Episode Details
Back to EpisodesWeekly Solarpunk, of 26 April: Fossil Fuel Phaseout, Kigali Green Urbanism, Rebuilding Skill Confidence, Perovskite Solar Tradeoffs
Description
Weekly Solarpunk for 26 April follows 6 future-facing stories and member reactions, including Fossil Fuel Phaseout, Kigali Green Urbanism, Rebuilding Skill Confidence, Perovskite Solar Tradeoffs.
1. Fossil Fuel Phaseout
More than 50 nations gathered in Colombia to push for a coordinated phaseout of fossil fuels, according to Common Dreams, with the article framing it as an effort that moved ahead without the United States. The piece presents the meeting as a concrete diplomatic step rather than a vague pledge, but the larger claims about momentum should still be treated as early and politically contested.
2. Kigali Green Urbanism
The post argues that Kigali's rapid urban growth is starting to look like a solarpunk city, with the linked article treating Rwanda's capital as an example of emerging urbanism. According to the article, the appeal is not just the architecture but the sense that planning, density, and cleaner infrastructure are reshaping how the city works.
3. Rebuilding Skill Confidence
The post shares an essay about what happens when large language models leave people doubting skills they once trusted, and how confidence can be rebuilt afterward. According to the essay, the damage is not just practical; it also changes how people judge their own competence, and the recovery has to start with small, repeatable acts of making things by hand again.
4. Perovskite Solar Tradeoffs
The discussion centers on perovskite solar cells as a possible next step beyond silicon, especially for thin, flexible, and semi-transparent uses. According to the linked breakdown, their stronger light absorption could let panels be much thinner, which opens the door to curved surfaces and window-sized installations.
5. Emergency Radio Petition
A post points to a video petitioning for the return of Canadian emergency radio, arguing that weather alerts should not depend on a phone app. According to the linked video, the complaint is that Canada is replacing broadcast-style emergency notice with an app-based system.
6. Fungi and Rain
The story here is a video about fungi and how they may be linked to rain formation. According to Anton Petrov’s video, a new study suggests mushrooms can influence the way water condenses in the air, but that claim is still more suggestive than settled.
That's it for today.