But a solar utopia is a bit naive. As Andrew D. Hudson says, “what more elegant image of our salvation than a solar panel, turning the light that heats our planet beyond comfort into energy, the very commodity for which we set the world on fire.”

Solarpunks are edgier than utopianists. This is where the punk comes in.

I wondered how the word “punk” could be compatible with a positive and optimistic movement that wants to save the planet. I mean, punks are not exactly chipper optimists.

I imagine punks as the counter-force they were in the 70s— loud progressive rock, crazy hairstyles, boots, black leather jackets, and a rebellious mentality towards everything and everyone who conforms to the norms. In my mind, punks are the dregs of society, borderliners who consciously choose not to participate in mainstream life.

Historically, they actively resisted the future. So how should we interpret the “punk” in “solarpunk”? At first, I couldn’t see the connection, but I recognize the link now.

Solarpunk is about resistance. Solarpunks don’t resist the future though, they resist the present. This is what makes them punk. What else makes them punk? That they are also radicals. They are radical in the way they imagine an optimistic future where profound changes in our energy consumption and production have already happened.

Solarpunk’s take on the future is refreshing. There is too much negativity and anxiety about the coming few decades and the fate of humanity as we know it. If we imagine a horrible future, a depressing future will manifest. Instead, if we imagine solutions and focus on changing our own lifestyles, we might actually make it to the next century.

© Header image: cienias [CGSociety, contest entry]