solarpunk

[soh-ler-puhngk]

noun

1. an optimistic environmentalist subgenre of speculative fiction, art, and design that envisions future life on Earth transformed by the use of sustainable energy, close co-existence of human beings with nature, and progressive sociopolitical values.

Word History and Origins

Origin of solarpunk¹

First recorded in 2010–15; solar ¹ ( def. ) + -punk ( def. )

Example Sentences

The “Kids Relief Presents: Solarpunk Simulator” experience on Roblox will also serve as a fundraiser for Comic Relief’s real-life programs battling poverty in America, especially those empowering young people in that fight.

Read more on Seattle Times

“Solarpunk Simulator,” which takes place in a “future world where nature, technology, and people live in harmony” will be no different, with Jack Black appearing as the spaceship captain and Roblox influencers acting as team leaders in the virtual world to get participants to work together toward a common goal.

Read more on Seattle Times

Items available in the “Solarpunk Simulator” virtual store will be part of the fundraiser for Kids Relief, Letter said, whether they give the players special powers in the virtual world or allow them to customize how their avatars look.

Read more on Seattle Times

Solarpunk “posits a world of solar-energy abundance” but insists on the messy politics involved in the transition—sustainable liberation as an ongoing process, not a static utopia.

Read more on Slate

Another vision shaped by stubborn hopefulness, which takes a more anarchic, anti-establishment tack, is solarpunk, a movement of artists, writers, and DIY technologists focused on local solutions, decommodifying basic needs, and designing systems to give communities more control over clean energy, food, water, and other basics.

Read more on Slate