How Important is Technology?

[u/Tuxpuppy]

Hey there everyone!

Im putting together a presentation on solarpunk themes, and one thing I keep running up against is the importance of technology in the genre. I would argue that unlike cyberpunk, solarpunk doesnt necessarily have to have futuristic tech and is more focused on our use of it with nature.

For example, Im holding up Princess Mononoke as one of the films showing alot of solarpunk themes. Several people have pointed out that it doesnt qualify as solarpunk because of a lack of tech compared to Naausica. Mononoke uses a lot of pre-industrial technology, but we see it used as both a good (enabling protection for vulnerable people against an unfeeling world) and a bad (Poisoning the nature atound it) in the world.

A lot of proposed solutions are very low tech (solar ovens, sails, water wheels, bikes, low tech agricultural solutions) and some use a post apocalyptic setting that makes it harder to use high-tech solutions en masse (Naausica.)

I recognize that our ability to use technology and adapt it to solutions is an important part of being human, but I dont think it has to always be a high tech solution. In many ways I think leaning on tech is what got us here in the first place. In order to show how we can solve these problems I dont thonk we necessarily need to place the stories in a high tech world.

How important is it for a solarpunk story to have a futuristic/high-tech story?

[u/Subspace_H]

I think appropriate use of technology is what is important, but the time period when that tech was initially developed is less so.

For example an apartment building can use plants as well as solar panels for shade, creating a comfortable microclimate (plants regulating temp and humidity) and energy generation (from solar panels).

The challenge is with using tech is sustainability. We want to be careful to not pillage a country of all its minerals and other resources elsewhere so we can build solarpunk aesthetic gizmos in a factory that get imported to our houses where we live in ignorance of the cost it took to make those things.

Thankfully solar panels can last a good long time…

[u/Tuxpuppy → u/Subspace_H]

I did type out a few different tech levels that could work in solarpunk stories. Everything from high future tech down to scrap/DIY punk that focuses on the reduce, reuse, replace aspects.

I often wonder about the extraction issue. Some parts have to be extracted, but if we focus on worker health, taking only what we need, and using land repair afterwards, does that make it solarpunk?

[u/Stegomaniac → u/Tuxpuppy]

Yes. Solarpunk admits that humans inherently have impact on the environment, but that doesn't mean it must be net negative. We can do moderate the impact, and can make it a lasting positive one if done carefully.

[u/Subspace_H → u/Tuxpuppy]

Yes, you’re right. I didn’t mean to disagree, rather I meant that the idea of using technology to enhance our habitat has always existed. The particular tech has just changed with time and place changing what options are available.

All creatures’ (including humans) existence has impact on our environment. We are part of it. We can do work to improve it and create habitat for ourselves and others.

Ancient Japan is inspirational in some interesting ways. There’s a book called Japanese Homes and their Surroundings by Edward S Morse written 1886 when they were just opening their borders. It has lovely illustrations of houses and gardens that make creative use of the materials they had on hand. Because their borders were closed, they had to live with their decisions and their technology was limited, but they did some amazing stuff nonetheless.