Solarpunk School is in Session

A new academy for protopia and a wealth of other solarpunky stuff in this substack

This round up comes courtesy of our new squadmate

JD Goulet (they/she)

.

London School of Solarpunk Launch

A street university for solarpunks, dreamers and activists is launching in the UK this February. The London School of Solarpunk (LSOS) is a space to invent new ways of urban living and find positive responses to the many crises we're facing.

Facilitated by the Idea Factory, it’s a 4-week programme taking place in Hackney for up to 15 participants. It will feature lectures ranging from social art to energy humanities as well as cooperative economies and creative activism. Those taking part will also co-design group readings, discussions and social experiments.

The first cycle will be from 22 February to 15 March 2025. Lectures and discussions will take place on Saturdays with a warm lunch included. Other activities will take place during the week. It’s pay-as-you-can and LSOS recommends a £60 donation for the whole cycle to help them cover food, material and some facilitation costs.

If you want to forge new friendships, build a collective project, disrupt the status quo and learn about the intersection of energy, art and activism, then The London School of Solarpunk could be for you.

Register your interest by filling in this form. For any questions, email one of the organisers Eva here > eva@studio61.xyz

Solarpunk from Kingston to Kampala

The solarpunk movement is motivating creators and activists worldwide to reimagine a more sustainable future. Examples include a recent youth art festival in Kingston, Ontario, a bamboo bike expedition across Uganda, as well as an immersive museum installation in Melbourne and a syntropic garden in a Californian backyard.

[One man’s East African bamboo bike trek was inspired by our friends Solarpunk Nomads IMAGE: Nile Post]

These initiatives share a common thread. Rather than dwelling on dystopian scenarios, they showcase practical, hopeful solutions to environmental challenges. They do this through art, innovation, and community engagement.

Whether it's students crafting sculptures of green cities on top of plaster turtle shells or cyclists traversing countries on wooden bikes, these projects demonstrate how solarpunk is inspiring action across continents and cultures.

Solarpunk Digested

In a change to our normal round-up of solarpunky stuff we’re bringing you little explainers for some of the things we’re sharing this time. Please let us know what you think of this new format and what we’re sharing in the comments at the bottom.

SOLARPUNK SOLUTIONS #1 - Off Grid Internet - Moneyless Society (45 mins)

This podcast from The Moneyless Society explores how DIY technology can serve solarpunk aspirations. The hosts interviews Andre aka

HydroponicTrash

, a solarpunk creating off-grid internet systems inspired by natural networks like mycelium.

Using basic components like Raspberry Pi computers, travel routers and solar panels, Andre argues communities can build resilient, decentralized communication networks.

The chat on the pod emphasizes how this approach can embody solarpunk principles. For example adapting to environmental challenges, democratizing technology and building local resilience while maintaining global connections.

These DIY solutions are practical steps toward addressing both immediate needs (like Texas's power grid failures) and longer-term goals of creating more sustainable, equitable systems.

How people power can help prepare us for climate shocks - Climate Curious (12 mins)

Climate shocks are becoming stronger and more frequent. Sociologist Dana R. Fisher talks with the Climate Curious pod about how collective action and community resilience can help us weather the storms ahead while building a better future.

Year in Review: 8 Hopeful Climate Stories of 2024 - Earth.org

[A legal victory in South Korea could help make a more solarpunk world IMAGE Earth.Org]

Amid growing environmental challenges, Earth.Org offers several examples of things that went right in 2024. Breakthrough court decisions, renewable energy milestones and youth-led initiatives demonstrated how collective action and legal frameworks are helping reshape our response to environmental crises, offering greater possibilities for meaningful systemic change.

Dogs in Backpacks Are Helping Rewild an Urban Nature Reserve in England - Green Matters

This article shows how in a creative twist on ancient ecological processes, dogs wearing seed-filled backpacks are helping to restore biodiversity to an English nature reserve. They’re mimicking the role their wolf ancestors once played in spreading native plant species throughout the landscape.

Solar energy breakthrough could reduce need for solar farms - Oxford University

This piece shows how researcher are bringing us closer to the solarpunk vision of seamlessly integrated renewable technology. New ultra-thin perovskite coating could transform everyday objects like backpacks, buildings, and phones into power generators, potentially reducing our reliance on dedicated solar farms while matching or exceeding the efficiency of traditional panels.

Other Links

• Solarpunk Food pt 1: Bulk Cooking/Purchasing - Solarpunk USA

• 15 Years Ago They Restored an Abandoned Spanish Village - Andrew Millison

• Los Angeles Backyards Turn Into Productive Micro Farms Thanks to ‘Crop Swap LA’ - La Voce di New York

How about you?

How do you like this new format for our round ups? Would you like us to continue to provide more explainers and summaries of the content we share? Which of these stories most interested you? Would you like to go to the London School of Solarpunk? Or run your own one where you are based? Let us know in the comments below.

Build solarpunk

The main way this substack grows is people like you sharing it. Help bring a deliciously sustainable future a little closer by passing this on to anyone you think might enjoy a dose of inspiration.

See you in the sunshine,

Alex Holland

Founder, SolarPunk Stories