Raphael Thys
Society & Solarpunk
Source: own design, vector graphics from Pixabay
Solarpunk is revolutionary, ecological, and social. It aspires to change the world and create a better one — a more sustainable and happier future for us and those who come after. A world in which people live in harmony with each other and nature. In short: the world we deserve, but will have to fight for.
Solarpunk is not unachievable. Building a Solarpunk society is, in fact, economically and technologically feasible right now. What is missing are the political and social will. However, the world appears to be approaching a tipping point right now. It is difficult to say how long capitalism and the de facto plutocracy that rules it can last, but it appears to me that its days are numbered. It will fall on us to create something better.
In previous articles, we discussed how capitalism has failed to deliver on the promises it made at the turn of the twentieth century, and how a new social and political movement called Solarpunk can help us find hope in this age of disillusionment.
In this article, the first in a series aimed at outlining the rough contours of a Solarpunk society, I will provide a brief overview of the political circumstances under which a utopian Solarpunk society could function. In subsequent parts, I will go over economics, infrastructure, education, work, research, culture, art, and other topics. The goal of this series is to provide a broad overview of how a Solarpunk society might operate. In the future, I will then go into greater detail on each aspect.
Let us begin with the most obvious distinction between a visionary Solarpunk future and the capitalist dystopia we currently inhabit: politics.
The Politics of Solarpunk
Source: Pixabay (edited)
While Solarpunk as a political movement is still rather undefined and open to interpretation, its core values are decidedly anti-capitalist, ecological, socially conscious, and egalitarian. In the following discussions, we will operate on these assumptions and imagine what such a world might look like.
Chapter 1: ‘Democratic’ Capitalism
Source: Pixabay (edited)
Democracy, as it is currently practiced in most Western countries, will likely be widely rejected in future Solarpunk societies. While they bear the label of democratic decision-making processes, few aspects of our current societies are truly democratic.
There is little popular oversight and influence over the politicians who govern in our place. Therefore, they have little to no incentive to act in the people’s best interests (apart from making empty campaign promises to secure their positions for a few more years). Rather, they are swayed by lobbying groups and the aforementioned plutocracy of billionaires and corporate executives.
Politicians and the control systems that protect them (police, military, intelligence agencies, etc.) effectively stand above the rest of the population. They are not representatives, but rather members of a different social class altogether. In the United States, in particular, most politicians cannot even be distinguished from corporate executives anymore. They have become the very same thing — democracy = capitalism. We have allowed this to happen.
George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984 is a book that everyone should read at least once in their lives (I read it three times, it is just so good). It depicts a dystopian world not dissimilar to our own, in which propaganda influences your very thoughts. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. If you want, you can buy the book from bookshop.org, which supports local bookshops around the world (I receive commissions for purchases made through this link — thank you for your support).
Chapter 2: Community and decentralization of power
Source: Pixabay (edited)
Instead, a Solarpunk society will most likely be based on anarchist principles. This means that everyone who is directly (or indirectly) affected by a decision has the opportunity to have a say in it. In this article, I discuss anarchist societies and how they might function in more detail:
How this premise is ultimately translated into reality will also be determined to a considerable extent by technological capabilities. Perhaps there will be simple polls and referendums (or other forms of direct democracy), perhaps local communities will elect representatives, or maybe political decision-making processes will be organized in DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) and other similar digital constructs.
Either way, people who live in such a system will do so voluntarily and with informed consent. Everyone has the right to live a different life and to leave society if they so desire. Have you ever tried living in the woods without paying taxes under our current system? In many countries, there isn’t even a single piece of land that doesn’t belong to someone.
Furthermore, a Solarpunk future must be primarily organized in a decentralized manner — meaning strong and self-sustained local communities limited in size and power. The majority of decisions will be made at this local level, yielding more informed, accepted, and relevant results. People will reclaim what has been taken away from them: the ability to choose how they want to live. The era of endless growth and economic globalization will thus come to an end.
Chapter 3: The new world order
Source: Pixabay (edited)
One of the major issues with envisioning an alternative society of any kind is the transition process. The wealthy and powerful who currently rule our world have no intention of relinquishing power. It is in their best interests to maintain and further strengthen current capitalist systems, even and especially in the face of existential threats such as climate change and the rise of neo-fascism.
In fact, it is much more likely that the rich will effectively — by either conscious decision or slow and subtle political maneuvering — choose some sort of fascism to deal with these problems once they become inescapable (and by ‘deal with,’ I mean that they will find ways to insulate themselves from the consequences). Also, they will never call it ‘fascism’ of course, but rather some obscure innocent-sounding term — much like North Korea is officially called the ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.’ Fascism is a much more powerful control system than current quasi-democracies, as it eliminates even the few threats that such systems still contain. The ones who cause climate change are not the same as the ones who will suffer because of it.
The problem with preventing that is that countries like the US (and, in fact, most other nations) will never vote to dismantle their capitalist plutocracies. They are far too entrenched, and propaganda is very durable. Unfortunately, the only way forward will be through massive civil unrest and a major disruption of the world economy — what is called a revolution. Few are ready for that. It is so much easier to just accept the status quo than to attempt to change it and risk everything.
Furthermore, the anti-capitalist revolution will have to happen simultaneously and on a global scale. If a currently capitalist country were to go through, for example, a socialist revolution on its own, other capitalist countries would almost certainly try to intervene militarily, as the US has done on numerous occasions in the past. The anti-capitalist revolution must hence be global and swift. Only then can the military-industrial complex be defeated for good. The resulting world would have no, or few, borders. The illusory construct of the nation-state would be rendered obsolete.
Chapter 4: Remembering and learning
Source: Pixabay (edited)
Another critical factor that should not be overlooked is decolonization — the process of undoing the damage of colonialism. This entails full and lasting reparations for acts of violence and centuries of economic exploitation, as well as cultural and monetary compensation for victims of genocide, slavery, and other forms of atrocity committed in the name of civilization. Only by acknowledging and accepting responsibility for the past can a new and lasting future be built.
This includes indigenous people being able to live on and dispose of their ancestral lands again. If there are still countries and governments after the revolution, existing nations will likely have to be broken up to allow for this. What has been done can never be undone, but it can be acknowledged and eventually forgiven. Only then will we be able to live in peace with one another.
In the next article, we will look at the potential economic systems underlying a Solarpunk society and how they differ from what we have today. If you enjoyed this article, you can directly support me and my work on Patreon or Ko-fi. Any help would be greatly appreciated! You can also become a Medium member or you can check out my bookstore. Every little bit helps. Subscribe so you never miss a new article and join the movement!
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If you want to learn more about the upcoming Solarpunk revolution, check out the curated list here:
An Introduction to Solarpunk
5 stories
If you want to know why self-driving cars are not a good solution, on the other hand, you can do so here:
Sources and further reading
- Andrewism. How We Can Make Solarpunk A Reality (ft. @Our Changing Climate). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-JvyfZVkIM
- How We Can Build A Solarpunk Future Right Now (ft. @Andrewism). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGcjDnOb_U
- Mark Montegriffo in Jacobin. Yes, “Socialism or Extinction” Is Exactly the Choice We Face. https://jacobinmag.com/2020/09/extinction-rebellion-socialism-capitalism
- Our Changing Climate. Why This Gives Me Hope for the Future (ft. @Saint Andrewism). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3aauiR9M88
- Regenerative Design. A Solarpunk Manifesto. https://www.re-des.org/a-solarpunk-manifesto/
- Solarpunk subreddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/solarpunk/
- VICE. Solarpunk Is Not About Pretty Aesthetics. It’s About the End of Capitalism. https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5aym/solarpunk-is-not-about-pretty-aesthetics-its-about-the-end-of-capitalism
- Wikipedia. Decolonization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decolonization