Explore Solutions
About the SOLUTIONS Section
SOLUTIONS! We are so excited to introduce the Solutions area of our online journal. The Solutions we focus on take a grassroots approach- everything that we look at are things that YOU can actually do, here and now, rather than waiting for solutions to come about from on high.
Some have called the grassroots approach to solution-making nowtopian or concrete utopian- a label that we embrace. Utopia points to aspirations and visions for radical alternatives aimed at creating more fulfilling lives, while the concrete and now pays attention to the evaluation of the viability and achievability of them.
We take a holistic approach to looking at solutions, physical and social-- because as humans, we are not just physical beings, but also social creatures. In order to achieve more sustainable means of physical survival, we also need to rethink the ways that we relate to and interact with each other.
Exploring the many different types of alternative shelters and technologies, from passive solar, to earthships, aircrete, and urban retrofits.
Here we look beyond saving water, to innovative grassroots technologies that recycle and collect it.
A dive into carbon neutral power sources and ways of sharing power with communities, including lesser-known technologies like residential geothermal.
Our current consumer culture is based on a liner buy-use-throw away system. In the #waste area, we put the concept of waste on its head and consider how we can turn “waste” into productive material, from plastics to poop.
One of the most fundamental elements to transitioning to more sustainable systems is FOOD! We will explore a range of alternative food production approaches, including complex systems like permaculture, and easy fixes like regrowing onions in your windowsill.
COMMUNITIES
In this area, we consider practical tools for building strong communities- groups of people who work well together and who support each other intellectually, creatively, and personally. We’ll talk about things like nonviolent communication, consensus, and collaboration.
We believe that art is one of the most powerful tools in creating the foundations for a more sustainable world. Without a sense of fascination, of wonder, why should we care about social change at all? In this area, we explore what moves us, what alternative (environmental, interactive, immersive) art looks like, and how the details of how YOU can actually make art!