User:Anomic99/sandbox

Has been declined as a draft, as there is already a page under the name 'Solarpunk' awaiting review.

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One Central Park in Sydney, Australia - an example of Solarpunk style architecture

Solarpunk

Solarpunk is a genre of speculative fiction based on art nouveau (new art), which envisions a future world with green and renewable energy. It imagines a futuristic world where technology is merged with ecology and craftsmanship. In this world, many major issues have been resolved through social interactions and sustainable technological growth, thriving on an equal and free society, with a slight hint of social anarchism. Solarpunk is typically expressed in various media forms, such as literature, film, video games and in real life. Whilst being a piece of fiction, the genre aims to reduce real world problems, such as global warming, and raise awareness of these ecological crisis’ by illustrating future possibilities. Solarpunk uses the words 'solar', as a reference to a brighter future, and 'punk' as a rebellion or movement in order to maintain this.

History

The idea of solarpunk has been used unknowingly for years in works of fiction and activism without a proper distinguishing term. The name is derived from other genres of of science fiction, such as steampunk and cyberpunk; taking inspiration from the high-tech and low-life aspects.

The first solarpunk fiction was created in 2012, in the Brazilian sci-fi anthology “Solarpunk: Histórias ecológicas e fantásticas em um mundo sustentável”. This resulted in the term being used not only in the western world, but transcending into other regions and languages, ultimately leading to the creation of more solarpunk inspired works including in literature, media and in overall online presence (e.g. reddit and pinterest).

The genre was later concreted in 2014 when a Tumblr post went viral and many bloggers became aware of the term.

As of October 2017, Google searches for the term 'solarpunk' rose eight times from that of October 2014.

Solarpunk is also currently represented in already existing infrastructure, including solar-powered buildings and vehicles, urban agriculture and in organic architecture and design.

Lifestyle

Solarpunk is not only a genre of fiction, but can also be considered a lifestyle or political movement. Some communities and individuals use solarpunk elements to inspire their daily lives. This includes practical skills and activities such as reusing clothing and dumpster diving.

Permaculture; a form of ‘whole systems design based on the sustainability of natural systems, seeking to reproduce that sustainability in our living environment’, and ecovillages; a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable intentional community, are popular amongst the solarpunk community and act as guidelines or ideals as to how to live.

Style and Ethos

Setting

Solarpunk stories usually focus on settings that imagine a brighter and more eco-friendly future. Whilst the stories vary, they commonly focus on current issues such as inequality, racism and sexism, and incorporate a sense of heroism, and erases the idea of power and profit over good. The general storyline of most solarpunk works revolve around creating a positive change in the world and forming a reconciliation between urban and rural landscapes.

Physical settings typically include features like solar powered buildings, sustainable transport, such as cycling, and an overall presence of more plants greenery in the environment.

Stories set further into the future usually depict a world where all present day troubles have been solved and the entire city is environmentally stable and free of societal issues. Features of these stories include skyscrapers covered in plants or moss, massive orbital structures and bioluminescent trees.

Protagonists

Protagonists of solarpunk stories typically have an oppressed or marginalised background and end up living in a world where this oppression does not exist. They are able to live freely inclusively in society and are free from their previous struggles of oppression and marginalisation. They take on the role of a ‘hero’ and fight against modern world issues, predominantly those centred around the environment and technology.

Solarpunk protagonists are usually expressed exotically, exploring aspects such as body modification, gender and sexual discovery, and new forms of technology.

Society and Government

Solarpunk governance is built on decentralised confederations of self-governing communities. These communities administer their own forms of direct and participatory democracy which aim to maximise personal autonomy and social solidarity. These self-governing communities also have various horizontally-structured voluntary associations that oversee any judicial, environmental and societal concerns.

The decentralised nature of a solarpunk governance also extends to its economy, often referred to as an “economy of the commons”. This economy places worker-run cooperatives, collaborative exchange networks and the sharing of common pool resources at the forefront of the community. Corporations are able to work alongside local communities with the aim of using production as a tool for everyday community use and increasing the bio-psycho-social well-being of people and planet. The overarching goal of a common economy is to move production as close as possible to the point of consumption, whilst maintaining self-sufficiency in goods and manufacturing. By focusing on communities and the collaborative exchange of labour and resources, everyday work becomes more participatory and enjoyable, whilst also eradicating any forms of dull, dirty and dangerous forms of work through eco-technology. Through labour automation and self-sufficiency, it is possible to suggest that money will be abolished in the near future, as it is an unnecessary nuisance in the allocation of resources.

Media

Literature

The comic book The Dreaming, a spin-off of The Sandman, Cain and Abel travel to different utopian universes, including a high-tech world based on environmentally sustainable technologies such as windmills and solar powered buildings and structures.

Always Coming Home, by Usla K.LE Guin, is set in a post apocalyptic world where culture is forgotten. They use technological inventions of civilisation such as writing, steel, guns, electricity, trains, and a computer network. They also reject the idea of governance.

Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower pictures a society that has collapsed due to climate change, growing wealth inequality, and corporate greed.

In Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time, set in the 1970s, Luciente travels to a distant future where societal and environmental issues such as pollution, patriarchy, racism, sexism and consumerism have been successfully and productively dismissed from the world.

Starhawk’s The Fifth Sacred Thing is a post apocalyptic narrative that uses Magical Realism, where civilians are rebuilding their city into a paradise of greenery and sustainable technology.

News from Nowhere by William Morris is a utopian story where the idea of patriarchy and hierarchy are no longer existent, and the society is built upon common ownership and democratic control of the means of production.

Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker takes place on the planet ‘Ginen’, where everything there is powered by, made and built out of plants.

The novel Ecotopia, written by Ernest Callenbach, depicts civilians who are seeking a balance between themselves and nature; protesting against consumerism and materialism. Their technology is advanced, but also consciously selective; aiming to preserve the earth and the beings living on it.

Poul Anderson’s short story series Maurai is set on a post apocalyptic earth uses solar, wind and wave energy to provide power for the civilians. The Maurai’s, originally descended from the Maori people, are “fearful of the social and ecological implications of a return to large-scale industrial society, they use their considerable might and convert resources to prevent other nations from developing nuclear power.”.

Norman Spinrad’s Songs From The Stars depicts Aquaria; a society that runs on renewable energy, and uses solarpunk elements such as flying bicycles.

Film and Television

Animation

Treasure Planet uses a futuristic themes and technologies including solar powered sails.

Although they were released before the solarpunk wave, many of the Studio Ghibli films contain elements of the genre and also helped shape the movement.

• The story of Princess Mononoke depicts a village in a state of anguish; fighting between industrialisation and nature.
• The city of Laputa in Castle in the Sky uses overgrown gardens and flora.
• Howl’s Moving Castle have various solarpunk design elements.

The ending credits of WALL:E show a scene where a new world built upon sustainability is created.

The city in Zootopia is filled with aspects of solarpunk, from its architectural designs and environment through civil engineering. Although this ‘perfect’ city ultimately turns out to have underlying issues such as inequality and political corruption.

Live Action

The film Beasts of the Southern Wild focuses on a rebellion against the government whilst demonstrating ideas including environmentalism and anti-authoritarian characters.

Black Panther uses Afrofuturism, a similar genre to solarpunk, due to its use of vibranium; a fictional natural element that is sustainably used to build weapons. The country, Wakanda, also uses elements of solarpunk through its vertical gardens, renewable and non polluting energy, and high tech in natural and simple forms.

Games

In the game Sonic the Hedgehog CD, the player must defeat robot generators in order to prevent the environment from becoming a polluted wasteland. Once defeated, this leads to a world where technology and nature both work in harmony to create an eco-friendly and sustainable future.

The city Numbani and player Orisia in Overwatch are both designed with solarpunk elements; using curved bronze skyscrapers and African tribal symbols and decorations. The game is set thirty years after ‘The Omnic Crisis’; a disastrous robotic uprising.

Anno 2070 is set in a time where global warming has taken its toll and the coasts are flooded; resulting in a majority of the land disappearing underneath the sea. One of the factions, the Eden Initiative, are focused on building an environmentally sustainable city, whilst others are dealing with self-made issues such as pollution and dwindling resources.

Pokémon uses a combination of solarpunk and biopunk elements. The light industry is powered by renewable elements and resources, and also by the Pokémon themselves. Many areas of the game are covered in untouched greenery and the only modes of transport are walking, flying or cycling; all environmentally friendly options.

The region of Sinnoh is a prime example of a solarpunk world. Floaroma Town is a small quiet town in the middle of a flower meadow and wind farm, and Sunyshore City is a relatively untouched by industrialisation coastal city with solar powered energy. Oreburgh Town is a city that relies on coal mining, as well as Fortree City; a small town built in the woods that consists of tree houses as residences. The city is also entirely green and dependant on natural elements and resources.

Real Life

Various futurist movements exist in the real world, such as Neo-Futurism; a “futuristic rethinking of the aesthetic and functionality of rapidly growing cities”, and Transhumanism; a movement that advocates development for humans and studying the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies.

Fashion

Solarpunk embodies a unique and stylish fashion that is environmentally sustainable. The fashion depicted in Solarpunk is high quality in order to prolong it's longevity and is made from natural and sustainable fabrics, such as wool and bamboo, as well as colours made from synthetic dyes. All clothing styles are simple and versatile to emphasise their durability and functionality. Additionally, all pieces can be recycled and reused.

Social Impact

Solarpunk culture resists present constructs of social hierarchy and domination. It imagines a future of radical social change free of power structures that increases the aggregate freedom of all; empowering the disempowered and including the excluded. Solarpunk culture is heavily influenced by liberatory movements such as anti-authoritarian socialism, feminism, racial justice, queer and trans liberation, disability struggles, animal liberation, and digital freedom projects. Solarpunk fiction aims to demonstrate to readers the possible and logical factors of a civilised future without the presence of modern day looming issues such as pollution, waste and global warming.

The fundamentals of Solarpunk culture is all about finding ways to improve life for those who are currently alive, whilst also improving quality of life for the generations that will follow. This translates into finite goals, predominantly extending human life at the species level, rather than individually. Everyday lifestyles thus focus on using solar energy and geothermal energy, in order to repurpose and create new things from the resources already provided. It is a society built on sustainability and the desire to live in a way that benefits both the community and environment. It revolves around recycling and creating new things from what we already have.