David Colello's Blog: SciFiParenting, page 3

"Ecopunk Fashion: Tips for Creating a Sustainable Wardrobe (And Looking Cool While Doing It)"

Are you tired of wearing the same old, mass-produced, fast fashion pieces that are ruining the planet? Are you ready to embrace your inner ecopunk and make a statement with your style? Look no further! Here are some tips for creating a sustainable wardrobe that will turn heads and save the earth:

Ditch the fast fashion. Yes, I know it's cheap and easy to just buy whatever is trendy at the moment, but have you stopped to think about where that clothing came from and how it was made? Most likely, it was produced in a sweatshop by underpaid workers and made from cheap, environmentally damaging materials. Instead, invest in high-quality, ethically produced pieces that will last for years to come. Shop secondhand. Don't feel like spending a ton of money on new, sustainable clothing? No problem! Head to your local thrift store or check out online secondhand shops like Poshmark and Depop. Not only will you be saving money, but you'll also be giving clothing a second life and keeping it out of landfills. Plus, you never know what hidden gems you might find! Get creative with DIY. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and DIY your own clothing. Not only is it a fun and creative outlet, but it allows you to completely customize your wardrobe to your own personal style. Plus, you can use recycled materials to give old clothing new life. Make a statement with accessories. If you're not ready to fully commit to a sustainable wardrobe, consider adding some eco-friendly accessories to your look. From recycled metal jewelry to organic cotton bags, there are plenty of options that will add some flair to your outfit and make a statement about your values. Don't be afraid to be bold. Ecopunk fashion is all about making a statement and standing out from the crowd. So don't be afraid to mix and match patterns and colors, or to try out a bold, edgy look. The key is to be confident and have fun with your style!

So there you have it! With these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating a sustainable wardrobe that will make you look cool and feel good about your fashion choices. Remember, every small change you make can have a big impact on the planet. Happy eco-friendly shopping!

An Ecopunk's Open Letter To Christians

An Ecopunk's Open Letter To Christians

As someone who hasn't sat in a church pew regularly since the 7th grade, I look on religious communities as an outsider. However, sometimes the most punk thing to do is talk to the last person you might expect. So…this is my open letter to Christians about how we are all one family, surviving on one lonely planet, and how I hope we can all learn to help save it together.

As a Christian, you may believe that it is your duty to be a steward of the earth and protect God's creation. If this is the case, then fighting climate change should be an issue that is of great importance to you.

The science is clear: our planet is facing a crisis. The burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing the earth's temperature to rise and leading to a host of problems including more frequent and severe natural disasters, droughts, and food shortages.

But as a Christian, you may be wondering how this issue aligns with your beliefs. The answer is simple: caring for the earth and its inhabitants is a fundamental part of being a follower of Jesus.

In Genesis, you read that God placed humanity in the garden of Eden and commanded us to "tend and keep" in

Genesis 2:15. This charge to be stewards of the earth is repeated throughout the Bible, from the command to "dress and keep" the garden in Genesis 3:23, to the instruction to "cultivate and keep" the earth in Psalm 104:14.

Moreover, Jesus himself demonstrated a deep concern for the natural world and its creatures. In Matthew 6:26, he reminds us that God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field, and he calls on us to have faith in God's provision for all of his creation.

In light of these passages, it is clear that caring for the earth is not just a political issue or a matter of personal preference, but a fundamental part of being a faithful Christian. By taking action to combat climate change, you can fulfill your calling to be a steward of God's creation and protect the world he has given us.

So if you're a Christian and you care about the future of our planet, now is the time to take action. Whether it's reducing your own carbon footprint, supporting politicians and policies that prioritize the environment, or getting involved in local conservation efforts, there are many ways you can make a difference.

Don't let the voice of doubt or fear keep you from doing what you know in your heart is right. Trust in your God and do your part to protect his creation. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world and leave a legacy of faithfulness for future generations.

Solar Punk Explained

Solar punk is a subgenre of science fiction that explores a world in which renewable energy has become the dominant source of power. It imagines a future in which society has made the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable, clean energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal. This shift has led to a number of positive changes in the world, including a reduction in pollution and a decrease in global conflict over resources.

One of the key themes of solar punk is the idea that society can, and should, use technology and innovation to create a more sustainable and equitable world. This idea is often contrasted with the dystopian visions of the future often depicted in other forms of science fiction, which tend to focus on technological advancement at the expense of social and environmental concerns.

One of the defining characteristics of solar punk is its focus on decentralization. In a world powered by renewable energy, there is less need for large, centralized power plants and energy grids. Instead, power is generated locally, often through the use of small-scale solar panels or other renewable energy technologies. This decentralization of power allows for greater self-sufficiency and independence at the community level, as well as a more distributed and resilient energy system.

Solar punk also often explores the idea of "green" or sustainable cities, in which urban environments are designed with the goal of minimizing their impact on the environment. This might include the use of green roofs and vertical gardens to reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as the incorporation of sustainable transportation options like electric bikes and buses.

One of the most exciting aspects of solar punk is its potential to inspire and motivate people to take action in the real world. By presenting a vision of a future powered by renewable energy, solar punk can help people to see the feasibility and benefits of transitioning to a more sustainable way of living. It can also serve as a call to action, encouraging people to take steps in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprint and live in a more environmentally-friendly way.

Overall, solar punk is a hopeful and inspiring vision of the future, one in which technology and innovation are used to create a more sustainable, equitable world. It serves as a reminder that with determination and creativity, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and future generations.

Singularity Watch

What's the Singularity, and why am I watching for it? Long story short: the Singularity will occur when some area of technology sufficiently changes humanity so as to make them a new species, or in the case of AI, changes FROM humanity.This will be the first in a series of posts where I update you on all the badass advancements people around the world are making in the fields of Nano, Bio, and I/O. These are general categories I lump together mostly because, well, they rhyme. Each attempts to bridge the human with the artificial to some degree.Nano includes everything from medical, industrial, and military nanotechnology. As our tech gets smaller and smaller, it opens up untold applications to alter our environment, many in ways we don't understand. Biotechnology promises to drastically change life as a whole, and so dovetails quite a bit with the nanotech revolution. As machines get small enough to enter the human body and perform tasks, our physical and mental limits will be stretched exponentially.The last of the three, I/O, is the most unpredictable of all. Artificial intelligence is poised to achieve greater levels of consciousness over the next decade, perhaps enough to reach human level. What comes next is anyone's guess. Citizen robots? AI revolution? Cyborg movement?Who knows?! I sure don't, but I'll keep doing my best to share what I learn with you fellow ecopunks.

Hopepunk Vs. Grimdark

Of course, I'm not here to debate which is better, because that's like comparing apples to oranges. But the main idea I want to share with you is that both genres are on the same spectrum of speculative fiction, and which you prefer is more about your personality than the writing style.Glass half full? Hopepunk.Glass half empty? Grimdark.Hopeful people can certainly enjoy a grimdark story, and the most stoic grimdark fan harbors some secret hope for humanity, but overall the types fit.Which are you? Do you like solarpunk or afro futurism or cyberpunk? And does it fit your overall personality?It seems like the only thing humans agree upon is that progress is blindingly fast, and that sometime soon humanity is either going to fix most of its problems or destroy itself. I personally tend to be more pessimistic about our chances, but hopeful in my writing.It feels like sci fi splintered into so many subgenres in the last few decades because we all see a different outcome for humanity. While we all see the need or the inevitability of vast change, no one agrees on what action is required.My writing is meant to give readers hope for the future, but while keeping true to science and the likely coming disasters. So let's keep reading and writing and living the best we can, because we all matter, and our actions are what's going to save us all.

What is Ecopunk?

Ecopunk. This concept is at the core of who I am as a writer, so it stands to reason that a few definitions are in order. Anyone who has found this blog must already have at least a vague understanding of ecofiction. At its broadest, this includes any stories where ecology or environment plays a central role in the plot.The environmental movement has always had parallels with the punk asthestic, mostly due to common enemies such as greed and corporations. This is what inspired me to build out the Mission Cerex universe, where humanity was right at the tipping point between destruction and salvation. It seems to me that the human race will find out this century whether we have what it takes to adapt, or if we're too scared to take the red pill.Don't give up hope! Ecopunk is here to save the day. There are a number of new offshoots in the world of sci fi that use variations of an ecopunk hero. Each is good in their own way, although not all of them seem as relevant as they once did.There is solarpunk, a more hopeful, more mature take on the future of humanity. These stories tend to oversimplify or gloss over the transition period of how humanity deals with its destructive habits. They offer positive examples of future societies, so they rank as a close cousin of ecopunk in my mind.There is hope punk, which doesn't necessarily need to be about the environment at all, but dovetails nicely with the punk mindset of "I'm going to find meaning even when all meaning seems lost."Then there's the grandfather of them all: cyberpunk. While ecopunk could not exist without its grittier, dystopian cyberpunk ancestors, the two evolved into wholly different outlooks, and can hardly be grouped together anymore.For something to qualify as ecopunk for me, it needs to be set on the downswing of human civilization, but working towards a better future. No hope remains for turning back and avoiding society's mistakes, but there is still a path forward. There are countless paths forward, and I plan to write more wonderful stories for you all where we can explore what may be waiting just around the corner.

7 Things I Learned While Parenting During The Coronovirus Pandemic

Covid-19 has shut down humanity and forever altered the landscape of work and socializing, sure. But how is it affecting my parenting, you ask? No one has a clue! Parenting has been stripped down to the Mad Max survivalist basics, with grocery store runs involving protective gear and a disinfectant smog greeting me when I get home. We all understand. We're all in this together. So, throw a few crackers towards your kids and buckle up for our COVID countdown of things I've learned while on quarantine. All work at most jobs can be done from home in half the time, unless kids are there. The dirty little secret of white collar and office workers everywhere has been exposed at last: 90% of their day could be squeezed into a Zoom meeting. Will some businesses decide to simply stay with remote workers? That Marie Kondo is really on to something! Hey, it may have taken nearly four decades and an honest-to-goodness plague, but my towels are all rolled and my clothes folded neatly on display with room to spare. Arigato, Marie Kondo. School is daycare, and also full of saints. School is 6-8 hours long because Americans have no extended family to care for our children and both parents usually need to work. That's it, the rest is filler, just like 90% of work. Educating, inspiring, and well, tolerating two dozen kids for hours a day takes a special type of person. So buy the damn extra office supplies for them next year! Introverts like me have barely noticed social restrictions. If I wasn't married with kids, I could see myself turning off my phone ringer and letting the world sort itself out for a few months. I'll check in every once in a while to download new Audible and Kindle files on WiFi. Society is not ready for a fully remote work economy. For those who had a panic attack when they just read about me wishing I could be alone for months, I understand. Just because I would thrive in a remote worker economy, doesn't mean that everyone could. We'll have to find new balances between home and work. Carole Baskin clearly killed her first husband. This seems to go without saying, you cool cats and kittens, but she definitely got away with murder. Also, meth is bad. The environment needs us to become a maximally remote work eeconomy. One of the few highlights of this massive shutdown has been the glimpse into how quickly Nature can begin healing itself. From dolphins in Venice to cities free of smog, it just goes to show what's possible if humanity puts its collective heads together for a common purpose. So there you have it. My observations from inside the Coronadome wasteland that is 2020. Cheers! Follow me on social media for more gems in status form.

I Hope My Kids Are Punks

In the midst of the most disruptive and devastating times in the modern era, we've been thrust into constant contact with those we hold most dear. Despite squabbling and stress (we're expecting our third child within a month), this extra time with my children is giving me cause to reflect on how they will adapt to our rapidly evolving civilization. And I hope they learn quickly how to step back and get off the merry-go-round. They need respect for themselves, respect for others, and a healthy dose of irreverence for the institutions which are becoming laughably unable to adapt to the changing times. I want to raise some proper punks. I define punk as follows: being self-empowered, an individual who follows no -ism or ideology, who rejects forms of collective delusion. For me this means all religious dogma, all forced societal norms, and even economic norms, can and should be disregarded if you do not personally believe the reasoning behind it to be sound. This a difficult thing to teach a child without slipping into solipsistic narcissism. "Do whatever you want" is not the point, but rather "do what you believe to be right," which is a skill learned through years of difficult choices and practice. Being a punk was, and still is for older generations, an insult meant to describe someone as stupid, inexperienced, and/or disrespectful. Ever since the modern punk movement however, people have begun taking the term and making it into something new. In a society changing more and more rapidly every year, growing movements are sprouting up who are ready to chart their own path forward. Thanks to amazing progress in AI, computing, and technology in general, individuals are finding it easier to opt out of traditional lifestyles. Punk rockers used to rail against the "establishment," but still went home to a rented apartment, ate processed food, drove mass produced cars, wore retail clothes, and were part of a thousand other nearly invisible systems of control. Soon you'll be able to make your own energy, food, even 3D printed products, with access to humanity's entire collective knowledge base and with instant communication with anywhere in the world. The gatekeepers are all falling like dominoes, and when we no longer need them, we can finally be free. When I think of the world in which my children will grow up, I see so many things they will not have to do. Imagine it with me for a moment… What if you didn't need a job or income, because you could provide for yourself? What if we could live vastly longer, illness free lives, and even modify our own body or genetic code to our personal wishes? What if the energy industry was completely renewable, or everyone could easily produce their own energy? What if we didn't have to rely on anybody to live the lives we wished to lead? The trickier part to imagine is what we will choose to do, when the choice is finally ours. Being a punk is most often defined by what it's not, but when society no longer tries to define us, we will all have to figure out what defines ourselves. Then when we're all finally punks, there will be nothing left to rebel against, and none of us will be punks. Here's to a future where my children will be the last generation of punks, the ones who help set us all free.

Trillion Dollar Sky

Mission Cerex: Book 1 Staggering treasure? Global domination? All biologist Pia Lamotte wants is a strong espresso and a tent under the stars, but destiny is launching her across the solar system.

Pia is a stunning woman, whose genius is sought after by the handful of Multinational corporations left fighting for control over the ravaged Earth of 2056. She may despise these Multinats, but her research depends on their funding.

As rampant starvation and environmental destruction sweep across the planet, war seems inevitable both on Earth and in the Lunar colonies. Natocorps has a daring plan for how to become the sole surviving Globalcorps, but it will require Pia's help and a trip to the dwarf planet Ceres. As the largest object in the asteroid belt, Ceres promises untold riches for the first to colonize it. However, what they discover there is more mysterious than anything they can imagine.

Thrills, danger, love, wonder, humor, and intrigue will be found every step of the way. It's 30% hard science fiction, 30% dystopian, 30% space opera, 10% love story, and 100% addictive! Fans of The Expanse, Firefly, Asimov, or Arthur C. Clarke's Rama series will feel right at home. So what are you waiting for? Jump into the exciting world of Mission Cerex!

Super Annoying

Flash Fiction From The Dark Side Everything around him began telescoping away from him, while his feet sank into the marble flooring an inch at a time. Colin could hear garbled talking come up from behind him and pause at his side before speeding away. He felt a twitch in his right hand, but by the time his head tilted downward to check, his revolver had vanished. “No, damn it, this isn't fair.” Even his thoughts came through slowly. He had heard from his contact at the loading dock about this happening to someone earlier this year. But it was too impossible to believe! His eyes rolled a gruellingly long roll which gave him time to admire the mini chandeliers in front of each teller's window. When his eyes returned to level, the duffle bags were gone from the counter. Where's the honor in being caught by someone who you never even see? The last thought Colin managed to squeak out before being knocked unconscious and left leaning against a nearby police cruiser was a simple one. “I hate superheroes.”