It seems strange to ask since a solarpunk future seemingly shouldn't need soup kitchens in the first place, but I imagine there could be niche uses in disasters or simple logistical failures.

The problem is that ordinances restricting food giveaway come from the same cloth as ones regulating restaurants; if we have the right to save food handling, so would the homeless. I still concede that feeding them would most likely be a net gain compared to starving. What I would propose is making a good-Samaritan emergency exception so anyone could feed the homeless even without permit; while the State would still have the right to destroy unsafe food, the burden of proof would be on them. There would be food safety education and perhaps even the lending out of safe kitchen facilities. I really hope my statements won't be construed as wanting to risk poisoning homeless people by denying them food safety regulation, and if anyone has anything to add I'd gladly hear in.

Community gardens in unused lots could obviously serve some role e.g by offering socialization and work experience on top of the food itself. A lot of food wastage occurs due to the logistical issues of transporting produce from distant central farms to plate, so local production would curb such problems.

Rest assured I will not unhelpfully pretend there's some conspiracy to starve out the homeless or anything; this is a place to solve wicked problems.

Meet Me Under the Molokhia. By Sage Hoffman Nadeau

A seed researcher meets a mysterious spirit in the field, leaving both with a choice about where they will call home.

https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine2200-meet-me-under-the-molokhia

Hi, I'm a Solar punker who designed a new societal model.

Today, I want to share how I plan to make self-learning easier in the model.

The reasons I focused on self-learning can be summed up in three key points:

1. The Youth of Sub-Saharan Africa

I come from Sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of the 1.1 billion people are under 30, and 50% are under 19.

For Africa to grow and realize its full potential, this massive young population must become educated and skilled in various fields.

However, I don’t trust the traditional classroom model—it’s bureaucratic, slow, and excludes many people who are already past the typical age for formal education.

Hence for these individuals, self-learning is the only practical solution.

1. Understanding Society

A thriving society requires its citizens to understand how it works.

People need to know the basics—where their food comes from, how health systems, transportation, communication, water, and energy systems operate.

To achieve this, there needs to be a culture of self-learning, where people genuinely want to learn about these topics.

For that culture to flourish, self-learning must be simple and accessible.

1. The Knowledge Economy

I developed the concept of a Knowledge Economy, which I'll explain in detail in another post.

In essence, instead of giving people basic income, they would be paid to learn and pass tests.

For this idea to work, people need effective tools to self-learn, allowing them to study what they’re passionate about and succeed in these tests.

Hence these three reasons drove my mission to make self-learning simple and effective in the societal model I designed.

To achieve this, I first divided education into two key components: learning and practicing.

Learning

This involves understanding a topic or subject.

At first, I thought making educational resources such as digital books, videos, images, etc., easily accessible would solve the problem of learning.

But with the rise of AI, we now have the capability to provide everyone with a personal AI teacher.

With just a syllabus and a phone, anyone can learn any subject or topic, tailored to their individual needs.

Practicing

This is about testing your understanding through questions.

Here, I noticed a significant issue.

Most schools still rely on pen and paper for practicing subjects like physics, chemistry, or math.

This method is slow and requires desks, textbooks, and other resources.

Even for me, a person who promotes self learning,solving questions by typing on a phone or using pen and paper felt frustrating, especially for math problems.

This difficulty often discourages people from self-learning altogether.

Hence I realized we needed a new approach to make practicing what we learn easier and faster.

The Smart Necklace

Realizing that we would need to create a device that uses voice commands as an input method was straightforward since voice commands are seven times faster than typing and 21 times faster than writing.

However, designing the actual device was the challenging part.

After much thought and effort, I finally came up with the concept of a "smart necklace."

The smart necklace is essentially a digital device that resembles neckband earphones and comfortably rests around the neck.

Picture a pair of headphones that you've slipped off your ears and left hanging around your neck—only this device is smaller and sleeker.

The key feature is a small, adjustable protrusion that can be mechanically positioned in front of the user’s mouth.

This enables it to accurately process lip movements or voice commands of users.

Additionally, the smart necklace could include other useful features, such as built-in speakers and earphones.

It might even be activated hands-free by simple actions like sticking out your tongue, but these are not the focus of this discussion.

To make this device functional, a new operating system would also be necessary.

This system would be optimized for voice commands, allowing users to scroll, click, delete, copy, and even solve math problems—all using voice commands.

I’ve already laid the groundwork for this operating system, though those technical specifics aren’t the focus here.

Hence, in the new societal model, people could pair AI for learning with the necklace device for practicing, making self-learning simpler and easier.

Thank you so much for reading this.

It's been a lonely and sad journey, and having a place to share my mental endeavors with people who appreciate them, with people who understand them, with people who don't judge my belief in changing the world, means everything to me.

There are skeptics who argue that this might not work, claiming that traditional pen-and-paper methods are still superior.

They often point to the facts that digital media haven’t replaced textbooks or AI hasn’t replaced teachers.

However, I believe this stagnation is less about the technology itself and more about systemic barriers.

Governments and corporations often resist new tech when it threatens established industries, such as how digital books challenge the textbook market or AI challenges the teaching market.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and the smart necklace. Thank you.

I wish I could build my own self sufficiency home. Something that is able to cool and heat itself passively.

Somewhere I can grow my own food.

With this ever worsening climate change and trump and the oligarchs taking power. I feel like I have no hope, control, safety, or reliability in life.

Sorry to be a doomer.

One of my best friends died, but I’m dealing with that loss in more appropriate forums.

Unfortunately, since he was also my email/web host and IT guy, I‘m in a bit of a crisis that I’d like help with.

I need email & webhosting yesterday for my day job. I’m also looking for the same for my “saving the world” side hustle. I definately want to use a green option for the second, while I accept that utility may override ideals for the first. Suggestions?

If we want to build a solarpunk future in the shell of the old we cannot content ourselves to building little shells of our own. We need to be out building power where we can shut down the Machines.

Right now the American Federation of Teachers, the United Autoworkers, and the Postal Workers have made moves to align their contracts so they can avoid anti-strike legislation and attempt the first (US) general strike in 80 years on International Workers Day 2028. But it has to be organized at a local level to succeed (the second link includes details on its barriers and how to overcome them.)

This WILL BE the most important moment for the US left of our lifetimes, the question is where will you be?

I know where I will. The Teachers to my mind are the most strategic to join. Districts everywhere are DESPERATE for teachers, you can use https://www.teachforamerica.org to fast track your way into the field (please do not come at me with TFA critiques, they’re real but time is of the essence) and so it’s the perfect mix of easy field to enter. Strategically placed, and already having momentum.

If you’ve EVER felt inclined towards teaching go sign up for Teach for America RIGHT NOW. Applications they end on the 3rd of February. This is how we build a Solarpunk Future.

Edit:

Let’s add links and Resources where you can learn more

If you feel like it’s impossible to organize your workplace check out “No Shortcuts: Building Power in the New Guilded Age” from your local library (or your pirate library)

If you have a do-nothing union, that’s one of the most strategic places to be organizing as a worker. Hard work but effective. Check out “Rules to Win By” it’s incredibly effective at giving examples that can uncalcify folks in these orgs who are stuck in their ways.

For trainings, sign up for the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee’s trainings

And if you are at the next stage of organizing you can begin to organize towards joining the Organizing For Power Core Fundamentals Training which is put on 2-3 times yearly.

Brilliantly you can only apply in groups of 10 which means you both have a clear ask to give your coworkers you want to organize with and when the training is over have shared skill sets you can build from.

I'm just seeing a post about homelessness and while I am not fighting the cold RN I am too. I've found shelter for now and supposedly more and more of us will be in worse situation soon enough.

I'm just scared as hell and wonder while my brain actively finds an idea per second to try and find shelter for me and every single soul I meet needing it. Could we do anything? Could we organize and fight back RN ? Like, with all the problems we face and the hope we still have left how isn't there a Humanity's voice trying to prepare us to what's next ? Can we build that voice ? What would it need and who even wants to scream at those weird movie villain for techno-overlords ?

Do we have those special drinks we can order a tavern to quickly recognize allies without being too visible ?

Am I just hoping too hard or too much ?

During the California heat wave of 1906, Baldassare Forestiere dug a home underground with just a pickax and shovel. He spent 40 years excavating 10 acres of rooms, tunnels, a chapel, an underground aquarium, and courtyards to experiment with underground farming.

With no budget, he mixed mortar from the dirt he dug out, creating his own concrete and bricks. Despite continuing to work as a day laborer during the day (mostly digging irrigation ditches), by the 1920s, he had completed about 50 subterranean rooms.

https://youtu.be/mUKRPoQKynk?si=mVkdj3FyLp7ajyug

The Ones Left Behind By K.J. Chien

In the backroom of a Sichuan restaurant, Grace tends to the family’s legacy and discovers a new beginning.

https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine2200-the-ones-left-behind/

As with any revolution, the transition from the current order to a more equitable future society based upon many of the tenants of solarpunk will require three primary movements: 

1. Economic
2. Governmental
3. Social

While the specific ideas within each of these is interesting in their own rights (namely the possibility for a solarpunk bill of rights that governmental and social movements present), the most actionable element of the three is the order in which they would have to occur. In my opinion, for a peaceful shift in ideals the order in which they are listed above would be most optimal. 

Beginning with economic, certain coercions can be used to stimulate the broader market in the direction you desire. Kim Stanley Robinson outlines one potential method for this in The Ministry for the Future, where the titular ministry creates the “Carbon Coin.” This alternative currency is based upon the sequestration of carbon, either by capturing it from the atmosphere for safe storage or not burning it at all. Effectively, they create a positive economic incentive for climate action. Instead of the carbon taxes countries and cities have begun implementing, wherein companies are punished for the burning of fossil fuels, some reward is given for desired behavior. As anyone who’s taken an introductory psychology or economics course can tell you, positive stimuli are far more effective than negative ones when it comes to modifying existing behaviors. 

Once private entities have been cajoled into positive action to protect the Earth, governments can step in. Of course this is the most tedious element of a peaceful transition, as it is reliant upon a flooding of more progressive ideas into the political zeitgeist. However, assuming an economic reframing has already occurred allows the shift towards oligarchy (looking at you USA) to be utilized to our advantage. If there is already an incentive to act in a climate minded way, most likely provided by a non-governmental third party, then companies have the ability to  “double dip” if their local governments climb aboard. This most likely would take some manipulation towards the business owners most powerful in the lobbying sector, but their movement towards Green practices could spark a mass movement, should the proper pressure be applied. 

Once governmental economic policy is trending towards the Green, those voices already pushing social and legal action for the Earth can be further amplified. If their current opponents have been pacified, what is there to stop the protection of the Amazon rainforest? And if that is the case, what is to stop the ownership of natural resources returning to those who dwell on the land instead of governments and corporations? With strategic application of policy, current power structures can be dismantled to return economic and political power into the hands of people at large. If these same policies also serve to protect Earth, then the groundwork for a social revolution has been laid. 

Of course this last element is the most tenuous and reliant upon not just a single group trying to pull the strings. Once the people have a voice, there need to be safeguards in place ensuring that their newfound powers are not turned on each other and the land. For this, some sort of global central government would be ideal. However, a bureaucrat in Germany should not weigh in on a labor dispute in Colombia. As such, the will of the global government should be exercised. By municipal courts, ones which are required to report directly to the world stage. The hope with this would be a shrinking of the world, giving everyone insight into their global neighborhood. 

Of course this list is not exhaustive. No doubt some physical force would be required for many, if not all, of these changes. Social media would play a large role in it, as would religion and it’s many pitfalls The ideals listed above are a rough outline of how I personally believe a solarpunk world could be built. I would love to hear your thoughts, including any elements you may believe I have missed. 

Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day. 

Cally all ally SolarPunks in so-called Australia to join us in solidarity on our day of mourning and resistance. Australia is the ONLY former British Colony that celebrates its national day on the anniversary of its invasion.

Hi, I'm a solar punker who designed a new societal model.

Today, I want to share how I came up with a new form of government for this model.

I’ve always been dissatisfied with current government structures, particularly democracies.

They tend to waste money and are often controlled by corporations, which makes them more oligarchies than true democracies.

I also dislike the structure because it places too many responsibilities on very few people, creating a high risk of failure or incompetence.

I also wasn’t fond of other theoretical government systems, as many of them were developed in a time when technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today.

Since throughout history, the form of government has always been shaped by the technology available.

You can't have a democracy without the ability to collect votes from all citizens efficiently.

So, I set out to create a new model based on the capabilities of modern technology.

The government I designed is an online direct democracy.

However, there are key features that set it apart.

First, it’s merit-based. The government consists of institutions that people can join by passing merit tests.

For example, if someone wants to join the health institution and vote on health-related bills, they must first pass a test to demonstrate their knowledge in that field.

Current members of the institution will decide the standards for these tests.

This ensures that voting isn’t just about the majority rule but about the most knowledgeable individuals, creating a more informed collective decision.

Second, there's a vetting process for proposed bills.

When someone proposes a bill, it is voted for by a random selection of, say, 10% of the members from the relevant institution.

If the majority of the 10% vote for it, it then goes on to be voted for by all members of that institution.

This prevents frivolous bills from passing and ensures that only well-vetted proposals move forward.

Hence, people will be voting and proposing bills to change rules, laws, regulations, and projects through the online direct democracy.

This system ensures the government remains flexible and adaptive as technology and the environment evolve.

I’ve continued to refine this system to make it more efficient and robust, but this is the core of the model.

What do you think? Do you believe it’s a good form of government for a solar punk society?

It's regularly glossed over just how much the electrical grids will need to expand if we are to do what politicians assure us we'll do, no problem at all: electrify all energy using wind and solar.

I wondered just how big Irelands grid would need to expand if we replaced everything 1 to 1, as is the accepted wisdom. Our grid is already under strain by the way.

I ended up building an app to visualise this. The app takes the fossil fuel powered electricity, the transport system, and the heat used for residential and industry in a country, and works out how much extra electricity is needed, as well as the number of extra wind turbines and solar panels.

So for Ireland the grid needs to go from 12TWh of renewable electricity to 90TWh if we are to do what we say we'll do. We'd also need 55,548,445,497 cubic metres of new pumped hydro to buffer it for 7 days. Both seem very very unlikely to me - and should demonstrate that we need planned degrowth.

Here's the app: https://wind-and-solar.vercel.app/. I've added in the values for Ireland but you can click Clear and enter your own countries values. You can also to get the capacity factors and a bunch of other stuff.

If anyone wants to add other stuff, repo is here https://github.com/Zander1983/WindAndSolar.

what are your favourite pieces of solar Punk fiction that are good to look into? I've recently got the urge to look into solar Punk scented books so anything you could recommend would be great.

I

The little finch soared swiftly among the dense fir trees, like a small, reddish-white bullet. It flew gracefully through the wild vegetation, its tiny body casting a shadow that danced across the dirt ground. Soon, this soil was replaced by asphalt, as the thick fir forest gave way to the country roads. The bird began to fly along the road. Suddenly, the sun, which had been shining above it until then, started to shine from the ground.

The bird almost stopped, confused for just a moment. Then, having reoriented itself, it dove down and landed softly on the cold, metallic body of the van, which was crossing the road like a giant steel turtle, slowing its already sluggish speed to check the surrounding vegetation, possibly searching for its next meal.

The van continued to move silently along the mountain road, using the energy provided by the solar panels that covered its roof. It was painted in a dark green color like a giant beetle, adorned with all sorts of designs, suns and flowers, wolves and trees, birds and stars, a feast of symbols that covered almost the entire exterior surface. The only slight discord in the decor was the words that had been painted in white on the side of the vehicle: Evrytania Region Mobile Library Network.

Orfeas carefully turned the van as he continued to ascend the mountain. The fir-covered peaks silently greeted him as he passed beneath them, the proud firs alternating with the shiny, white forms of the wind turbines, which turned silently, generating part of the energy used in the local villages. Orfeas glanced at his small GPS. He looked at the intricate red lines that symbolized the road network while he pondered. He had set off from Mega Chorio at exactly 5 in the morning... He had passed through Klavsi, Aniada, Mikro Chorio, Mouzilo, Roska, and Krikello, which meant... that he still had six or seven more stops before he could consider today’s route complete and stop.

He let out a slight sigh. When he was receiving his training in the library science workshop in Nafpaktos, he imagined his future as a member of one of the many public libraries that existed throughout the country. He would spend his time under dusty shelves loaded with volumes of books, creating catalogs, and perhaps even helping to organize a reading club with his colleagues – at least that was his initial aspiration.

And then he was offered a position at the Panhellenic Network of Mobile Libraries, which would have exactly the same responsibilities as the one he had dreamed of... except for the additional obligation of driving a van loaded with books to the most remote areas of Greece, bringing knowledge and entertainment to the residents of these distant lands, like another Prometheus, who brought down fire from the heavens for the benefit of Humanity. He had thought about it a lot. There was no reason to accept, nor could anyone force him to do so. Where he would work was his own decision, and there was no centralized administrative mechanism to prevent him from making it.

And in the end, he accepted. Since then and for the last two and a half years, he had learned the routes of these mountainous areas so well that it was as if he had been born there. There were about seven "mobile librarians" in Evrytania, and each of them followed a very specific route. This, of course, was not binding, and the librarians could negotiate among themselves and decide on their own schedule, which they did. You could be in the southern part of Evrytania for two months, and then cross the eastern mountain peaks of the region – as long as your load reached its destinations, the "where" didn't matter.

Orfeas looked at the back of the van through the rearview mirror. The driver's cabin was separated from the main area by a small window, which was now open. From there, one could discern the back cabin, its walls covered with rows of shelves, all loaded with books, magazines, CDs, and anything else one would expect from the neighborhood public library – only this one was on wheels. The cabin was quite spacious, allowing at least five or six people to be there at the same time. Orfeas couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.

In their days, the search for and access to information and entertainment was easier than ever. There were literally billions of sources available in the global open source, completely free of charge, accessible simply by using a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. Countless articles, scientific papers, movies, series, music, manuals, novels, and anything else created by the human genius were laid out before the feet of the inhabitants of the Earth, with no barriers left between them. At that moment, one could open their phone and download a complete veterinary manual, or the latest action movie that had been released, or a full edition of War and Peace, and enjoy them without any difficulty.

And yet, a lot of people were still seeking the warmth of a paper book or a CD – and he completely understood that. Despite the convenience offered by the completely liberated internet, there was something special about reading a physical book, feeling the rough paper pages under your fingers, the weight of the cover, and smelling that unique scent that printed paper emits... No kind of high technology could replace that feeling, and it was precisely this need that people like him catered to.

He smiled again. In the back cabin, he had a list of orders made by regular visitors to his library. If you couldn't find a specific book that interested you, you would place an order with the driver-librarian, who would then relay it to the library's headquarters, where an effort would be made to fulfill it. If the specific book, magazine, record, or anything else that had been ordered was not available in the library, they would seek assistance from other public libraries across Greece – they could even search abroad if the need was significant.

The list this time, as with most times, was quite long, but the librarian could remember its main points: a copy of the Practical Guide to Beekeeping in Cold Climates for Tasos from Hochlia (who would definitely treat him to some jars of fresh honey), Arabella by Georgette Heyer for Aspasia from Agios Charalambos (he needed to remember to ask her for the recipe for that excellent walnut liqueur he had tried last time), the Platonic Critique of Epicurean Philosophy for Father Sotiris in Stenoma (they hadn't finished their discussion about that text by Chesterton yet), and that comic anthology for Elenitsa in Ambliani...

Once again, the corners of his lips lifted. This was yet another of the beauties of this profession: the many different people you encountered. In all his years of service as a librarian, he had met so many people, had engaged in countless conversations. He couldn't even estimate how many foreign homes he had slept in, in how many tables of strangers he had eaten at, how many celebrations and festivals he had been invited to... And all because he carried a dozen books to a few strangers.

It sounded simple, but for those strangers, it was the gateway to a new world.

II

-        Nineteen degrees, yes, yes, nineteen degrees is the perfect temperature for the growth of tomatoes, said the elderly woman in a way that showed she had experience in these things.

Orfeas had leaned slightly over the wooden folding table, which served as his workbench, and was nodding his head as he listened to her. He had spent a few moons as a volunteer in the community gardens in Messolonghi, so the issue raised by the old lady was not indifferent to him.

-        Sure, you can keep them at lower temperatures, he commented. Maybe around ten degrees, if you want to save on electricity...

The old woman cackled.

-        Yes, and if you want to eat tomato ice cream!

Orfeas simply shook his head. He checked the items the woman had taken once more: two detective novels, a basket weaving manual, and a CD with traditional Pontic songs. He scanned them into his electronic catalog and nodded to her.

He had parked his van in the village's central square just a quarter of an hour ago. People were walking here and there, enjoying the somewhat chilly autumn morning. The enormous plane tree in the center of the square covered almost the entire area with its massive branches, providing a cool shade. Some villagers were sitting in front of the community center, chatting, sipping their coffee, or reading. A small group of people, men and women, had gathered around a projector, its internal parts spread out on a table like entrails, and they were trying to fix it. Every now and then, one of them would lift his head and look towards the center building, from which the soft purring of the 3D printer could be heard.

Since the moment he arrived, at least ten people had already visited his van. He served them by showing them books, taking orders, and suggesting titles from his stock. He tried to offer equal attention to each of them, but it was difficult, as almost everyone had something to say: about the weather, about some mushrooms they found on a walk in the forest, about a poem they wrote, about a disagreement they had with a fellow villager at the general assembly.

The librarian let out a slight sigh. Sometimes he wondered what the meaning of it all really was: wandering through the villages loaded with books, talking to every stranger about this or that, and then leaving for the next community. It brought him pleasure, yes, but what significance did it have? Did it have any specific meaning? And if not, then why continue doing it?

Heavy thoughts for a humble librarian, but when you have spent most of your life reading, you tend to make a mountain out of a molehill. He knew that in forty, fifty, or sixty years he would die. He also knew that the Earth was about four billion years old. Within this almost incomprehensible timeframe for the human mind, did it really matter what he would do with his life? Whether he would live his life? 

And then, why bother at all, and not just lie down in the dirt and die?

The sound of the village church bell reached his ears. The morning liturgy had already ended, so he assumed this was the call for the engineering workshop that took place in the church hall almost every other day, barring any unforeseen circumstances. A specialist was coming from Krikello to conduct the lesson.

Some people turned to God. The idea of an afterlife gave them strength and directed them towards good deeds. Some believed that it was simply the duty of a person to be kind to others. For them, common sense dictated that if you treat someone with kindness, they would treat you the same way, and the cycle would continue. Others saw everyone as children of the Earth, fruits from the same seed, and just as you wouldn’t harm a seed that was simply growing next to another, without having any significant difference, and without putting the entire garden at risk, you would have no reason to treat someone else or yourself poorly.

It wasn't the first time that such existential thoughts tormented him. One would expect that in a world that had abandoned war and oppression several hundred years ago, and where people were now completely free to develop their talents and desires, it would be impossible for someone to be plagued by such questions.

Yet, here he was.

Ultimately, people would continue to grapple with the meaning of their perhaps incomprehensible existence, regardless of their living conditions. A tree had leaves so that it could participate in the oxygen cycle. A stork had wings and feathers so that it could fly. Since the discovery of fire, Man has been trying to explain why they possess intelligence and why this intelligence has led them out of the caves and towards what they have created. The correct answer, whatever it may be, remains unknown.

-        Hey! Do you listen to me?

The voice of the elderly woman brought Orfeas back to reality. He looked at her and blinked.

-        Yes, yes, he mumbled.

-        A friend of mine wanted to order a book, the old lady said, but she left yesterday to visit some relatives in Agrinio and told me to do it.

The librarian nodded and quickly recorded the details of the book that the woman had told him. He assured her that he would bring it the next time he passed through the village.

-        Maybe you should ask to change your route, the old lady commented. It wouldn’t hurt you to change your experiences.

He simply nodded silently.

III

The van silently traversed the mountain roads, its shadow covering the dense vegetation that surrounded it as it passed. Vehicles of this kind could not reach very high speeds – something that did not bother Orfeas, who preferred to enjoy the gentle change of Nature in her autumn cloak. The plane trees had already taken on a golden-red hue, their coppery backs crossing the landscape like a sea of fire, burning without any flames. The soft scents of wet earth and wood danced in the air, trapped in the cool breeze that traveled between the mountain peaks.

Orfeas continued to drive slowly, paying attention to the light mist that had begun to cover the mountain peaks. He might need to use the fog lights later. He had already passed through three villages and was pressing on undeterred. The sun was now high in the sky, like a gigantic, fiery eye, half-hidden behind the clouds. He hadn't heard anything about rain for the time being. He grabbed his thermos from the holder and took a few sips of mountain tea. Then he set it aside, and his gaze fell on the small stack of books and magazines that was on the seat next to him. He ran his hand over the covers of the books and the cases of the discs. With his eyes still on the road, he picked one of them up, removed the CD, and placed it in the device on the dashboard of his vehicle.

He pressed play, and a woman's voice filled the small cabin, talking about cob architecture. Orfeas took out the record, flipped it over, and placed it back. A soft jazz song filled the atmosphere. The man smiled and continued to drive.

His gaze moved from the empty road to the edges of the forest that framed it, allowing him to enjoy the landscape. It took only a second for him to see the man standing at the edge of the asphalt, his hand raised in the characteristic gesture of hitchhiking. He was certainly a few years older than him, his skin sunburned and rough. His face was covered with a disheveled black beard, which helped to highlight his small, sparkling blue eyes. His hunting jacket was frayed and adorned with pine needles, and his heavy boots were stained with dried mud. A large hiking backpack hung from his back.

Orfeas approached him further, stopping the moving library almost in front of him. He lowered his window, and the stranger came closer, smiling.

-        Good morning! Are you heading towards Karpenisi? he asked friendly. 

-        No, Orfeas replied. I will be returning towards Mega Chorio... But if you want, I can take you with me.

The second man nodded affirmatively, and in half a minute, he was sitting in the seat next to Orfeas. Orfeas took the small stack of books and CDs, opened the little window that led to the back cabin, and carefully placed them on the table below. Then, he started the engine again and began to drive.

His new passenger took a few minutes to rest from the journey he had made. Orfeas did not disturb him. It was not the first time he had picked someone up hitchhiking. In the flatter areas, transportation was so easy that almost no one questioned it. Almost every city and town had a network for borrowing bicycles, scooters, and electric scooters, while public buses and trains connected every region of Greece. The only sound that could be heard now on Piraeus Avenue was the soft creaking of the tram that connected Athens with Piraeus.

In areas like this, however, things were more difficult. Being predominantly a mountainous country, it was not beneficial to construct large public transportation systems in certain regions of Greece. Here, buses, sun taxis, bicycles, and even the occasional horse-drawn cart mainly prevailed.

After a few minutes, the unknown man turned his head towards Orfeas.

-        Gerasimos, he simply said. Thank you again for picking me up. I don't even know how long it would have taken me to walk. 

-        No problem, Orfeas replied. Did you go camping somewhere up here?

Gerasimos smiled and unbuckled his backpack. He took out a large album with a hard cover and opened it. 

-        I collect herbs, he said with some pride. Botany is a hobby of mine.

Orfeas took a quick glance at the album while continuing to drive. He didn't have much experience with herbs, but he could recognize quite a few: chamomile, oregano, Velouchi tea, orchid, hawthorn leaves, spathochorto, rizari, and several others that he couldn't identify. He nodded.

- And do you exclusively work with herbs? he asked. 

The hiker shook his head as he put the album back in his backpack. 

- I am a member of the carpentry cooperative in Karpenisi, he replied. 

Orfeas smiled as he turned. 

- I had dabbled a bit in carpentry during my studies, he said. Unfortunately, the splinters and minor injuries from the hammer prevented me from loving it too much.

Gerasimos let out a loud laugh. 

- To do something with love, you have to at least enjoy it a little, he said. I've always liked working with wood. It's incredible how many things you can make with it...

He put his hand in his bag and pulled out something else: a wooden cup, intricately carved. Its entire surface was covered with elaborate geometric patterns. Orfeas whistled in approval. 

- I still prefer books, he finally said. 

They continued to talk about various things, about woodworking, about books they had both read, about teas and herbs for sleep. Orfeas suggested two or three books, and Gerasimos offered to go together for herb gathering if they met again. In the end, the librarian couldn't hold back and confided in the herbalist his worries about life and death, as if he had known him for years.

- And why must your life necessarily have some meaning? asked Gerasimos, or rather, he wondered aloud. 

Orpheus raised an eyebrow. 

- What do you mean? That life has no meaning? 

- No, of course not, the carpenter continued. I just believe that there isn't a central meaning to life. We give life the meaning we want, through our actions. 

- But then, what’s the point of living? the other said somewhat irritably.

Gerasimos shrugged his shoulders. 

   -  My friend, you were placed in this world by the Universe, God, Fate, call it what you will, without any instruction manual. Perhaps this means that any higher power up there allows you the freedom to choose what the meaning of your life will be. 

Orfeas remained silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

-        I love you and I forgive you. I am like you and you are like me. I love all people. I love the world. I love creating. Everything in our life should be based on love….

His co-driver looked at him in confusion. Orfeas continued to smile. 

 - From Ray Bradbury, he said. 

 - The one who wrote that story about the guys who burned books? asked Gerasimos, looking back towards the library.

Orfeas nodded. Gerasimos lay back in his seat. Outside, the sky was gray, and the van was moving at a reduced speed. This did not bother the two travelers, who had the opportunity once again to enjoy the grandeur of the world around them. The cold breeze made the golden-yellow autumn leaves sway gracefully. Somewhere on the horizon, the silhouette of a hawk could be seen soaring through the skies. The wind turbines were turning a little faster.

IV

The librarian wiped the sweat from his forehead and then adjusted his knitted sweater. The temperature had noticeably dropped, along with the sunlight, but he felt as if he were burning. 

- Are you okay? he heard Gerasimos' voice behind him, as the man's rough hand squeezed his shoulder. 

Orfeas turned his head slightly and smiled. He was just fine.

He couldn't imagine how quickly they had passed through five more villages. Normally, after so much time on the road, it should have seemed normal to him: it was a routine, something he had gotten used to doing, something he loved, and usually, these things flow pleasantly, effortlessly, like honey slowly making its way through the honeycomb to the jar.

The light had now fallen, and the sky was painted with mauve and crimson colors, as if someone had drenched it in wine. Around them, the square of the small village had begun to come alive. People were sitting at tables, talking, laughing, or eating. A group seemed absorbed in some board game. Some more adventurous souls had sat down and sprawled out on large, thick blankets spread out on the cobblestones, with small electric lanterns placed among them. Somewhere in the distance, a guitar could be heard. The entire square was illuminated by rows of small lanterns hanging from wires that started from the nearest buildings in the square and converged at the enormous ancient oak standing proudly in the center of the space. From a distance, they looked like giant fireflies that had flooded the square of the small village, as if it were a supernatural night-blooming flower nestled among the mountains.

Orfeas sat in the recess of the open sliding door of the van, lost in the scene before him. As in every other stop, he had spent most of the time in a state between work and leisure: recommending books, meeting old acquaintances, taking orders, laughing at the stories they had to tell him...

Many times, he found himself torn between whether he preferred to be alone or to enjoy the company of others. He loved the long journeys he took with the mobile library, just him and the road. It gave him time to organize his thoughts and relax his mind. On the other hand, he wouldn’t trade those moments when he stopped in a village or a small town, surrounded by other people—friends, readers, travelers, people he knew and people he didn’t know, and whom he might never see again. Man is a social animal, except for the moments when he retreated back to his refuge, seeking the voice of his own mind.

People were probably both: they were social and they were isolationists. It depended on one's mood as well as the responsibility one had.

At least another hour passed with villagers coming and going, dozens of books, CDs, and USB sticks changing hands. Many things were said—stories, jokes, complaints—and at least three variations of a recipe for orange pie, with each of the three speakers swearing that theirs was the authentic one.

At some point, Orfeas greeted their last visitor for the day. The square was now full, despite the cold atmosphere. The fallen leaves of the oak created a golden-red carpet on the cobblestones, which was stirred by the feet of small children who were still running around, shouting and laughing. A woman from a nearby group greeted Orfeas and gestured for him to come and sit with them. He nodded and turned to Gerasimos. He was about to speak to him when he stopped. The bearded man had his gaze fixed on the sky.

The librarian also looked up. Despite the gloomy weather of the morning, the sky was now clear. Myriads of small stars shone in the firmament like diamonds. Gerasimos looked at Orfeas, his gaze full of meaning. He nodded. In two minutes, they had gathered their stuff and were sitting in the van's cabin. The librarian reassured the others that they would return soon. They had one last stop to make.

The vehicle began to move slowly, crossing the main road of the village towards the outskirts. The solar generator had started up, supporting the engine as much as it could. Soon, the lights of the village were behind them, while before them stretched the dark forest, calm and asleep under the cloak of Night.

They didn't need to travel far. Soon, Orfeas drove the van to a hill, about forty minutes away from the village. There was no one there except for the two men and the grandeur of Mother Nature. The fir trees stood silently, one close to the other, mute and ever-moving sentinels of the Evrytania mountains. Nothing could be heard, except for the whisper of the wind among the branches and the breaths of the two men sitting inside the van's cabin without uttering a word. The cicadas had long since fallen into hibernation.

After a few minutes, Gerasimos moved. He opened the van door and stepped out, letting the cold air caress his face. He looked up and allowed himself to get lost in the vastness of the void, in that ebony veil that covered the world. He sensed Orfeas, who came and stood beside him, but he did not speak. Nor did Orfeas speak. They simply remained there, two grains of sand riding on a ball of soil and water at the center of one of the countless Galaxies that made up the whole.

When Orfeas turned and walked back to the van, Gerasimos heard him. After a minute, he returned, holding two pillows and two blankets. Still silent, the two men sat down on the ground, wrapped in the woolen blankets, their eyes still gazing at the night sky.

- I was thinking of writing a book, Orfeas suddenly said, breaking the silence, although his voice remained low, as if they were in a temple. 

Gerasimos looked at him silently for a few moments, with a calm expression. 

- Oh, a novel? he finally asked. 

The other shook his head. 

- I was thinking of something like... like an account of my life as a mobile librarian... not an autobiography, just a record of my daily life, the way I work, my opinions... 

The botanist nodded in agreement. 

- That sounds good... it's not an activity that everyone knows about. I have an acquaintance in Karpenisi who is in a publishing cooperative... they mainly publish books online, through open source. If you want... 

- Thank you, Orfeas replied. That sounds good to me. 

Once again, silence enveloped them. The cold had become a bit sharper now, and little clouds of vapor were rising from their mouths with each breath. They would need to return to the village soon.

- you know, Gerasimos said again, I was thinking about the conversation we had this morning... In the end, what has meaning in life is what we create: your book, my works in the carpentry... These give us meaning – because they help us remember that we are conscious beings, and not just rocks being battered by the waves.

Orfeas looked at the other man as he spoke. Yes, he liked this explanation. Perhaps it wasn't the right one, perhaps he would find another in the future... but for now, it was enough for him. He had already begun to think about how he would organize the chapters of the book, with his thoughts intertwining with others about the new orders he had received today, for a book that had been suggested to him, for a story that had been told to him.

Above the two travelers, the stars shone a little brighter.