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SolarQueen

@ SolarQueen @slrpnk.net

Posts
1
Comments
13
Joined
1 mo. ago

I'm super into making things and trying to be more sustainable. I love animals and don't eat them. Working in the tech industry currently, but in the public sector so that I can still sleep well at night. I try to be a more positive force in a turbulent world without slipping into being toxic.

  • Outdoor veggie and fruit gardeners, how do you protect your crops against disease and from becoming a buffet for pests and wildlife?

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  • Everyone's challenges are different, but for me it's usually fruits being stolen by birds and squirrels, and pests eating up leaves before any of the fruits have been produces.

    Only two things have worked for the pests: one is rotating crops. The pests show up, lay eggs in the spot where the plant is, and then they hatch the next season, so I try to plant in different areas each time. This doesn't work for tomatoes, who like being planted in the same spot each year, but I have a different solution for that.

    Once I've got leaves coming up, and as soon as I see they're nibbled on, I take a piece of cardboard from a shipping box, and cut it about 6" square. Then on one side, cut up into the middle, and cut a circle about 1 cm in diameter. Twist the cardboard so that you can get it around the plant, and let the plant grow up through the hole. You'd think that 1cm would be large enough for the bugs to get through, or that they'd be able to fly around and above it, but I guess my bugs are just really fucking dumb. It's stopped the nibbling in 100% of the cases I've deployed it, so this is currently my favorite solution.

    For the squirrels and birds I use bird netting. I usually stick PVC pipes about 3-4 ft. in height at the corners of my beds, and then drape the netting over them. The sides can be weighted down with stones/heavy objects, or you can tie it to fencing or whatever you have. I do have to move it aside when harvesting or weeding, but it's not a big time sink for me.

  • Billie Eilish on how she's making touring less terrible for the planet

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  • You and I, though, have virtually no say in what goes on at the top, and realistically, we never will. So I don't really see why giving up work elsewhere would accomplish anything. Which isn't to say that we can't do two things at once, of course--you and I can both push for legislation against large industrial polluters, and we both should. Where I take exception to that is in saying that others also shouldn't take action in their own way as well.

    It assumes that work on climate change is a very zero-sum game, in that focusing on one type of behavior eliminates work on any other sort of behavior, and that's simply not the case. We can do many things at once. It also helps to build a community that has buy-in from each of its members about how things should be--sustainable and regenerative, instead of exploitative (whether of people, things, the Earth, etc), so that the larger things follow suit. This normalizes the behavior and practices and moves the Overton window away from what the big players are doing.

    Thanks for the reminder about the carbon footprint slogan. I don't think it's wrong in itself, however, it's just that it was co-opted to remove pressure from Big Oil instead of being used in tandem with the movement against them.

  • Billie Eilish on how she's making touring less terrible for the planet

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  • I realized I didn't give examples of things I've convinced people of, so I figured I'd elaborate--sorry for the comment length; I'm not trying to pile on you, just hoping to inspire others!

    • I've pointed out to a few people that restaurants will often let you bring your own food containers for leftovers, and sometimes will box it for you, so that you don't have to use Styrofoam or single-use plastic
    • I've inspired a few folks to repair their clothing instead of throwing it out by wearing very visible patches on my own clothes. I usually make them look pretty and/or creative, which makes them popular with people
    • I've steered folks away from Spotify by sharing places I like to buy music that aren't streaming platforms (I even got a family member a CD player so they could build a collection, and it went down really well with them!)
    • I like to make zines going over various ways I've found of consuming less and saving money. I've gotten a lot positive feedback on them over the years.

  • Billie Eilish on how she's making touring less terrible for the planet

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  • Sure, there are bigger things, but there will always be bigger things. Someone, especially someone with a large audience, coming out and saying that this is important to them is the important part. That's how you begin a movement.

    Naysayers pointing out how one thing isn't going to make a difference is part of how capitalism works; it persists by convincing everyone that there is no point in resisting, that nothing will ever make a difference. But she and others aren't doing this because it's going to change everything, they're doing it because they should, and it's part of the world we want. It starts with a few people, and then spreads to everyone else. I myself have managed to convince a non-zero number of people to change their ways just like this. You just have to be persistent, and have a little faith.

  • Solarpunk Art Collab 2026: Disaster Preparedness, Response and Relief

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  • I hadn't thought of it that way! I'll definitely submit if I can come up with something I'm satisfied with.

  • Solarpunk Art Collab 2026: Disaster Preparedness, Response and Relief

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  • Thanks for posting this! I'm familiar with the Story Seed Library, but didn't know they were holding an art collab. I make pixel art mostly, but I'm also kind of flirting with the idea of making a Solarpunk Coloring Book (I do a lot of adult coloring stuff, and I've given away coloring pages via my website before). Not sure if that would be accepted, but it's still nice to know about.

  • Why it is worthwhile to dissect e-waste -- there are sometimes useful gems therein

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  • 120GB can also hold a whole library full of music and/or books, so that's nothing to scoff at!

  • An Inflation Time Bomb Is Hiding in Home Insurance

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  • Tl;dr: Climate change is causing housing insurance rates to rise, and the price of rebuilding after disasters is increasing. Meanwhile the Fed is doing very little about it because this is Trump's administration, and their orders are to drive us headlong into disaster.

    I wouldn't call it a "time bomb," just things getting more expensive per usual.

  • How to clean laptop?

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  • In addition to the other tips here, it would also be easier if you could disassemble the entire keyboard and lift it from the frame entirely. I'm not sure how ThinkPads are constructed, but the other brands I've used can come off, and then you can clean the plastic on top of the circuitry more vigorously (let dry completely before putting it back on)

  • Student Athletes Feel the Heat as States Adapt to Climate Change | Exertional heatstroke is a leading cause of death in high school sports. What should states do to prevent it?

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  • Agreed, but in the American South it is rampant and frustrating. I try to fight against it when I can, but it is very much an uphill battle.

  • What does simple living means to you? What are your ressources on the topics?

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  • I wouldn't say I'm super great at living the Simple Life myself, but I do try. To me it means opting out of the hype cycles and rat races that the media pushes, appreciating and trying to get better at simpler things. Enjoying what I can do at home instead of seeking outside stimulation and entertainment.

    The other day I took a bath because I had been gardening and gotten completely muddy. I pulled the plug after and realized I still enjoyed watching the water swirl around the drain the way I used to when I was a child. It's a small thing, but I try to stop and breathe whenever I remember. Just doing nothing for small periods at a time helps center myself and remind me of what's important.

  • Your 'widely recyclable' Starbucks cup is still trash

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  • Not that I would encourage anyone to start seeking plastic trash out--bringing your own cup is always best--if you do happen to find yourself with plastic cups on hand, they make excellent seed starters. Punch holes in the bottom and fill them with soil. They'll fit really nicely next to each other in one of those shoe-box sized plastic storage containers, and you can keep the box filled with water to make sure the seeds stay moist. I've started a lot of plants for my garden this way.