---------------------------------------- solarpunk thoughts April 25th, 2019 ---------------------------------------- cmccabe just posted [0] some thoughts on solarpunk as a cultural phenomenon, as a set of aesthetics surrounding shared goals for the future, and as a visual and literary style. It's worth the quick read. Go check it out, I'll wait here. (TXT) [0] cmccabe - solarpunk optimism As it so often happens on gopher, his phlog set off a chain of thought in me that is tangential. It reminded me of a fantastic book from last year's reading list [1]: (HTM) [1] Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek In this surprisingly-great book, author Manu Saadia makes a case for the true vision of Star Trek future through the lens of the morals, values, and hard economics that underpin the series’ ideal society. It's a substantial work that deserves serious attention. The utopian future of Star Trek is optimistic and it manages to challenge us in many unique ways. It questions our need for financial incentives, the mores of competition vs honor, even the idea of humanity itself. It also reminds me of that endless conviction of Doctor Who that underpins everything [2]: (HTM) [2] Intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism! Solarpunk is just this. Yes, there's an artistic aesthetic. There's probably something to be claimed as original for a literary style as well. Ultimately, though, it is a response to the gritty, post-modern brutalism of cyberpunk. Instead of the wastelands of Detroit overrun by cyber-drugs [3], we see green pasture-lands infused with a shining beacon of optimism in the form of solar arrays and wind turbines. (HTM) [3] NUKE I can take or leave Earth Day. It's not a part of solarpunk as much as a Delorian topped with a "Mr. Fusion", or as much as a guy on gopher that powers his farm with a solar array and shares his water conservation stories on his phlog [4]. (DIR) [4] melton It all gives me hope. Star Trek, Doctor Who, gopher, little-free-librarys [5], and all of you. Keep on being awesome. (DIR) [5] Little Free Library 1 (DIR) [5] Little Free Library 2 (DIR) [5] Little Free Library 3