Solarpunk is a relatively new eco-futurist speculative movement focused on envisioning a positive future beyond scarcity and hierarchy, where humanity is reintegrated with nature and technology is used for human-centric and ecocentric purposes.
Contents
The term solarpunk is a literary, aesthetic, and artistic subgenrecreated in the wake of cyberpunk and its other derivatives biopunk and steampunk.
In contrast to the other "punk" science fiction genres that it derives from, solarpunk narratives have a distinctly positive and utopian foundation- as opposed to what are often dystopian narratives found within contemporary science-fiction; to a large extent being a rebellion against widespread pessimism found in science fiction visions of the future. It is conceived as a collaborative social effort to imagine and design a world of post-scarcity abundance, peace, sustainability, social inclusiveness, and beauty- one which is seen as realistically achievable with current technology. Aesthetically it also sits opposed to the often plain and sterile aesthetics of other futuristic subgenres, emphasizing vibrancy and vitality in design, blending naturalistic elements with technological components, and mixing the diverse styles of cultures.
The first solarpunk anthology was edited by Brazilian speculative fiction author Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro and published in 2012 by Editora Draco. In English, numerous self-published efforts in the mid-2010s were joined by the Sunvault anthology from Upper Rubber Boot, featuring contributions from Nisi Shawl and Daniel José Older, as well as the winning story in the climate fiction anthology Everything Change, published by Arizona State University's Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative.
Influences
Though as a literary subgenre solarpunk has not produced a large literature of its own yet, its major literary influences so far include Iain Banks, William Morris, Kim Stanley Robinson, Hayao Miyazaki, Octavia Butler, Starhawk and Ursula K. Le Guin.
As a response to current global problems such as climate change, solarpunk is tied to eco-political activism. On the whole, it concerns itself with subjects such as sustainability, renewable energy, green politics, and related ideologies and movements. It also draws significant inspiration from contemporary movements including transition towns, climate justice, and social ecology, as well as the broader fields of study surrounding resilience and ecological economics.
While solarpunk is not tied to any particular political ideology, it leans towards anti-authoritarian left-wing traditions, especially the values of social anarchism: direct democracy, cooperative economics, decentralism, opposition to hierarchy, and unity-in-diversity.
Likewise, its economic orientation entails looking beyond both market capitalism and state socialism in favour of a decentralised and egalitarian "economy of the commons"; based on democratically-run cooperative enterprises, local community stewardship of resources, and automation of labour by decentralist eco-technologies. Solarpunks view the economy as subset of ecology, moving production closer to the point of consumption, and changing the goal of economics from profit and growth to increasing the bio-psycho-social well-being of people and the planet.
Aesthetically, solarpunk places heavy influence on Natural Design, DIY, and natural fibers. More particularly, the movement draws inspiration from the soft, naturally-inspired designs of Art Nouveau. Other influences exist in Victorian and Edwardian fashion, Afrofuturism, and East Asian art. In addition solarpunk places emphasis on the concepts of intentional living and art as utility. This is shown heavily in its political, aesthetic, and architectural aspects.
In this nascent stage, solarpunk appears as a loose collection of ideologies, manifestos, and desires for a sustainable, achievable future. It's elegant high-end technology powered by renewable energy. It's a shift away from geometric centralised infrastructure to a decentralised, organic, free-flowing design. It's microgrids instead of national grids. It's stained glass solar panels, and natural fabrics merged with solar cells. It's bespoke instead of mass-produced. It's permaculture and microbreweries. It's communal instead of corporate. It's radical sustainability: when hippies and hipsters meet, and techno-geeks crash the party.
Etymology
The prefix "solar-" has been attributed to the idea of green energy, specifically to solar power, as well as photosynthesis, plants, and greenery. The prefix also reflects a commitment to an accessible, evenly distributed utopia for all earth's lifeforms. Sunlight is a universally accessible good that cannot be privatized or commercialized by corporations.
The "-punk" suffix refers to solarpunk's counterculture elements. The movement is a rebellion against the contemporary structure of corrupt governments and corporations who pollute the earth and deny their impact on the global climate.