🖖 Have you heard of solarpunk?

I hadn’t before I started writing this newsletter.

I knew cyberpunk.

I knew steampunk.

But not solarpunk.

Punk is about rebelling against the status quo. 

Cyberpunk shows us what happens when technology prevails but society as a whole has collapsed.

A dystopia-

“an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.”

Steampunk is where technology is limited to 19th century cogs and steam engines.

Electricity doesn’t exist.

Some is dystopian. But some describe a utopia.

Where everything is perfect.

Or at least ideal.

And that describes solar punk.

Solar punk describes a not-too-distant future with advanced technology. But society coexists with nature in a way that’s beneficial to both the planet and the people.

I like this idea.

As someone who likes the idea of waking up and sipping my latte in front of a mountain view on crisp mornings. But who also loves sci-fi. The idea of the two working together is intriguing. 

The food

The food developed in these utopian communities focuses on sustainability, health and community.

Technology makes that happen.

The communities support a network of small and local producer. They produce organic food using permaculture which mimics nature.

Vertical farms play a role in these concepts too.

It’s one of the reasons I first started learning about the plant-based world.

The idea is to create an indoor farm that has multiple layers so you can get more food per ‘acre.’

You create a mini tower in every neighbourhood. It’s a safer way to feed the public while supporting local biz at the same time.

Money and trade gets treated the same way as the food. A circular economy- nothing gets wasted. 

Resources are maximised and recycled wherever possible.

Sounds like a space station to me.

By default, these will be built into our extraterrestrial colonies. 

Might as well get started here on Earth.

The vision

Some of the art I’ve seen often shows a peaceful village scenario with a small group of people.

A beautiful dream. 

A vacation even. 

But I’m curious how to make it practical for our already existing modern life.

It’s one thing to imagine these ideal scenarios.

It’s another to put them in play.

How can we incentivise existing infrastructures to lean towards practices that benefit both the human and the planet?

How can we power our homes and transportation?

I don’t think solarpunk aims to antagonise “the Man.” It just wants mutually beneficial solutions to everyday living.

Reading list

Like I said, I’ve only recently heard about solarpunk. So here’s some fiction I plan on reading:

• island - Aldous Huxley 

• Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers - Sarenna Ulbarri

• Suncatcher: Seven Days in the Sky - Alia Gee

• Orion Shall Rise - Poul Anderson

• The Summer Prince - Alaya Dawn Johnson

I’m liking the optimism.

Even makes me want to write my own stories.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a rabbit hole I need to jump in.