Last year, I built DIY solar on my garden shed. I got the modules for free, they had been installed on a supermarket roof for over 20 years. The manufacturer no longer exists, but the modules are still > 95% efficient. Of course new modules are smaller and produce twice as much electricity in the same space. But I didn’t care, I had the space and I really like the solar punk look of the old blue modules. Feels good to reuse them.

I didn’t know the original line is from Ice T

This is great advice! It took me a couple of decades and I’m still struggling sometimes, but this is the way. It is a burden and a privilege to recognize a deep-seated social or environmental problem because you can now spend the rest of your life telling people about it and get hit with ignorance, apathy or some sort of bullshit bingo. It will crush you if you don’t find strategies to deal with that. The post I’m replying to are exactly the strategies I would recommend as well. It’s not easy because it’s (too) slow and not as sexy as calling for a revolution. But I’d say it’s the only way. Lead by example.

Well … and sabotage. You should definitely blow up some pipelines.

This gives me goosebumps and makes my heart beat faster. I’m not giving up thanks to stories like this. Humans can be incredible.

Please watch Wild wild country on Netflix. It really is an experience.

I’m not gonna read about the silent extinction of Texas prairie because I have enough to worry about here in Europe. But I love Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t!

Animals as well. They suffer by the billions and we could just stop it if we wanted to.

I kinda disagree. Social media, even this very harmless version of it, is great for building opinions. But it’s not great at making stuff happen in the real world. I will never meet anyone from Lemmy. It might be comforting to write about guillotines here, posting angry articles, but we in general and especially you Americans need to leave this save zone and actually do something. Fast. With your bodies. In the real world. Show up! Being online is a trap, it makes you feel like you’re participating while it eats you time and kills your energy. Greta Thunberg stopped going to school, wrote a sign and sat down.

Get Signal, gather some local people and do stuff.

Edit:
I agree it can be a challenge. Showing up and meeting a handful of people in the rain can be frustrating and disappointing. But there is no other way and these are real life experiences you will talk and bond about. Sorry for the pep talk. :)

Edit:
I’m not saying you should leave. I love Lemmy! Use it as a tool, not a solution. And a messenger is much more helpful to organize you locally.

Not having children is an interesting topic I’d like to know more about. Do you have any good talks or lectures about it? I mean, we are on this planet because life propagates, it’s baked into the core of every living thing. I wouldn’t say we have to have kids, but it’s a driving force behind a lot of stuff that we do. And it is such a journey! I know kids emit co2, but to me, telling people not to have kids feels like giving up on hope and on life itself.
And I know earth is getting crowded, too. But the western world is not growing at all, other places do. So I’d say, let’s make life over there better and safer, so families over there don’t have to rely on children to look after them when the get old. Like Europe and the US did like a century ago.

The top 10 most effective actions by The Week

(In no particular order)

• Join an initiative at your workplace or start one yourself.
• Join a group that does activism.
• Vote for the most ambitious climate candidates at all levels over the next 10 years.
• Buy everything second-hand.
• Switch to green energy providers.
• Insulate your home.
• Choose less meat, eat more plant-based foods.
• Shift your banking and investments to benefit the environment.
• Switch to public transportation, bike or electric car.
• Stop flying (or reduce it by 80%).