they only sold every Friday for some fucked up reason, he overheard you complaining about it to your friends in math).

San would also see you after school with all of your cooler, older friends too. You would all huddle around the corner near the bike racks in the parking lot, out of sight from teachers so you could bum cigarettes off of each other. You’d also listen to music while you were there, only with one earphone in though so you could still hear everyone talk. He liked seeing that, you always looked happy and smiley talking to your friends.

The two of you weren’t complete strangers, but nowhere close enough where he could feel safe calling you his friend either. You shared multiple classes with San, greeting him with a small smile when you’d walk by his seat to get to your own (he liked that you’d always say hi to him even when he never did first). The both of you even worked on group projects together, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to know more about you, to take even the smallest peek at the inner workings of your mind. To find out how you always seemed to not care when things went wrong.

He thinks of your reaction when you would fail a test, how you’d simply shrug before shoving the paper into the bottom of your backpack. Immediately after, smiling as you’d turn around to talk to your friends about whatever you all planned to do that weekend. Stuff like that didn’t make much sense to him. Why would you not opt out of hanging out just for one weekend and study harder to do better on the next test like he would?

San supposes that’s what separates the two of you into vastly different worlds, yet he wants nothing more than to just step over that line and join you.

When he had spotted you there, on that humid summer day in early June a feeling had begun to settle into his stomach again. The strange bit was that it didn’t feel humiliating nor demeaning, but there was still something unsettling about it. It felt extremely foreign at first but now, incredibly comforting. Because for once, it didn’t feel like failure.

So, he then decided to call out to you. It was the very first time he had ever greeted you, without you doing it first. Your name exceedingly foreign on his tongue when coming out of his mouth while you weren’t sitting at your desks in a shared class. You had turned around at the noise, both earphones still blasting music into your ears.

Once you had recognised who the voice belonged too, you immediately had taken out both of your earphones with a smile. The tune he had never been able to fully hear, was now playing into the world for him to hear freely. He felt the corners of his mouth beginning to prick upwards at that. Yet with no plan of what words he would say now, San was immediately regretting his choice to speak to you. His fists were balled up in front of him, grip tightening on his clothes ever so slightly as he lowers his eyes down away from you.

The edge he always treads so carefully on was now unstable and he felt it beginning to crack already. You don’t leave him any more time to freak out over it though. When he looks up, he sees you already opening your mouth to say hello in the soft tone you always use, ushering him over.

“Hey, San. You want to come skip with me?”

The cool breeze flowing through the corridor, cooling down his cheeks just had to heat up again when he locked eyes with you, of course they did. Because San had always found everything about you pretty, from the first time he ever saw you. Not a day would there be a doubt in his mind of that. But, in that very moment he found you strikingly beautiful. In a split second, where his brain and his heart finally worked in unison he had responded hurriedly, before he could overthink it and regret it for the rest of his days.

“Yeah, I do. I’ll come along,” As he chucked his gym clothes back into his locker, a switch had been flicked on in his mind. When he turned around and saw you then, one lollipop in your mouth and a second in your hand, held out to him, a realisation had been thrown into his face like a bucket of ice-cold water. San had ultimately discovered that dancing on the edge was fun, yet leaping off it was much better. Even if the water was too shallow down below, San thinks he would be okay with that.

While walking away from the gym and instead down the hall with you by his side, San had spotted your earphones tangled up and peeking out of your backpack. That day, he settled with the fact that maybe it was okay to be a little too reckless, to move a tad too fast. Even if it could scare people, even if it scared him.

If you asked San what made him love that summer far more than the previous ones, he might mention his drunken bike rides with you and your friends, or the nights he spent laying on the beach with you gazing at the stars. Hell, he even liked the part time job he had to take up thanks to the party you helped him throw (which ended in that broken window he had to pay for). Spending a portion of his summer working as a server wasn’t fun in theory but when you’d visit him on his breaks or pick him up after his shifts, San had found it pretty worth it in the end.

He was truly happy in every moment back then; he’s enlightened even now, because all the memories of summer bring you back to him. Despite existing only as a brief moment in his own mind, San is content because whenever he closes his eyes he finds a version of you is there with him. He’s able feel the sun on his bare skin, with your lips pressed against his own again. His favorite bit being when the lingering hint of strawberries followed as you both pulled away.

Yeah, that’s exactly when it was. Three summers ago. When San had first decided it was alright to embrace being him, to be the person he still was today. All thanks to you.

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[umseb]

Sebastian Vettel Elected LupoLeo Personality of the Year 2024: "A Great Honor!"

Award presentation on November 23rd in Braunschweig

The youth committee of the LupoLeo Awards has decided: Former racing driver Sebastian Vettel is the LupoLeo "Personality of the Year" 2024. The young people aged 14 to 18 chose the four-time Formula 1 world champion for his diverse social commitment. In addition, the youth committee selected ten projects for the jury's selection of the "Project Award" from the 33 projects that were finally nominated by the non-profit analysis and consulting company PHINEO from the 235 registrations. The prominent jury of the LupoLeo Award, chaired by Dr. Brigitte Mohn (including singer Peter Maffay, former ski racer Felix Neureuther, doctor and television presenter Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen and television presenter Wolfram Kons), will now choose the three project winners.

The LupoLeo Award, endowed with a total of 100,000 euros, is the largest funding award for commitment to children and young people in Germany, and this year's motto is "For a healthy future for our children and our planet." It will be awarded at a celebratory gala on November 23, 2024 in the Braunschweig State Theater. The "Personality of the Year" category honors a public figure who is committed to children and young people and promotes children's development through their work or appearance. In addition to Sebastian Vettel, the comedian, singer and actress Carolin Kebekus, as well as the chemist, science journalist and YouTuber Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, were in the final selection for the award, which comes with 20,000 euros in funding. Ultimately the young people chose Vettel, who, after his active career as a racing driver, is increasingly committed to environmental and climate protection. With his V5 Projects he raises awareness and explains to the public the importance of these issues. His commitment includes, for example, projects to protect biodiversity (Buzzin' Corner insect hotels on and outside Formula 1 tracks), or he also addresses the topic of sustainability in motorsport under the campaign name "Race Without Trace." "It is an honor and a pleasure for me to be awarded the LupoLeo Award. Whether at home, at school or in public, more and more children and young people are committed to the earth and their own future. This inspires me as a family man and shows how important our future generations are for us and our planet. Whether healthy oceans, intact forests or the energy transition, I am convinced that we can only master these issues together in a positive and future-oriented manner. And this is exactly what I want to make my contribution," commented Vettel immediately after he heard about his election.

A Worthy Award Winner

"We really had a hard time deciding on a 'Personality of the Year'. All the celebrities, and especially the three finalists, have a great commitment to children and young people with an environmental connection," said Leonardo Massimo, chairman of the youth committee. "Sebastian Vettel uses his fame and is active in many subject areas, which really appealed to us. In our opinion, he is the deserving 'Person of the Year.'" "We are impressed by the commitment of the young people in the committee. They discussed intensively and were all very passionate about it. We congratulate Sebastian Vettel on behalf of the entire LupoLeo Award team on his election. He is a worthy winner," emphasize the two LupoLeo Award initiators, Jürgen Brinkmann (Chairman of the BRAWO GROUP) and Robert Lübenoff (Chairman of the fit4future foundation) together.

[z0mibite]

Little TCM(TB) WIP I wanted to run by yall. If I made this a mini series, would you guys be interested?

You sat silently as your friends cried beside you at the dinner table. Your eyes were wide and unblinking, your open mouthed breathing was shaky and uneven, your entire body shook as you stared at the stew in front of you. It looked like any other stew, smelled like it as well, it would have made your stomach growl and mouth salivate if you weren't dreadfully aware that there was human flesh in it. You hadn't known Karina well, she was a friend of a friend, in fact, you'd only met her a few days ago when your mutual friend, Tasha, had invited you both on a road trip before you went your separate ways for college.

You and Tasha had been close since before elementary school, your father's being close being a natural branch for you two to become each other's ‘sister from another mister’. You were both violently different, but it seemed opposites attract was more true than you originally thought. Tasha was always a social butterfly, honor roll, swim champion, volunteer work, the perfect student. You, on the other hand, always found it difficult to fit in. You were terribly anxious when it came to social interaction, and only ever truly exceeded in topics you found intriguing, which wasn't often as public school didn't often let you have a creative outlet.

You weren't failing by any means, but in comparison you Tasha? Her 4.0+ GPA showed her natural prowess, while you got mainly C's and B's in anything other than Animal and Environmental Science. You hadn't gone to a single school dance until she forced you to at least attend your senior prom with her, which, not to your surprise, led to her being dragged off by various friend groups, from the stereotypical geeks to the stereotypical jocks. She got along with everyone, whereas you felt too weird for the popular kids and too normal for the weird kids.

But none of that mattered, not now. Not when Tasha was sobbing violently, her normally conventionally attractive face dampened by a waterfall of snot, tears and blood. Her dark brown skin hid the majority of the purple discoloration around her eye, but the swelling made her injury obvious. Her boyfriend, Randy, didn't look much better. His face was bright red, his nose and eyes especially. His teeth were clenched so hard you were sure they'd break as he spit insults at the Sheriff.

Sabrina and Nicole, both friends of Tasha and Karina, were equally distraught. Nicole was a bit worse for wear than Sabrina though, the Sheriff had taken a particular liking to her, which wasn't a good thing. And you only could only guess where Jackson, Randy's brother, was. You had heard him screaming not long ago, too soon for him to join Karina in the pot on the stove, but you hadn't seen him since you saw him run straight into a bear trap, taking his ankle clean off.

[clonerightsagenda]

For now I think I'm going to use #crude monsters as my catchall tag because I respect a clever title. I'll try to backtag stuff but given tumblr's search function I'm going to pile all my current thoughts in one place so this one at least will be tagged.

Thesis

I've observed a theme in SFF works from the last decade connecting the undead/death magic with fossil fuels/climate change in a way that makes even more literal our contemporary society being powered by dead things (fossil fuels) and positions climate change/pollution as a 'haunting' we've brought upon ourselves. The specter of communism may have been haunting Europe, but the specter of petrochemicals now stalks the globe, and it's getting hot (or cold) in here.

Examples I have collected so far:

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

This is the most blatant. House society runs on death even more visibly than our own. It was created by a man working to save the planet, but even his original project betrays a belief that humans can't possibly escape their extractive relationship with Earth - it relied on freezing the entire population until the Earth could recover, instead of changing anyone's behavior. John wipes out our society, but he ends up recreating a lot of its harmful structures, including a reliance on extraction and death. The Houses rely on labor performed by skeletal servitors (more akin to the original zombie-as-enslaved-labor than the modern ravenous swarm). They use material goods primarily made of plastic or human bone/tissue. The Empire expands by killing entire planetary ecosystems and harvesting the death energy, spawning vengeful hauntings that target necromancers (people born from and benefiting from this extractive process) and Lyctors (necromancers who have gone even further to make continual death and extraction core to their identity). John, the leader of the empire, is powered by the death of Earth, and that's what's literally keeping the lights on - when he's briefly killed, the sun starts to go out. Society's view of human life as fuel trickles down to the interpersonal level as well, with many characters blurring devotion and consumption, taking it as a personal rejection when someone refuses to eat them, or deciding that the kindest alternative to the societal status quo is mutual self-immolation (nuclear fusion?).

Beyond the resurrection beasts serving as the vengeance of slaughtered ecosystems, we also see the aftereffects of this regime in the River, which is filthy and polluted. The Cuyahoga River catching fire became a key symbol and tipping point in the environmental movement in the late 60s/70s, and here we have a river that's been befouled by however John broke the world.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud

In this series, Britain is plagued by something no one wants to name. It's not haunting, it's a Problem. They're not ghosts, they're Visitors. The dead don't have names, they get nicknames like natural disasters. But at the root is a group of wealthy industrialists who are exacerbating a crisis and profiting off of it at the same time. Business leaders are invading the afterlife to extract a product literally made out of dead people, which stirs up the dead and heightens the Problem. Then they turn around and make money off it by selling key supplies and services (silver, iron, agents, etc.) The reliance on children's Talents is reminiscent of climate change rhetoric around young people. Polls suggest young people are the most aware and concerned about climate change (after all, like with Visitors, they can see and feel it most clearly). Many adults in Turbohaunted Britain are willfully ignorant of the situation, brush off their own responsibility, and talk about how "the children will save us", cheerfully dropping the problem into the laps of a generation that did not cause it but will inherit its worst effects. Of course it's not just children who suffer - the process of invading the Other Side is actively killing the people doing it as well, and yet they still won't stop, driven by extractive greed.

This extraction is also displacing a large population. The dead entering living Britain are victims, but they're dehumanized by the real wrongdoers who need an easy scapegoat and the money they can make off one. The later books in this series were published around the height of the European refugee "crisis", when Europe saw high numbers of migrants from Middle Eastern and North African nations experiencing instability that Western oil interests contributed to. Rather than recognizing their responsibility and welcoming these people, Europe as a whole mostly rejected and vilified them, and nations across the globe continue to latch onto cases where migrants do hurt someone as evidence that they're all dangerous monsters, using them as a smokescreen to deflect attention from the rich corporate architects of our collective misery.

The Scholomance by Naomi Novik

This is my third example, and I might be stretching the undead thing a bit, but not too much imo. In the Scholomance series, privileged magic users, primarily in Western and wealthy nations, live in extravagant protected enclaves, leaving everyone else at the mercy of dangerous monsters. It's eventually revealed that enclaves are literally built on the backs of human sacrifices, which spawn a tar pit-like monster (mawmouth) that roams around devouring people - mostly those unlucky individuals who don't get through the enclave gates, meaning the people who benefit are also the least impacted, just as we've seen with warming and climate disasters. Their comfort comes at a direct cost to everyone else. Mawmouths are made out of that original sacrifice but accumulate their screaming, perpetually dying victims, and El is eventually able to defeat them by reminding them that they're "already dead", so I'd say they're at least undead-adjacent.

When a Chinese wizard learns the secret of enclave construction, he confronts the Western enclaves, who refuse to stop. So, his faction feels they have no choice but to build their own enclaves, even if that makes the problem worse. It's reminiscent of how the West scolds "developing" nations for increasing their population and emissions despite having enjoyed the fruits of living large, carbon consumption-wise, for decades. ("We had our fun, now we're going to wag our fingers at anyone who doesn't want to sign emissions treaties. We're not following them though.") The New York enclave makes a more ~ethical~ mawmouth (Orion = greenwashing??) but mostly so they can weaponize it against anyone who argues with them. Orion being created as part of this arms race and El being born to 'balance' him out again hearkens to the idea that the children will somehow save us, and also revisits that children are the most impacted by our warming future, stuck cleaning up earlier generations' messes.

Hi Nay by Motzie Dapul

This connection was made during a Discord conversation and not by me, so I really need to relisten to the podcast with this framing in mind. A group of mostly wealthy Elders gain magical power through sowing the Toronto landscapes with Foci that harvest energy from death. The ones that bother with justifications say it's for the greater good and the deaths at least are random chance, but in reality the Elders are safe and their Foci impact the unprotected, just as we pretend natural disasters and pandemics are great equalizers when really they and other climate-induced destruction hit frontline populations hardest. Just like the wealthy in our world, they're profiting off of people's deaths and looking the other way as man-made disasters caused by their actions destroy people.

Additionally, the use of death magic at scale destabilizes the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead, and locations where a Focus has activated in the past are more likely to experience problems again. Essentially it's a feedback loop, the way we see exponential warming and increased disasters as different 'symptoms' of climate change feed off each other. Foci creating corrupt, repulsive "miasmas" that distort the world around them is also reminiscent of ecological damage and pollution.

The showrunner has indicated future episodes might tackle this theme more directly, so I'm excited about that!

Limitations

Of these four works, three were written by white authors living in what I would categorize as an extracting area of the world rather than an extraction zone. All four works are at least primarily in English for an English-speaking audience. This does not reflect the frontline communities most vulnerable to the current ravages of climate change, and I would not be surprised if this theme has arisen in works I have not found, either because they did not make it through mainstream publishing's gatekeeping or because I do not speak the language.

That being said, hauntings often have their logic. There's unfinished business, someone (something?) wants revenge, people crossed lines they shouldn't have. So perhaps this theme popping up in extractive countries is an acknowledgement of that culpability, admitting that we dug up these angry dead, and now we don't know how to put them back to rest. Shame the rest of the world is paying for our trespass.

I'll continue to keep an eye out for more examples of this theme; feel free to let me know if you spot one!