Solarpunking Travel

Regenerative travel, airships & more in this update

We’re getting a move on in this update with recent developments in solarpunky transport and more!

Solarpunking Holidays

Solarpunk Travel are aiming to jumpstart a movement for regenerative journeys. For this US co-op solarpunk holidays are those which involve;

“both an eco-friendly mode of transport as well as being more than consumers in the places we visit.

Our vision is to create a nationwide movement of local bicycle- and train-based outdoor adventures that connect as many people as possible to the wilderness without exploiting people or the planet.

Our goal is to demonstrate that adapting our lives to be more sustainable isn't about giving things up, it's about gaining a sense of adventure! Interested in this mission?”

These chaps have been going for a while but under the different name of Trail Co-op. They recently changed their name to Solarpunk Travel as they want to be part of our broader movement. How awesome is that?

Do you know of any British-based groups trying to do something similar? Let us know in the comments below.

Airships Get Closer to Take Off

For those of you who’ve already read SolarPunk Detective Episode One you’ll know airships have taken the place of planes as the main way to travel by air.

In recent news, Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin is ramping up production of the next generation of airships for his company Lighter Than Air.

Image Credit: Hybrid Air Vehicles

On top of that UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles are adding 1800 jobs to their factory in Yorkshire to meet demand for new airships from the airline Iberia.

In the not too distant future you could get from London to Barcelona in 4.5 hours and at an estimated 10% of the carbon of an airplane, according to The Guardian.

Classic Cars Get Ev Makeover

Image Credit: Sunday Times Driving

From the U.S. to India classic cars are being converted to run on electric. In the UK leading retrofitters are reporting two year waiting lists.

In the Russoverse, what we call the future setting of SolarPunk Detective, cars are rare while cycling, walking and public transport are the norm.

However if you’re going to have a car is it better that it’s a retrofitted classic than a brand new Tesla? What do you think? Leave us a comment below.

What Shade of Solarpunk Are You?

We’re writing a long-read article called "Solarpunk has many shades, and that’s OK". We'd like your input for it.

We feel there's a lot of people on reddit and social media who argue the type of solarpunk they like is the only 'real' one.

We've seen other people's interpretations of solarpunk attacked as greenwash, ecofuturism and at worst ecofascism.

The grid above is a friendlier example of this. It argues that the Miyazaki style highlife, low tech image is 'cottagecore' rather than solarpunk.

There are others who feel these sunshiney anime style images are totally solarpunk for them. We think there are at least several main shades of solarpunk including;

🏡 Cottage Solar (rural low tech)
🙆🏻‍♀️ Kawaii Solar (Miyazaki style)
🌇 Metropolis Solar (skyscrapers and flying cars)
🌱 Rooted Solar (based on real places and more believable)

Do you think:

• Any one of these shades are more solarpunk than the other?

• Are there any we've missed?

• Are there any that get called solarpunk that shouldn't be?

When the article is ready we’ll release it first via this newsletter. If you think anyone else might find this interesting then please do share this with them.

Until Next Time

That's all for this update. If you like what we’re trying to do here and know someone else who might do too then please share. 

A solarpunk future is possible, if we make it so. 

See you in the sunshine,

Alex Holland

Founder, SolarPunk Stories