November 14, 2025
Learning
"The only way to relegate yesterday’s news to the dustbin of history is to rebel today by re-imagining tomorrow."
Jacob Coffin describes himself as "a sci-fi writer with a passion for land conservation, reuse, and human rights not being rolled back." He is currently publishing a series called Postcards from a Solarpunk Future, "a collection of photobashes I’ve been making around a fictional solarpunk society". About this repurposed parking garage he says "I imagine this building is somewhat well known in this fictional place. I think it was probably converted into living space while the world was busy being a little more postapoclyptic than solarpunk, with new residents just scavenging materials from whatever they could. It’s since grown into a sort of community art project, proud of its history, squatters rights, and the reuse of its materials."
I love Edward de Bono’s reminder that we can enjoy the future. Solarpunk is a transdisciplinary movement—spanning literature, art, and activism—that celebrates the radical hope required to make that possible. I've mentioned it before—How the aesthetic, utopian yet pragmatic movement of Solarpunk reimagines a future without a climate catastrophe—and want to circle back.
Typically developed as short fiction, poetry, or artwork, the genre envisions practical, optimistic futures where communities creatively address ecological and social challenges through cooperation, sustainability, and radical hope.
Core values include the interconnectedness of humanity and nature; regenerative economies and relationships; creativity, play, diversity, and abundance; collective action and participatory community; and ecological and social justice. Solarpunk rejects dystopia and chooses instead to repair, reimagine, and build joyful communities.
This article offers an excellent introduction.
"Maybe hope is already in action. If we look at recent activity in labor organizing, reproductive justice organizing, anti-racist organizing, anti-fascist organizing, anti-debt organizing, and ecological organizing, isn’t each on the rise? Perhaps, but we need a sustained, holistic movement that continues to pursue positive vision as it carves out a strategic path towards fundamental change, and we need it now."
ARTICLE: Solarpunk: Radical Hope
