Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson takes a look at a climate human rights case out of Australia, and its implications for the ability to hold corporations accountable for their role in damaging the climate. Then, we explore what a solarpunk system of climate accountability would look like.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesTrapped by floods and fearing death in the heat: the Australians taking legal action over the climate crisishttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/22/trapped-by-floods-and-fearing-death-in-the-heat-the-australians-taking-legal-action-over-the-climate-crisisMeet the 10 Australians and Read their Complainthttps://earthjustice.org/hardtruthscase/legalFossil Fuel Exports at Center of UN Human Rights Case Against Australian Governmenthttps://earthjustice.org/press/2026/fossil-fuel-exports-at-center-of-un-human-rights-case-against-australian-governmentU.N. court rules countries have duty to limit greenhouse emissionshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/23/world-court-climate-rulingObligations of States in respect of Climate Changehttps://www.icj-cij.org/case/187

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson looks how extreme heat is changing the way World Cup matches are played, and asked why those same protections aren't afforded to all working people.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesStudy warns of dangerous heat at 2026 World Cup as climate risks growhttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/study-warns-dangerous-heat-2026-world-cup-climate-risks-grow-2026-05-14World Cup puts urban heat risk in the spotlighthttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/world-cup-puts-urban-heat-risk-spotlight--ecmii-2026-06-16Mexico, Italy and others see up to two more months of heat stress than in the 1970s, study sayshttps://apnews.com/article/climate-heat-stress-feelslike-temperatures-50-days-daae5fb348e8cb587bccdf770e842611Two World Cup matches were played in ‘severe heat’, analysis findshttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/19/world-cup-matches-severe-heat-level-analysisHydration breaks affect game more than I initially thought, says England's Tuchelhttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/hydration-breaks-affect-game-more-than-i-initially-thought-says-englands-tuchel-2026-06-22/Heat at work: Implications for safety and healthhttps://www.ilo.org/publications/heat-work-implications-safety-and-health

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, we have part 3 of our series on Disaster Prep as Community Care. We’re talking about hurricanes, flooding, storm surge, power outages, the myth of the evacuation order, and we continue our conversation about what solarpunk disaster prep and response look like. Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson dives into the data center revolt with three examples of communities fighting back and saying no, including Illinois, La Pine, Oregon, and Monterey Park, California. Then, Justine outlines a solarpunk standard for data center approval.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesAmericans wary of AI-driven data center boom, Reuters/Ipsos poll showshttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-wary-ai-driven-data-center-boom-reutersipsos-poll-shows-2026-06-11US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA sayshttps://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-beat-record-highs-2026-2027-ai-use-surges-eia-says-2026-06-09Gov. Pritzker slows down data center developmenthttps://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/06/09/gov-pritzker-slows-down-data-center-developmentA small Central Oregon town shoots down data center developmenthttps://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/28/la-pine-rejects-data-center-central-oregonIn first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacentershttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/03/california-monterey-park-datacenters-ban

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson continues the discussion about wildfire and smoke from earlier this week, but from the angle of clean air as public infrastructure rather than from the perspective of small community disaster preparedness.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagNews Articles and Other SourcesWildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study findshttps://apnews.com/article/smog-wildfires-climate-change-ozone-artificial-intelligence-bc9cde6da8ae4019cc07b800c70106adFires reverse progress toward ozone air quality standards in the United Stateshttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aed3197NASA-Funded Study Shows Wildfire Smoke’s Hidden Ozone Tollhttps://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-funded-study-shows-wildfire-smokes-hidden-ozone-tollWildfire smoke has reversed US progress toward ozone air quality, study findshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/04/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-ozoneThe Clean Air Act 101https://www.nrdc.org/stories/clean-air-act-101American Lung Association State of the Air Report https://www.lung.org/research/sotaScience in Action: How to Build a Corsi-Rosenthal Boxhttps://engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/science-action-how-build-corsi-rosenthal-boxMonitor the Air Quality Index Near Youhttps://www.iqair.com/usa

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson brings you part 2 of our series of disaster prep as community care, and this episode is all about wildfire season. How do we prepare for the smoke, the evacuation orders, and fire? And how to ensure that those who need help aren't left behind to fend for themselves?Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson reads a short story from our most recent issue, Solarpunk Magazine Issue #27. This story was written by Sylvie Althoff, and is titled, "Radio Free Luna, Signing Off."Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagYou can learn more about Sylvie Althoff and her work on her website, and you can connect with her on Bluesky @sylvie-althoff.bsky.social.

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, we’re launching our series on disaster prep, not as a hyper-individualist apocalyptic fantasy, but as mutual aid and community resilience. We're calling this series "Disaster Prep is Community Care: An Anti-Prepper Survival Guide." Each Monday for the next eight weeks, we'll explore how real disaster preparedness isn't about hoarding supplies and hiding in a bunker, but is an organizing tool for building stronger communities and ensuring that when systems fail, no one is left behind.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag

On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson looks at the rise of solar power and examines the systems that keep us paying so much for electricity when sunlight is so abundant.Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmagOur Social MediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmagTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmagFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmagSOURCES AND LINKSSolar’s day in the sun is rapidly approachinghttps://www.ft.com/content/2d78227e-d74d-43f0-ba92-13543e22b1d3New Energy Outlook 2026https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/new-energy-outlook/#row-6a19c1eed9b5aCORRECTION: In the episode, it's stated that battery storage deployment could rise from 223 GW in 2025 to 3.8 TW by 2035, but that was said incorrectly. BloombergNEF’s executive summary says storage rises from 223 GW in 2025 to 3.8 TW by 2050, not 2035. Our apologies for the mistake.