Solarpunk as an Information Community
Solarpunk is a movement on the rise, offering a hopeful vision for a sustainable future. Its roots may be traced to the dystopian worlds of Cyberpunk and Steampunk, but Solarpunk flips the script—imagining a green utopia where sustainability, diversity, and equality thrive. It’s a genre of literature and art, but beyond that, it's a growing movement of people who are serious about turning this speculative vision into reality.
This semester, I’m diving into Solarpunk as an information community. I’ll be exploring its history, core beliefs, and organizing principles, while shedding light on how this genre embodies the characteristics of an information community.
So, why Solarpunk as an information community?
Fisher and Fulton offer a model to define what makes a community centered around information. According to their work (Fisher, 2022), there are five key characteristics:
Collaboration among diverse information providers.
Formation around the need for access and use of information.
Leveraging the information-sharing qualities of emerging technologies.
Overcoming barriers to information sharing.
Fostering social connectedness.
Now, let’s break down how Solarpunk fits these characteristics.
1. Collaboration and diversity at its core
One of the things that sets Solarpunk apart is its focus on collaboration. It draws together people from all walks of life—scientists, artists, engineers, and even those skilled in traditional practices like herbal medicine. The movement believes in leading through knowledge, where communities collectively steward both natural diversity and social equality. Solarpunk envisions a world where everyone’s expertise has value, and that diversity of thought is key to creating a sustainable society.
2. A movement built around people’s needs
At the heart of Solarpunk is the radical idea of dismantling systems of capitalism and decentralizing power. Why? To build a true democracy, one that meets the needs of all people. This philosophy is reflected in the way the community forms, focusing on shared resources and decentralized technologies to foster equality and access.
“Solarpunk is radical in that it imagines a society where people and the planet are prioritized over the individual and profit.” (Steinkopf-Frank 2021)
3 & 4. Embracing technology to overcome barriers
Solarpunk imagines a world where technology plays a crucial role in building a sustainable future, but it must be eco-conscious. Think solar panels, wind turbines, and kite-drawn ships as the backbone of an energy-efficient society. Emerging technologies also help the community connect and share ideas—whether through podcasts, YouTube channels, online magazines, or art. These platforms help Solarpunk transcend the barriers of traditional information sharing, creating a digital space for dialogue and action.
A great example of this is the library economy. Picture this: in a Solarpunk future, libraries wouldn’t just be for books. We’d have libraries of tools, furniture, art—essentially, community hubs that provide shared resources for all. A YouTube video essay by Andrewism brilliantly illustrates what this concept could look like.
5. Building a socially connected community
At its core, Solarpunk is about people—about connection and fostering a sense of community. It’s about learning from one another and collectively reimagining a future where humans are caretakers of the planet, not its destroyers. This philosophy of interconnectedness is what binds the movement together, making it more than just a genre, but a community driven by a shared belief in a green, egalitarian utopia.
By looking at Solarpunk through the lens of Fisher and Fulton’s model, we can see how it’s much more than a speculative genre. It’s an active information community, using diverse collaboration, modern technology, and social connection to imagine—and build—a better world.
Andrewism. (2022, October 5). We need A library economy [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/NOYa3YzVtyk
Steinkopf-Frank, H. (2021, September 2). Solarpunk is not about pretty aesthetics. It’s about the end of capitalism. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5aym/solarpunk-is-not-about-pretty-aesthetics-its-about-the-end-of-capitalism
Fisher, K. E., & Fulton, C. (2022). Information communities. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (3rd ed., pp. 41–52). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
