quercus

Emma is joined by writer, activist and professor Naomi Klein about her new essay The rise of end times fascism. Naomi points out the new form that right wing authoritarianism has taken in finding ways to exit society and Earth itself.

Naomi co-wrote the essay with Astra Taylor, which you can read here in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/13/end-times-fascism-far-right-trump-musk

Started working on this area underneath a tree last spring. Common blue violet, eastern columbine and wild geranium make up the groundcover.

I planted Virginia spiderwort too, but the cottontails feasted on them 🐇

And an update on my violet post from last year. They're filling in this area nicely under the elderberry:

Authors: Chris P. Kale, Len Tilbürger
Topics: #anarchism #animalliberation #animalrights #FoodNotBombs #hardcore #intersectionality #music #punk #UnitedKingdom #Vegan
Date: 2014

This zine examines the frequent overlap between punk culture and animal rights^[1]^ activism/vegan consumption habits. It is argued that this relationship is most strongly and consistently expressed, and most sensibly understood, in connection with anarchism.

Examining this relationship is important in several ways. Firstly, it is under-researched and overlooked – as environmental journalist Will Potter argues, given the importance that punk plays in the political development of individual activists, it is surprising that ‘there is a shortage of research into punk’s impact on animal rights and environmental activism.’^[2]^ This zine, which brings together material from numerous bands, zines, patches, leaflets, and newly researched interview material, addresses this absence by considering the relationship between animal rights/veganism and punk. Secondly, the themes raised in this zine resonate far beyond the punk scenes from which material is collected: diversity and difference within activist communities, how these differences are managed (even ‘policed’), the prioritisation of certain forms of activism over others, and the role of culture are all issues which cut right to the heart of contemporary activist and community organising. Thirdly, the topic is of personal importance to the authors, both of whom are writing the zine from the impetus of their own life experiences.

In the first part of the zine the ways in which punk culture and veganism/animal rights coincide will be laid out, to stress the connection’s existence and to explore the different ways in which this connection is expressed. Next, the theme of politicisation will be raised, examining the link between people’s exposure to animal rights/veganism through punk, and the adoption of vegan consumption habits or involvement in animal rights activism. Thirdly, the tension between individual choice and subcultural expectation will be explored, followed by an examination of the supposed dichotomy between consumption and activist politics in animal rights. The zine will conclude by examining how anarchist perspectives cut across and inform these debates in an intersectional manner.^[3]^

Jamie Peck and Sam Beard are joined by Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book “Skyscraper Jails: The Abolitionist Fight Against Jail Expansion in New York City” from Haymarket Books. What happens when politically underdeveloped abolitionists team up with ladder-climbing non-profit directors and big money philanthropy? Nothing good, that’s what!

Join us as we discuss the heartbreaking, cautionary tale about how a fight to shut down Rikers Island prison was taken over, watered-down, and channeled into a movement to built four of the tallest prisons in the world.

Why does the prison industry develop in response to the failures of capitalism? How was the movement to shut down one prison turned into a movement to open a network of skyscraper jail facilities? Will Rikers Island ever close? Was “Defund the Police” actually just a betrayal of the George Floyd Rebellion? How can our movements win?

Extra credit reading from Jarrod & Zhana :) https://urbanomnibus.net/2017/12/jail-end-jails/
https://brooklynrail.org/2020/07/field-notes/Prelude-to-a-Hot-American-Summer/

Currently resisting the spring cleaning urge! The grass in the front yard is starting to grow, so it won't be too much longer.

The first on my list is thinning out the orange coneflower to make beds in the backyard. The second is grouping up the late boneset that sprouted in random places.

Is the Easter Bunny pagan? Probably not. It seems to have been invented by German-speaking Protestants sometime in the 1600s.

Bibliography:

Stephen Winick, "Ostara and the Hare: Not Ancient, but Not As Modern As Some Skeptics Think," Library of Congress Blogs, April 28, 2016.

Stephen Winick, On the Bunny Trail: In Search of the Easter Bunny, Library of Congress Blogs, March 22, 2016

Nonagenarian cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Great Depression.

Guidance for safe foraging

Abstract

Many people in many cultures have a spiritual connection with nature. Research is beginning to reveal the implications of this “ecospiritual” orientation for two great challenges of our times: preserving the well-being of the natural environment and of ourselves. This article provides an overview of the current research on ecospirituality, with a focus on its role in supporting, and sometimes inadvertently hindering, environmental preservation and human well-being.

If you have ever walked among the soaring spires of an old-growth forest or gazed upward at the countless stars on a cloudless night, you may have felt like you were in the presence of something sacred. You would not have been the first. Many people worldwide experience a spiritual relationship with nature. It manifests in Hindu beliefs about shared divine origins of all living things (Selin, 2003), in Barasana origin myths about Amazonian ancestors traveling the Vaupés River at the beginning of time (Davis, 2009), and in the mystic ambitions of Californian soul surfers seeking spiritual enlightenment at sea (Taylor, 2009). The common thread that connects these culturally distinct and richly structured beliefs is the perception of nature as a spiritual resource—that is, ecospirituality (Billet et al., 2023; Suganthi, 2019).

Ecospirituality is pervasive and has important implications not only for human interactions with the natural environment but also for well-being. Some of those implications are straightforward, but some are not. This article provides an overview of recent research on ecospirituality, with a focus on its unique implications for environmental preservation and human well-being.

Brian d'Souza, also known as DJ Auntie Flo, has been experimenting with making music from plants and fungi for the past five years. He uses the plant biodata to trigger notes on his specially built modular synthesizer in a process called biosonification, with the intention of bridging the gap between the natural world and electronic music. He currently runs the A State Of Flo label and substack, focusing on the biological basis for music, new ecosystems and the creation of acoustic ecologies. As Auntie Flo, he recently released his fourth album 'In My Dreams (I'm A Bird And I'm Free)' with one of the singles of 2024 'Green City' - the follow up to the acclaimed 'Radio Highlife' released with Gilles Peterson's Brownswood. His nature based music has been featured on the BBC, 6Music, V&A, Discovery Channel, Tate, Glastonbury, National Trust and more.

'Plants Can Dance (and Mushrooms Sing)', Brian's new concept, debuts on MAJ, combining the realtime sounds of the plants in the MAJ studio with a choice selection of rare ambient, new age, electroacoustic and polyrhythmical vinyl. Records featured include music by Mort Garson, Midori Takada, Nuno Cannavaro, Suzanne Ciani, Flore Libertine and more.

Chrissa Carlson, the former Garden and Nutrition Educator at Baltimore's Hampstead Hill Academy, shows us the steps needed to start a school garden and explains the different components of her school garden that not only makes it an effective space for growing plants, but also an engaging classroom.

If you don't have a lawn of your own to convert, this could be a great project for your neighborhood! Retirement communities or houses of worship are some other possible options.

More about the Baltimore Curriculum Project's Food For Life Program can be found here.

Peels were from ripe bananas. I cleaned them, cut off the ends, removed the peel, and ate the fruit for a quick snack lol. I used a spoon to scrape the inside of the peels to remove the stringy bits. Using a fork, I shredded them into strips then cut the strips into thirds.

I cooked up some onions and garlic in oil. Once they were ready, I threw in the shredded peels, covered with a mix of water and soy sauce, added some spices, and let simmer for 20 minutes. The serving in the picture is from one banana.

They remind me of green beans, not the flavor but the texture. Surprisingly, the flavor is pretty neutral. I wouldn't know it was banana peels if I didn't cook them myself.

I can't believe I got this close to 40 not knowing they were edible 🤯

This seems like a tasty, !zerowaste@slrpnk.net way to use an ingredient thought of as trash around these parts.

The recipe doesn't state this, but the bananas should be washed prior to cutting and should not be overripe (no to minimal brown spots).

I haven't tried making this yet, but I also found other recipes using banana peels in curries or in whole banana bread.