#lunarpunk

Okay, as I am currently Solarpunk posting, let me talk about the topic that in regards to Solarpunk actually is worth critiquing. If you actually - you know - do interact with the community and the stories.

Because here is the thing: Solarpunk as a genre generally tends to be actually quite good about most of the base infrastructure. Most writers in the genre do actually think about how energy is produced and how the associated supply lines work. They think about how food infrastructure works. And how people get around. And how the internet works. They also do seem to have some thoughts at least about how waste management works - though admittedly that is often a bit less thought out other than "renewable materials" and "recycling". Not perfect in that area, but... at least some thought is there.

No, the big issue is health - and disability care.

Look, I am a disabled person myself. I cannot walk long distances on my own. I struggle with stairs. And I need to take 12 different medications. 9 of them daily, the other three in weekly or biweekly intervals. I need to see specialist doctors at least once a month - usually more often. And frankly: I still actually am still more abled than a lot of other people. I can still work. I can still travel with fairly little preparation. I can still do fun stuff without needing to overthink it. And while I do need my medication: I will survive if I am without any single one of them for a week. All of them for a week gone would be an issue. But some of my medications are at times hard to get due to international supply chains and... that is fine. I can live through that.

But others can not.

And this is an issue that a lot of Solarpunk stories just do not consider.

Accessibility in Solarpunk Worlds

So, here is one of the core issues: when most people hear "accessibility" they first and foremost think of wheelchairs, hard of hearing people, and blind people. And that is of course only a small fraction of people who are actually disabled.

We are on tumblr, so chances are y'all have been told about this just a bit. You likely know that people in a wheelchair usually can walk to some degree but might struggle with balance, or exhaustion, or other issues. Some people might be in a wheelchair on some days, and not on others.

You might also know that people with autism and ADHD and other neuro differences might just need environments that are not as bright, not as loud, and so on.

But chances are that other than this... you do not know much. And it is not your fault. It really is not. Because this is just not taught. And currently a lot of people kinda try their best to fully "other" the disabled people. So you do not think of disabled people as people who are largely "functioning" as society expects them to.

But yeah. Disability can have a lot of faces, and even the same disability can look completely different in different people.

You know. Not everyone likes to use wheelchairs. Not everyone who has lost a limb wants to use prothesis. Not everyone who is hard of hearing finds hearing aids useful. Not everyone with ADHD profits from medications.

And then there is the other big issue: cars.

Because a lot of Solarpunk conversation rightly criticize cars and the car centric infrastructure we have. But the issue is if we do not have car accessible infrastructure it also means that ambulances cannot access a lot of areas. And... those are kinda important.

And of course there also is just the additional bit that while I absolutely think that we should finally get away from car centric infrastructure. But some people will just need cars of some form. Because for one reason or another public transport, bikes and the like will not be working for them. And this is an issue that a lot of people engaging in Solarpunk just do not want to admit.

Petrochemicals and Medication

And then we have that one big issue. And that is petrochemicals.

Right now a lot stuff in our society is in some way or form tied to petrochemicals. So to oil. We take the oil out of the earth for fuel, but as we only use some part of it for the fuels, some part for plastic, and some parts for... other stuff.

And some of this other stuff is medications.

A lot of medications on the market right now go back to some chemicals that originates with the petrochemical industries. And some of those chemicals we right now cannot produce without earth oil being involved at some point.

No, this is not all medications of course. There is a bunch of stuff that is largely done without petrochemicals involved. Stuff that might be produced by fungi, bacteria, or - we have to remember that - genemanipulated animals. But even those medications currently at times still need some solvents or other materials either to work, or to be stabilized for longer than a few days.

And of course a lot of other things related to medicine are super dependent on Petrochemicals. Syringes are made of plastic. A bunch of other stuff is as well. And while for those maybe we might at some point be able to recycle that stuff into a good quality - but right now we are actually not able to do that.

A lot of people who disagree with anarchism or Solarpunk keep saying that the issue is somehow related to people no longer caring for disabled or sick people. But generally, I do not think it is a problem. Humans always have been taken care of one another. Medical jobs tend to be generally the kind of job people like doing - or would like doing if they were not constantly overworked and underpaid.

But one issue we need to keep in mind is... that we still will need to pump oil for the time being. Because otherwise people will die due to no longer being able to access life saving medication.

The Invisibility of Disabilities

One of the core issues with all of this is - of course - that disabilities tend to be treated like invisible within even progressive circles. Everyone is kind of aware that disability exists, but people who are not themselves affected often will just straight up ignore anything that goes past wheelchairs, blind and hard of hearing people.

Often enough, even among leftist people, there is also the narrative about "We will just heal everyone for good", not realizing that a) this is very unlikely, and b) that this is actually eugenicist ideology.

In Solarpunk people tend to actually think about most other infrastructure. Food, information, energy, water. That tends to be taken care of. But medical infrastructure? Infrastructure for emergencies? That is often the kind people do not think about enough.

And again: yes. It is highly likely that if we had a world in which we were not working ourselves to death, where we are not constantly stressed, where our basic needs are being taken care of, and where we have community, a lot of acquired disabilities would be more rare. We know that people who have community and less work stress will be much, much less likely to develop cancer or heart disease.

But there are still disabilities that will be there from birth. There will still be disabilities in old age. People will still have accidents. And people will still suffer infectious diseases. And yes, some people will still have cancer and stuff.

So, ideally any Solarpunk story should account for that. And for how they are supposed to get care, and medication, and pretty much anything else needed to survive.

SOLARPUNK AESTHETIC WEEK 6!!

The hosts for this event are @fennopunk, @solarpunkani, and @mendingourstars! We'll be reblogging and chatting from those blogs about the event as well, so feel free to drop a follow!

What’s this all about? Solarpunk Aesthetic Week (SAesW) is a biannual week-long celebration of the aesthetics around the Solarpunk genre and movement! As Solarpunks, we look forward to a hopeful future, and this event is meant for all of us to take part in visualizing that future and working towards creating it step by step! So let’s get creative, get our hands dirty, and tell our stories together!

“But it’s winter! There’s less sun in the sky, it’s cold, it’s miserable, what’s Solarpunk about this time of year at all?!”

We firmly believe that solarpunk looks different in different times of year--whereas in spring and summer we might be growing tomatoes and dreaming of greenhouses and sunny communities, in winter we might be doing lots of work--mending up clothes or making new ones, planning future gardens and actions, reading and writing to help visualize the future we want to achieve. Sure, solarpunk is generally associated with the color and warmth of spring and summer, which is all the more reason to truly think about what solarpunk will be like in the wintry months. There’s plenty to do, and you can take part any way you’d like to!

If it’s dark and cold during this wintry time for you, it could be an excellent time to dive into Lunarpunk as well! Lunarpunk is the night side of Solarpunk in a sense, so its a good time to explore this closely related aesthetic. It's also the subtheme of this year's winter event!

In addition, consider looking into Polarpunk! It’s a smaller aesthetic, but you’re sure to find plenty of inspiration and wintry vibes to draw inspiration from! If you’re dealing with snow and ice and cold temperatures, Polarpunk very well may be your Solarpunk!

But also, we aren’t forgetting about our friends in the Southern Hemisphere! For you all, it’s summer, and we’re excited to see what you do to celebrate!

Hi!

Thanks for asking - I’ve had this question before and it’s definitely a real problem. Organic, plastic free food is expensive. So is handmade durable clothing, and train fares these days. It can feel like only the rich can be solarpunks, which is pretty counterintuitive given its anticapitalist ideology. But! I’m here to tell you there’s lots you can do to bring solarpunk into your life in a cost-effective way.

To start with, lots of solarpunk spaces are free or cheap. Get a library card and you can borrow as many books and DVDs and other resources as you like. Look up to see if there’s a library of things in your neighbourhood, and join a buy nothing or stuff for free group online. Download TooGoodToGo, which lets you access food from local cafes and restaurants which would otherwise go to waste. See if there’s a repair cafe that operates near you - I managed to get a pair of trousers mended at one of these for free, and I had been thinking I would need to pay a tailor (which is fine if you can afford it! Skilled labour deserves fair wages!). In some places plant-based food is cheaper, so when it is, choose it. But in others it will cost more than animal products so you have to decide on a case by case basis whether saving money or a particular diet is more important to you.

There’s lots else you can do for minimal spending or that actually saves you money. Walking to work or school avoids the expenditure in the petrol for a drive or a bus fare. If you’re within walking distance and able to do so, I’d recommend it. Joining your local chapter of Extinction Rebellion, Friends of The Earth, Greenpeace, The A22 network or any other active climate group in your area is almost always free and just involves a small weekly time commitment. This will introduce you to activists and inform you about protests and public meetings you can attend.

If you have the time in your week and the physical ability, which I acknowledge many people don’t, you can also join some sort of volunteer group looking after a nature reserve or tending a community garden (which might also give you access to free or discounted food). Learning to forage is also a good skill as that really is free food!

Depending on where you are, a green electricity tariff *can* also be less expensive. If this is the case and you have control over your provider, it’s worth switching to it. Buying books and clothes secondhand will also be better for the environment and your bank balance. Teaching yourself about the climate and the natural world with podcasts, YouTube, online free articles and other resources is also free and the knowledge will help you keep solarpunk at the front of your mind. Read good news stories online whenever you can, to remind you that good things are happening already.

If you’re employed, you can also try to influence green policy at your workplace or in your trade union. If you’re at school or university, joining (or setting up!) the environmental society and/or lobbying for change at the SU are both good ideas and shouldn’t necessarily cost you anything. If you can - and I know this is inaccessible for a big swathe of the population - put a very small amount of money aside whenever possible, because the more you save the more you can afford to buy better products, donate to causes, help out the needy in your community, travel in a greener way, and other more expensive choices. It’s all about that dual power.

Lunarpunk is Solarpunk for the night dwellers. Similar philosophy and movement but with a darker, bioluminescent, celestial aesthetic. With a focus on Community, Sustainability, Reducing Light Pollution, growing Native Flora and creating a livable and thriving home for the night dwelling Fauna (nocturnal animals, insects, and people too), and obviously, don't forget the Punk.

Lunarpunk is a very new and slowly growing subgenre and community, please continue to add new ideas, add to the conversation of sustainability, do research in your own area about the local flora and fauna, what you can do to help reduce light pollution, even if it's just coming from your home, how to be more energy efficient, how to reduce waste, save money on electricity, see if you can switch your lights to LEDs, speak with your neighbors about switching as well.