Essay - How the climate conversation went punk

From #SlowFashion to #GuerrillaGardening, the internet has transformed solarpunk, a literary movement, into an alternative lifestyle trend.

Written by Sonal Gupta
Mumbai | Updated: November 20, 2025

Excerpt: "In 2020, #SolarPunkFarms cropped up in California as a #communal living space whose inhabitants grow and share their own food. The leftovers are sent to local markets. They have designed their #greenhouse after the animations of #HayaoMiyazaki. In fact, the works of the #StudioGhibli founder have found resonance among solarpunks, as he places nature as a character in his plots. In his visions, nature is at its most beautiful—lush greenery, rays of light, the dew on leaves, and the wind blowing life into trees.

"Though these changes are encouraging, it’s ironic that as we move past dystopian visions, the #capitalists of the world, running in the #AI race, threaten to steer us to the very future. The use of AI itself depletes water resources and generates immense amounts of greenhouse gases and electronic waste. If we are to live in a world where technology exists in harmony with #nature, #activists, stakeholders, and individuals must actively call for more #SustainableSolutions, #AffirmativeAction, and policy changes.

"If cyberpunk warned us of what happens when technology consumes humanity, solarpunk invites us to imagine what is possible when humanity reclaims technology. It reminds us that hope, like sunlight, is a renewable resource too."

Read more:
https://indianexpress.com/article/fresh-take/what-is-solarpunk-climate-change-10334376/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/8loNL

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #HopePunk #DeGrowth #DeCapitalize #RightToRepair #NatureRocks #AISucks #ClimateChange #RenewablesNow #GrowYourOwnFood #ABetterWorld #StabilizedWorld #ClimateAdaptation

What if Everything is Free? Exploring The #LibraryOfThings Concept

"Research has shown that people are increasingly open to collaborative consumption, with studies indicating a rising willingness to share goods instead of purchasing them outright."

by Jed Brown, Feb 19, 2025

"In today’s consumer-driven society, the idea of ownership is so deeply ingrained that imagining a world where everything is free can seem radical — if not downright impossible.

Yet, emerging initiatives like the Library of Things invite us to reconsider our relationship with material goods. Rather than accumulating items, communities are experimenting with a model where objects are shared rather than owned."

Read more:
https://medium.com/@jedbrown99/what-if-everything-is-free-f52874528afc

#SolarPunkSunday #CircularEconomy #LibrariesOfThings #BorrowDontBuy #Degrowth #LibrariesOfThings #Decapitalize

What if Everything is Free?

Exploring The Library of Things Concept

Medium