Tags
farmer, future, permaculture, punk, solar, solarpunk, solarpunkfarmer, sustainable
SolarPunk is a new movement that sees the future in a positive light. This great article will get you started (http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2014/11/10/4122309.htm). So far there is very little content to help define what it is and what it looks like. So I going to create some, copy some and modify some to make my contribution to what it could be.
I would like your feedback to the ideas I put forward to see if they can contribute.
Whether its post apocalyptic or a smooth transition through energy decent, the imagined future is positive and happy. I imagine this future as having resolved any racism, sexism or religious bias. So solarpunk culture would include all races, religions, sex’s, including those with disabilities. There may be a strong influence(especially in fashion) from cultures that are currently ignored by western society. Indigenous cultures as well as, Indian, and African I would think may feature heavily. I think the fashion would have strong sustainable roots so wood and natural fibres would feature. But I kinda feel like solarpunk should be a little bit roman or “peaceful planet from star trek”. So soft summery white clothes, sit just fine in my mind. Plus I love Egyptian and Pagan jewellery, art and symbols, even though mining gold for jewellery may be a thing of the past. A post apololyptic solarpunk future may feature patched, modified and upcycled fashion heavily. I think simple tatoos featuring ancient symbols(flower of life etc) and maybe some celtic or nordic images would be a good fit.
Solarpunk can be current like this totally awesome solar collector glass sphere invention (http://earthweareone.com/this-glass-sphere-might-revolutionize-solar-power-on-earth-3/).Or it can be a totally imagined distant future.
Solarpunk to me is old meets new. and it doesnt always have to make sense, like a “robot horse with solar collecting skin towing an old school plow with farmer behind”.
But is there a space in Solarpunk for ultra futuristic technology like these solar modified futurisitc tractors? or is that too sci-fi?
Or it can be clever use of old items. Like a “decommisioned tank being used by a farmer to tow a chicken tractor around with a tibetan prayer flag hanging from the barrel”.
Solarpunk could be technology blended with existing infastructure and junk. like futuristic upcycling.
I think Solarpunk embodies alot of permaculture principles, but a sustainble future will also require all those grand parent skills that we are rapidly loosing. I think Solarpunk is authentic versus mass produced. I could be on my own here but could it be a design philosophy of function over form? That doesnt mean things need to be ugly, far from it. It simply means nothing will be made that is for looks only. We simply may not have the resources or time. I think solarpunk shares similarities with steampunk in that it values handcrafted expensive items that will last for a very long time and can be serviced. But I think solarpunk could also embrace items that don’t last a long time but do no harm to the environment when they are disposed off. ie earth building, cob etc.
As far as Ai goes, I think solarpunk sees a positive, cooperative relationship with technology. Savouring jobs we now give to machines. This could be envisioned artisticly as a robot minding the kids while the humans tend the garden or farm.
So leave some comments and ideas, and well see if we cant define this solarpunk thing.
pruesimmons said:
Awesome concept! I love the SolarPunk ideas of upcycling, old-meets-new, multicultural mix and the positive ideals regarding our future. So often we hear negativity about the world we will encounter in the future…but SolarPunk reminds us that the future is up to us to imagine and put steps in place to design and achieve. Getting back to handmade, built to last, shunning the out-of-control consumerism that plagues us…it’s all achievable. Love your concepts and designs SolarPunkFarmer! Keep them coming! 🙂
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Samantha said:
I like to think of it more as “new meets nature” with bits and pieces of the old weaved through it. New technologies built around nature so it blends perfectly (or nearly) while upcycling the old into new things. Theres a little group at my school working on making solarpunk an actual thing. And there’s different departments so everyone can join! There’s people working on eco-friendly technologies. People working with what we have, trying to get solar power throughout the community. And then we have artists working to to make not only art, but the fashion that you’ve envisioned above. Everyone gets to do something, and we’re working SO hard to get this to be an actual thing.
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Stacy Elson said:
I like the “new meets nature” angle. Whether its taking cutting technology to rural areas to improve life. Or bringing nature to our grey cement cities. I think your spot on.
Which school? sounds like interesting stuff. I can’t wait to see more content hit the net.
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Samantha said:
I don’t feel comfortable telling you what school. But i’m glad you agree with me on this topic! It’s trying to being nature back into our way of life without destroying technology. In fact, we build more technology, with the help of nature. Make it run off of nature without destroying it. Build them around each other, that way you get the pleasing aspects of both groups while generally bettering life and society. And not to mention the aesthetic. Holy crap i am in love.
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