Dr. Wesley Cox, Dani Haogue, and Zaria Smith all grew up in Altadena, CA. In the wake of the Eaton Fire which destroyed more than half of the city in January 2025, they share their personal stories and how they connect to the wider picture of Black history in Los Angeles, environmental racism, and the struggle for a brighter future.

DONATE to Dena Rebuild: https://denarebuild.co/

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As solarpunks, we have to consider the possibility of collapse. Matthew Azuley–aka EpicTomorrows–introduces us to collapse awareness, a view of the climate crisis which accepts the inevitability of societal collapse on some level. We'll hear a bit about his forthcoming book, an anthology of global perspectives on collapse, as well as how this view might fit within a solarpunk perspective.

Help launch the book by Nov. 15th: Ecological crisis, revolutionary change & collapse

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In 1995, Dr. Jess Ghannam was one of two psychiatrists for the entire population of the Gaza strip. Jess’s work centers around community mental health, a model that aims to deliver care at scale by integrating with the community. We talk about how Jess’s own experience with intergenerational trauma as a Palestinian drew him to the mental health profession, how the Western model fails to meet global needs, and where we go from here.

Note: Since October 7th, much of this work in Gaza has been destroyed. And the needs right now are much more immediate–food, water, shelter, and a ceasefire. If you have the resources, Jess recommends a donation to KinderUSA (http://www.kinderusa.org/), currently providing food support to the region.

For show notes and more info about this episode, click here.
Follow me on Twitter: @solarpunkcast
Mastodon: @solarpunkcast@spore.social

Support the show