Solarpunk Urbanism

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A community to discuss solarpunk and other new and alternative urbanisms that seek to break away from our currently ecologically destructive urbanisms.

Henri Lefebvre, The Right to the City — In brief, the right to the city is the right to the production of a city. The labor of a worker is the source of most of the value of a commodity that is expropriated by the owner. The worker, therefore, has a right to benefit from that value denied to them. In the same way, the urban citizen produces and reproduces the city through their own daily actions. However, the the city is expropriated from the urbanite by the rich and the state. The right to the city is therefore the right to appropriate the city by and for those who make and remake it.

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What are we thinking about decomposers in solarpunk urban environments? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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This question comes with my thoughts on a swamp city, but is open to thoughts about any biome.

We know cities are their own form of ecosystem, and all ecosystems must have decomposers. Right now, people are always fighting against them and hating them, which I understand--I also don't like seeing cockroaches, especially inside my house! And fungi can be good decomposers, but all I ever see is mold that can make me sick in my bathroom.

But I understand we need them. I like to think once there's better protection for actual native species, more than just the hardiest decomposers will also thrive. IDK, what do we think? Is it fair to hope for different decomposers that gross me out less, or am I being a bully? Do we need to have more purposeful conservation to introduce native decomposers and eliminate invasive ones, or do we think it will happen naturally as native decomposers follow other native species? In a theoretical solar punk paradise city, do I have to accept molds in my house?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

No need to accept mold in your house.

A huge part of cities (I'd argue the biggest part) is cleanliness and hygiene. Cities need to consolidate and remove their waste to avoid illness and outbreaks. There is also an economy of scale, a municipal composting station can break down more things, and more quickly, than everyone doing it at home (not that they can't or shouldn't if they want to).

The best way to keep decomposers out of your house is to move the things they want to decompose OUT of your house. This is way to much for an individual to manage in tight quarters, so we fall back on a city's economy of scale.

Basically, a city needs a systematic approach to decomposition, it's impractical and unhygienic to be doing so on a small scale within a city (the rules are certain different for something more rural or homestead-y)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That makes sense for human waste, but I'm also wondering about the plants that I hope will be very present in solarpunk cities--in addition to pollinator, won't they need decomposers?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Sure, but dead plant parts should be outside your house when decomposing. Same with food waste. Economy of scale still exists with municipal composting.