You are a solarpunk. Wait, what?
A friendly introduction to the solarpunk movement.
You have heard it already. Thousand of species are going extinct every day. The oceans are getting hotter, and the sea level is rising. Extreme weather conditions happen more often than ever. What's more, deforestation has grown in popularity in the amazonian rainforest. Simply put: climate change is happening. And we only have about two decades to solve it.
But it is not all about ecology. Rich people are getting richer while the poor are poorer. There are huge gender pay gaps. In some regions, children are forced to work in exploited conditions. And there are more than 20 active wars on the planet right now. So it's true: we have a messed-up prognosis about our future. But unfortunately, our politicians do not seem to care that much.
However, focusing solely on the bad news leads to nowhere but frustration and anxiety. Luckily, there is hope. We can start looking for solutions, reimagining our world with ecological, social, and economic sustainability in mind. What if we already had the technologies to pivot into a sustainable society. What if, with this technology -if wisely utilized- some social restructure and a bit of effort, we could solve the problems we currently face? That is, what if we could live in a fully sustainable world? It might sound like a utopic world but without a doubt a world worth fighting for. This is what solarpunk is about: reimagining a world where existing technologies are deployed for the greater good of both people and the planet; and sketching the steps needed for this world to become a reality.
The "solarpunk" term was coined in 2008. Since then, it has been slowly growing as more people seek alternatives to the dark visions of the future that have come to dominate our imaginations. It is a holistic movement, reaching a broad range of topics: from arts to politics, from abstract ideologies to practical actions.
There are many different forms of solarpunk, but most agree on some key concepts:
Technology is used to help humans flourish in line with the planet life instead of being a force independent of humanity, driving change for its own ends. Renewable energies, a significant shift to cycling, public transport, and things like urban food grow feature prominently.
People can assemble the future of their choosing. To this end, there is an emphasis on human activism, craft, and skills being able to make a positive change, especially when acting collectively.
Political power is decentralized, sometimes even completely removing the government's figure while empowering local communities.
In future posts on this newsletter, we will cover specific matters of the solarpunk movement in more detail.
If you feel identified with this ideology, it is because you are Solarpunk too! So yup, now you can proudly show off to your friends that you are part of this community. If this is the case, consider subscribing to this newsletter, so you don't miss any future solarpunk content. 😎