Solarpunk: Global Community
Information communities can often be insular, focusing on a specific topic or hobby, which may limit the diversity of voices in their conversations. This insularity can lead to in-group and out-group biases, where a community prefers its members and holds negative views toward outsiders. One of the major challenges for information communities is finding ways to include—and perhaps center—diverse or under-represented voices. However, one of Solarpunk’s greatest strengths is its ability to transcend borders, both culturally and geographically.
The term "Solarpunk" was first coined in 2008 by the blog Republic of the Bees. Though little information is available about the author, the first major collection of Solarpunk stories appeared in 2011 in the book Solarpunk: Histórias ecológicas e fantásticas em um mundo sustentável, written in Portuguese. Since then, the Solarpunk anthology has expanded, with new works added to its growing body of literature. Retroactive additions, such as the works of Ursula K. Le Guin from California, have also contributed to its breadth. A notable journal that engages with Solarpunk is the International Journal of Engineering, Social Justice and Peace, supported by Queen's University in Canada. In this journal, articles like Juan David Reina-Rozo’s Art, Energy and Technology: The Solarpunk Movement (2020) highlight the movement’s global resonance.
In Reina-Rozo’s article, they discuss the potential of collaborating with or learning from Afrofuturism, arguing that “the imagination and creation of Indigenous and Afrofuturism are key to making [the future] more plural and fostering diversity beyond the colonial ontology,” citing Wakanda imagery as an example. Afrofuturism, like Solarpunk, envisions post-colonial, egalitarian, and green futures, but it emerges from African cultural traditions. Both movements focus on decentralization, equality, and sustainable futures, offering a powerful lens through which diverse communities can contribute to world-building.
Solarpunk can also learn from the natural world. The anthology Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures challenges us to envision cities that center on the well-being of multiple species. In her review of this collection, Heather Alberro emphasizes the importance of preventing extinction, not just of species but of the knowledge and wisdom they carry. She advocates for an ethic of care, urging us to “co-create more livable worlds in the here and now that take the interests, needs, and desires of our nonhuman kin into careful consideration” (2022). This reminder reinforces Solarpunk’s commitment to ecological balance and interspecies care.
Black Panther. (2018). A view of Birnin Zana, the capital city of Wakanda. Film Quarterly. Retrieved 30 April, 2023, from https://filmquarterly.org/2018/03/09/wakanda-forever-the-pleasures-the-politics-and-the-problems/
While Solarpunk continues to engage with international communities and draw inspiration from diverse sources, it remains primarily centered in Latin America and Europe. Competing visions of eco-futures, such as Afrofuturism in Africa, provide rich opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning. To broaden its scope and enrich its vision, Solarpunk should actively seek discourse with these other movements, embracing their unique perspectives.
As Solarpunk moves forward, it is crucial to center under-represented voices and allow diverse actors to take the lead in shaping the movement. Only through this inclusive approach can the Solarpunk community truly achieve its futuristic, utopian vision of a sustainable, egalitarian world.
Alberro, H. (2022). Multispecies cities: Solarpunk urban futures ed. By c. rupprecht et al. (review). Utopian Studies. 33(1). 162-167.
Reina-Rozo, J. (2021). Art, energy, and technology: the Solarpunk movement. International Journal of Engineering, Social Justice and Peace, 8(1), 47-60, https://doi.org/10.24908/ijesjp.v8i1.14292
