this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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Solarpunk

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The space to discuss Solarpunk itself and Solarpunk related stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere.

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Is Solarpunk the Hippie Movement Redux? (solarpunkpresents.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hippies didn't have the internet. Some had some of the right ideas, but it wasn't easy to connect the dots of information or insight people had, so a lot of early ideas of improving the world just had to fail against the onslaught of capitalism. Currently we live in a period where the mainstream system seems to fail. The real dystopia doesn't just happen somewhere else to some unfortunate few, it's quite obviously popping up everywhere in many forms.

Solarpunk steps in and imagines that we could build a future that isn't more dystopian. We could take stock of what we have - technology, skills, limitations - and dare to imagine a future that is actually less dystopian than what happens now. We refuse to accept that this is the best version of humans inhabiting the universe that we could possibly come up with, and collect material, information, documentation to support a worldbuilding effort that aims for a better future.

Have the hippies failed? Or did they point the way towards a lot of the right directions? Is punk dead? Don't think so, and it's all in favour of DIY. So we basically DIY our future here.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

It is a practical gospel of hope. I work in tech and I hate what we have done with tech. Let’s do better! This is the opposite of dropping out, it is digging in and making positive change informed by a humane and rational value system.

So, no, not hippie redux. But any old hippies are certainly welcome.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

another thing is that selling out isn't really viable for most people under 35 anymore. at some point more and more people are gonna ditch the mainstream out of necessity, not out of choice

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Solarpunk is a Science Fiction genre. I don't think the Hippie movement was a sci-fi genre?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Yeeeeesssssss

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Apparently you didn't read the article. And no it isn't. It shares some superficial similarities and some roots (as the article explains), but contrary to the hippie movement it isn't about personal (and sexual) liberation.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It's a movement more or less built on aesthetics, it's doomed to go a similar path of getting a lot of steam and then doing nothing with it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's a lot more to solar punk than aesthetics. Sure, it started out there to a decent degree but it's grown to take on a life of it's own. Its a vehicle to realize liberatory politics at the community and global level through social ecology (among other things). It's an answer to the all too common question of what a post capitalist society would look like, particularly for many varieties of libertarian socialism.

The only way solarpunk would lose steam is if it abandons it's political foundation. Which is a part of what happened to the hippy movement but we've learned from past mistakes and I have faith that solarpunk can be realized in some meaningful fashion

[–] johnnycashsguitar 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Okay, on a slight tangent but I was wondering what the difference between social ecology and human ecology is. I hear a lot about social ecology in these circles and a lot about human ecology in different circles. I'm assuming they're related, but are they interchangeable?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

So there's the academic study of social ecology which is related to human ecology, the latter being a broader area of study. There's also social ecology, a philosophical theory developed by Murray Bookchin. He's a prolific social libertarian who developed the ideology of communalism after a falling out with anarchists over how decision making would be handled in a post-state society. I'm kind of steering away from your question at this point but I'd be happy to continue (to the best of my ability, I'm still learning) if you have any more questions

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think you have a point but I can also see how

  1. Art inspires science and engineering
  2. Solarpunk art already includes extremely dense information about how to accomplish the goals and of course the aesthetic

And while the art is the most iconic part of solarpunk, there is more to it as well.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Agreed. Art is the single most powerful tool used to start cultural revolutions.

The Renaissance only happened because of artists' ideas were spread in a meaningful way.

The music and psychedelic art of the 50s-60s inspired the hippie movement.

Currently, we are being inspired by cyberpunk art. I guess that's the natural progression of capitalism. But it will eventually fail. And when it does, SolarPunk will rise.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

You are so right.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

it's also only 9 years old and still growing

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Again you show your complete ignorance of Solarpunk. Why are you commenting in this community if you don't even understand the basics of it?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Passing by from All. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

you had the opportunity to invite someone in and share your knowledge and instead you act like a tit. go eat a granola bar, jeez

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I tried in my first reply, but why should I waste more time on someone that doesn't even bother to read the linked text and shows repeated 0 effort in trying to understand even the basics?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Their ignorance isn't limited to this community.