“You’re telling me you don’t want the money?” Mara Lee’s voice cut through the humid evening air like a blade. She stood on Donnie Novak’s front lawn, glaring at him from beneath her wide-brimmed sunhat, one hand gripping a rake. “Just sitting on it like a dragon on a pile of leaves.”
Donnie shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “It’s not about the money.”
“Bullshit.” Mara tossed the rake aside and crossed her arms. Behind her, a small group of volunteers—mostly college students and young professionals who’d started their Saturday mornings doing ‘yard rescues’ for Green for Green—milled about, eyeing Donnie’s lawn. They weren’t here for charity; they were here for the gold mine of oak leaves and compostable debris he refused to harvest.
“This is about control,” Donnie continued, turning his back on her. “I’m not letting anyone tell me what to do with my property. My grandfather built this place—he worked this land with his hands. You think I’m going to throw that away because of some program that wants to scrape every last leaf off my yard?”
“It’s not about scraping your yard bare, Donnie. It’s about survival. Do you realize how much power your waste could generate?” Mara’s voice dropped, less confrontational now, almost pleading. “You don’t have to do this alone. We’re all in this together.”
Together. The word stung. He looked at her group—their eager faces and their eco-friendly gear, brand-new gloves and garden shears shining in the sun. These weren’t the kind of people who grew up here. Not in this neighborhood. They didn’t understand the pride of raking your own lawn, of deciding where things went and how they grew.
“I’m not giving up my backyard,” Donnie muttered, shaking his head. “This isn’t just some movement you can make everyone join because it feels right. Some of us have history here.”
Mara stared at him, exasperation flashing across her face. “You think history is going to matter when the lights go out? Or when you can’t run the AC in this heat?” She waved a hand toward the sky, where a blinding midday sun burned down on them. The kind of heat that clung to your skin and made you feel suffocated, even standing still.
Behind her, the volunteers had begun to take matters into their own hands. They weren't just here for the conversation—they had a job to do. One of them, a kid in his twenties with shaggy hair, bent down and began scooping handfuls of leaves into a large burlap sack. Donnie's fists clenched at his sides. It was happening again—his space, his rules, being overtaken.
“Hey! I didn’t say you could take that!” Donnie strode forward, voice rising, but Mara stepped between him and the volunteers. She raised a hand, a pacifying gesture, but her eyes were hard.
“Look, Donnie,” she said, her voice lowering as if trying to keep the peace. “People are doing this because they need to. It’s not just about you anymore.”
And there it was—the truth, laid out like a slap. It wasn’t about him. Not to them. The city had become so fixated on the future, on this grand experiment of green energy, that they’d forgotten about the people who weren’t willing to move forward. The ones who liked things as they were.
But Donnie wasn’t just anyone. He was stubborn, yes, but his roots went deep. This house, this lawn, these trees—they were all part of his family’s legacy. A legacy he couldn’t let go of, not for all the wealth the city promised.
“You’re trespassing,” Donnie growled, his voice quiet but firm. “And if you touch another leaf, I’ll call the cops.”
Mara flinched, surprised. “You’re really going to escalate this? Over some yard waste?”
“It’s not just yard waste,” Donnie replied, his voice almost a whisper now. “It’s mine.”
Mara opened her mouth to speak, but one of the volunteers called out. “Look at this!” The group gathered around the edge of Donnie’s property, near the alley that separated his land from the rest of the block. There, behind an overgrown patch of bushes, was something none of them expected.
The back of Donnie’s yard was piled high with debris—not just leaves and branches, but broken furniture, old electronics, and bags of refuse. A dump of sorts, hidden from view, where Donnie had been quietly stockpiling what others would have composted or converted.
Mara’s eyes widened as the smell hit her. “You’ve been hoarding this,” she said, her voice low with disbelief. “All of it?”
Donnie stepped forward, his face pale. “It’s my land. I can do what I want.”
“But you could power the whole neighborhood with this!” Mara snapped. “What are you even—”
Before she could finish, the rumble of engines cut through the air. A fleet of trucks, emblazoned with the city’s logo, pulled up to the curb. City officials stepped out, their faces grim.
“Mr. Novak,” one of them called, approaching the house. “We’re here under the new ordinance.”
Donnie’s heart sank. The ordinance had passed, despite his best efforts. It allowed the city to confiscate waste that hadn’t been turned over voluntarily. They were coming for it all.
The trucks rolled forward, stopping just short of the yard. Mara stepped back, eyes wide as the volunteers froze in place, unsure of what would happen next.
Donnie turned, fists clenched, watching as the city moved in on his land. For a moment, everything was silent, suspended in the stifling heat.
Then the lead truck’s doors opened, and the men climbed down, tools in hand.
“Donnie, please,” Mara whispered, her voice tight with worry. “Don’t do something you can’t take back.”
But it was too late. He stepped forward, standing between the workers and his pile of debris.
This wasn’t just about a yard anymore.
It was about what he was willing to lose.
🚮 W.A.S.T.E.: Words Assisting Sustainable Transformation & Ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Anger Alchemy (0.00) | The slow transformation of turbulent emotions into insights that illuminate a path forward. |
| Choose Your Own Adventure (0.00) | Practice of local repair, reuse, mutual care, and shared access. People use scrap, skills, and trust to keep each other safe and resourced when official systems fail. |
| Circular Economy (0.00) | The linear take-make-waste model is failing. The circular economy offers a regenerative, restorative path. This section shows how ReLeaf in Austin, Texas, puts that approach to work. Through articles and Organic Fiction, we document practical steps toward sustainable, democratic, and equitable exchange. ReLeaf helps unlock dormant spaces for shared income and supports Austin’s Zero Waste goals. The team is not only imagining a better future. They are building it. Picture a city where waste is rare, materials cycle again and again, and success includes social and environmental gains. Join us as we trace Austin’s shift to a circular economy and consider how the same principles can scale worldwide to create shared prosperity and lasting sustainability. |
| Floor 1 (0.00) | Welcome, intrepid explorer! You find yourself standing on the First Floor of the sprawling ReLeaf Organic Media Collections & Botanical Gardens. A sense of wonder washes over you as you realize you're surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and natural beauty. Directly ahead, you see two grand, ornate doors. Each door leads to one of the most visited rooms within this treasure trove of a library. One door is adorned with intricate designs of rivers and creeks, signaling the entrance to the Watersheds Collection. The other door is decorated with an array of book spines, bookmarks, and paper leaves, inviting you into the Big Free Library. In the Watersheds Collection, you can immerse yourself in writings and other media that celebrate beloved watersheds like Shoal Creek, Waller Creek, and even Marigold Town's very own Settler's Creek. It's a room where each creek, river, and tributary tells its own story, awaiting your discovery. Alternatively, step into the Big Free Library—a haven for book lovers. This ever-growing collection is dedicated to promoting the circulation of books and other forms of organic media. Here, every shelf offers a new adventure, a new perspective, and an opportunity to engage with the world in a different way. Now, adventurer, the choice is yours: Which room will you explore first? |
| Fridge Oracle (0.00) | The everyday hum of appliances that transforms into a voice of hidden truths and quiet warnings. |
| Future Austin (0.00) | Future Austin invites you to explore a luminous vision of the city’s tomorrow—where imagination and reality intertwine to create a thriving, sustainable urban landscape. Here, grassroots ingenuity and cutting-edge technology power communities, transforming Austin into a place of boundless possibility. Through insightful articles and evocative Organic Fiction, you’ll glimpse futures shaped by innovators like ReLeaf, whose bold strategies—such as Vertical Garden Fairs in schools—seed green revolutions in unexpected places. From unconventional movements like Trash Magic reimagining music distribution, to fictional worlds alive with unseen energy and harmony, this collection offers both practical inspiration and immersive storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to actionable sustainability or simply wish to lose yourself in tales of a resilient, radiant future, Future Austin points toward the city we could create—and the one we must. |
| Geometron (0.00) |
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| Glitchtotem (0.00) | A misprinted vertical banner turned neighborhood shrine where broken instructions pose as belief. |
| Green Technology (0.00) | Innovations and systems designed to minimize environmental harm while promoting regeneration, weaving sustainability into energy, materials, and everyday life. |
| Historic Hunger (0.00) | In this section, we explore a future where hunger is not just addressed but completely eradicated. By considering innovative solutions like those pioneered by ReLeaf, we can see how these initiatives are transforming not only our cities but the very structure of our societies. Hunger, a challenge that has existed since the beginning of human history, is being tackled directly by ReLeaf in Austin, Texas. Their revolutionary vertical gardens are more than symbols of urban revitalization—they offer a glimpse of a future where nutritious, locally-grown food is available to everyone. Through a series of thoughtful articles, we examine how ReLeaf's work is laying the foundation for a world free of hunger. The potential impact goes beyond food; it suggests a profound social transformation where the basic human need for nourishment is universally met. Imagine what a society without hunger could look like. How would our interactions change if the fear and uncertainty of securing the next meal disappeared? Could this foster greater empathy, kindness, and community spirit? ReLeaf’s initiatives give us a glimpse of this possible future. Their work shows that the answers to long-standing issues like hunger are within our reach, inspiring us to envision a world where human dignity and mutual respect become the standard. Join us as we explore this hopeful vision of a future free from hunger. |
| Liberty (0.00) | Practice of local repair, reuse, mutual care, and shared access. People use scrap, skills, and trust to keep each other safe and resourced when official systems fail. |
| Library (0.00) |
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| Life Story (0.00) | Practice of local repair, reuse, mutual care, and shared access. People use scrap, skills, and trust to keep each other safe and resourced when official systems fail. |
| MoPac Mantra (0.00) | The low rumble of the MoPac train remembered as a grounding chant that threads time through the body. |
| Mycoremediation (0.00) | The practice of enlisting fungi as silent custodians, their branching mycelial webs breaking down toxins, filtering waters, and stitching damaged ecologies back into balance. |
| Photosynthetic Choir (0.00) | A collective of altered beings whose breath and leaves merge into a single voice of vegetal cognition. |
| Silver ponysfoot (0.00) |
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| Stillness Burn (0.00) | The addictive afterglow of touching nothingness, impossible to replicate through effort. |
| Sustainable Business (0.00) | Welcome to our section dedicated to Sustainable Business, a realm that unites profit and planet, blurring the boundaries between commercial success and environmental stewardship. In the spotlight is ReLeaf, an innovative organization that is trailblazing a new path for sustainable business practices in Austin, Texas. Our selection of articles and SolarPunk fiction explore how ReLeaf addresses various sustainability challenges, from fashion waste to climate resilience. In a world grappling with resource depletion and climate change, we delve into how ReLeaf's cooperative ownership model not only empowers vegan values but also presents a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional business structures. We will explore how ReLeaf embodies resilience against environmental challenges, such as El Niño, while remaining a commercially viable venture. The articles also take a critical look at the shortcomings of traditional business models and how ReLeaf stands as a democratic counterpoint to corporate corruption. Join us as we delve into these inspiring narratives that reveal how businesses can effectively balance profit-making with environmental preservation, and in the process, spark a transformation towards a more sustainable and equitable world. |
| Trust Current (0.00) | A mild tingling behind the eyes when people witness a verified act of generosity. Neurologists call it a mirror-empathy response; poets call it the return of faith. |