Solarpunk: The Role of Storytelling in Developing Future Climate Solutions
Written by: Lalla Masondo
Edited by: Neve Bonura Learnard
At one point in time, the society we exist in today was nothing more than an idea. A thought that later, through inspired action, became a reality. Solarpunk storytelling is that and more: it creates an inspiring vision of a future built on sustainability, environmental justice, and nature-integrated technology. These stories are brought to us through words and works of art, all intended to inspire change and remind people that a better future is possible. To create a sustainable future, innovative engineers and technology are crucial, but we cannot overlook the role of storytellers and artists in the fight for change — their works are impactful and meaningful in this space.
But first,
What is Solarpunk?
Solarpunk is an optimistic environmental subgenre of speculative fiction, art, and design that depicts a future transformed by renewable energy and a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The “punk” in its name refers to the art’s anti-capitalist roots, as it advocates for and envisions a society with more progressive socio-political values.
Storytelling and Art Drive Innovation
Solarpunk inspires action through art. In the midst of what looks like an ending world, many feel as though a dystopian future is inevitable. This is a feeling only reinforced by the endless flood of dystopian media showing futures of destruction and death, but Solarpunk aims to challenge that view.
Dystopia shows us what will happen if we don’t act; Solarpunk shows us what will happen if we do. It depicts a future worth fighting for -one that inspires action from a place of wanting rather than avoiding. It gives the viewer one of the most important emotions in the fight for change: hope. Solarpunk argues that hope is more motivating than fear, that emotion is revolutionary and drives action, and that action will inevitably lead to innovation.
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky; it is an axe you break down doors with. In an emergency, hope should shove you out the door because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from an annihilation of the earth’s treasures, and the grinding down of the poor and marginal. To hope is to give yourself the future, and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.” – Rebecca Solnit in her book “Hope in the Dark”
Solarpunk not only inspires action; it also provides possible ways to take that action. The genre offers solutions across every sector and industry from art-nouveau, nature-inspired architecture to post-growth economic models, to permaculture farms and tree-planting technologies. It provides us with an endless number of ideas.
These ideas don’t just end as fantasy: in fact, many are being implemented and tested today. For example, The World Academy of Science, Engineering, and Technology began researching vermicompost (the product of decomposition by worms) to explore how it could be used to produce energy. This innovation was first imagined in Solarpunk media. These stories inspire people to create and discover beneficial technologies they may have otherwise ignored, proving that art is a tool for innovation.
Storytelling and Holistic Thinking
One of the most valuable things about Solarpunk storytelling is its intersectionality. Its radical approach to the climate crisis helps us develop solutions that benefit more than just the 1%. Stories that highlight the links between climate change and racism, gender discrimination, classism, and more, open doors to climate solutions that are holistic and genuinely beneficial.
The genre also emphasizes ethical practices and sourcing of materials. As Hanzi Freinacht said in 10 Ways to Thoroughly ‘Solarpunk’ Society:
“The involvement of communities must itself strive towards social justice (as such, reversing the trend towards privatized and commercialized public spaces, the cultural exclusion of minorities, and of deliberately designing spaces so as to be uninviting for loiterers, the moneyless, the homeless, etc.).”
Freinacht highlights Solarpunk's intersectional aspect, further emphasizing the need for a well-rounded perspective on the climate crisis.
To put it into perspective: lower-income groups contribute only 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 45% contributed by high-income groups and yet, low-income communities are the most impacted by the climate crisis. It doesn’t make sense to develop solutions that are only accessible to those least affected. This is why Solarpunk emphasizes a holistic view: to ensure that the solutions we bring forward benefit everyone impacted.
Storytelling and art help us understand the crisis on a human level.
Environmental conversations tend to include data and scientific language that many people may not fully understand. This is where storytelling and art become incredibly valuable. They help us visualize developments and better understand the challenges we face. Solarpunk helps conceptualize environmental topics, like a post-growth economy or eco-technology, and puts emotion behind the data. Whether it’s excitement for a possible future or empathy toward those currently affected, it helps us feel.
We cannot move forward using only our brains; we need our hearts in the fight for change, too. Understanding the need for change on an emotional level is one of the greatest tools for innovation, because future developments made from care and passion will differ greatly from those made from greed and power.
In conclusion, Solarpunk art is not escapism. It’s an optimistic call to action. The goal isn’t to live in a fantasy world but to say no to the dystopian one we’ve been told is inescapable. The goal is to act, and to take action fueled by hope for a better future.
Solarpunk reminds us that hope is possible and now, more than ever, hope is exactly what we need. Solarpunk carries this message in an artistic, radical, and punk way -because it is radical, and it is punk, to not lose hope.
Bibliography:
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Ashmore, M. (2024). Adventures in Solar Punk — Seeding a Solarpunk Future: How Guerrilla Tree Planting Might Cultivate Ecological Action and Cultural Change. [online] Medium. Available at: https://markashmorefrsa.medium.com/adventures-in-solar-punk-seeding-a-solarpunk-future-how-guerrilla-tree-planting-might-cultivate-9d504f6dc23b.
Friis, E.E. (2022). 10 Ways to Thoroughly ‘Solarpunk’ Society. [online] Metamoderna. Available at: https://metamoderna.org/10-ways-to-thoroughly-solarpunk-society/.
Lai, O. (2022). Solarpunk Is the Future We Should Strive For. [online] Earth.org. Available at: https://earth.org/solarpunk/.
Resilience (2022). Solarpunk: Radical Hope. [online] resilience. Available at: https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-12-20/solarpunk-radical-hope/.
Scott, S. (2023). Solarpunk: Refuturing our Imagination for an Ecological Transformation | One Earth. [online] One Earth. Available at: https://www.oneearth.org/solarpunk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.