Share

cover art for Urban Versus Rural Solarpunk: Ariel & Christina Discuss

Solarpunk Presents

Urban Versus Rural Solarpunk: Ariel & Christina Discuss

Season 2, Ep. 1

Does solarpunk dream utopic dreams of clean, just, green cities that are great places to live in vibrant communities with other people? Or is solarpunk about getting back to the land, having your own chickens, being self-sufficient, and helping out your neighbors? City dweller Ariel, who dreams of life in the countryside, and countryside dweller Christina, who sees the advantages of city life, consider the pros and cons of trying to live urban versus rural solarpunk lives.


Here are links to some of the literature we discussed:

https://www.williamcronon.net/writing/Trouble_with_Wilderness_Main.html

https://archive.org/details/boston-hearth-project-by-tjwatson/mode/2up?view=theater


Connect with Solarpunk Presents Podcast on Twitter @SolarpunkP or Mastodon @solarpunkpresents@climatejustice.rocks or solarpunkpresents.com

Connect with Ariel at her blog, on Twitter at @arielletje, and on Mastodon @arielkroon@wandering.shop

Connect with Christina at her blog, on Twitter @xtinadlr, and on Mastodon @xtinadlr@wandering.shop


Support the show on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.


Ariel's note: this is a constructed debate, and not necessarily reflective of the opinions of all solarpunks everywhere, but a debate that Christina and I see fairly often in solarpunk spaces, so we wanted to duke it out in a fun and engaging way to provoke thought.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 10. What Does the Punk in Solarpunk Even Mean? Ariel & Christina Discuss

    41:46
    Why is solarpunk called solarPUNK? What is so punk about it, and does it have anything to do with the original meaning of punk… or cyberpunk, or steampunk, or any -punk for that matter? In this episode, Christina and Ariel dive into the thorny question of what exactly it is that they are talking about when they say “solarpunk” … because as it turns out, they both have very different points of reference. Neither Christina’s Gen-Xer ideas of the ‘80s punk-rocker or Ariel’s Millennial idea of the Hot Topic pop-punk fit in with solarpunk… or do they? Tune in to find out more!Links:A Solarpunk ManifestoSupport Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 9. The Fantasies of Post-apocalyptic Dystopian Fiction, with Ariel Kroon

    43:14
    Classic, post-apocalyptic, dystopian fiction is a type of fantasy where we’re dreaming of starting over in an empty landscape from a societal and cultural slate wiped clean by some devastating event that we don’t have to feel guilty about having happened—at least, it is according to our very own Ariel Kroon, who does, yes, have a PhD in it.* Yet, at the same time, these fantasies generally suffer from a strange lack of imagination, wherein the characters use the “fresh new start” to recreate the same old society, albeit with themselves at the top, with the same old systemic socioeconomic, environmental, and structural problems. It’s almost as if it is easy to dream up apocalypse but next to impossible to envision a different way of living. Although a failure of imagination would most likely look different for solarpunk, can solarpunk creators and dreamers of a positive future avoid falling into the same sort of trap?*Post-apocalyptic Canadian science-fiction 1948-1989, she wants to clarify. She’s even got the thesis to prove it.Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 8. Easing the Housing Crisis By Saying Yes, in My Backyard

    39:42
    You’ve heard of NIMBYs and NIMBYism, and you probably are living with the consequences of neighbourhood planning or city policies influenced by landowners who say “Not in My Backyard” to new developments planned in their area. But what about YIMBYs? The name might be strange, but the homeowners who make up these groups say “Yes In My Backyard” to normalize the goals of affordable housing advocates, transit planning, tenants’ rights organizations and others who are working towards making the city a more liveable place to be for everyone. Today on the podcast, Ariel talks to Melissa Bowman, cofounder of the group Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard (WRYIMBY) about what a YIMBY group is, what some actions are that it might take, the issues that it might address, and how to start up a YIMBY group in your area, if there’s not one already!Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 7. Creating Community While Regenerating Soil, with Nick Schwanz of Solarpunk Farms

    49:03
    Taking action on their solarpunk dreams, Nick Schwanz and Spencer Scott bought a degraded agricultural plot and have been turning it into a food forest, an explosion of flowers, and a demonstration of regenerative farming that brings the local community together and creates a network of prosperity and opportunities for other farmers, creatives, and makers. Join us as we talk soils, how their project is going, and what they mean by their intention to queer the agricultural endeavor.For all the fun and their latest news, follow Solarpunk Farms on their Instagram @solarpunkfarms.Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 6. On Solarpunk Spirituality (& Humanity's Intangible Squishy Bits) with Navarre Bartz

    39:20
    Today Ariel sits down with Navarre Bartz to talk about solarpunk spirituality. Solarpunk’s emphasis on respecting and valuing human and non-human life includes the totality of a being’s existence, and that includes the “squishy bits” of the experience that we can’t quite quantify. Navarre recently hosted a series of guest posts on his blog, Solarpunk Station, all about the spiritual angle of solarpunk, and what a solarpunk style of spirituality might look like.Read more:Solarpunk Station Episode 1.1 “Must Solarpunk Should?”artisans.coop Etsy alternative!Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 5. Scientists Tell Stories Too (and That's a Good Thing), with Prof. Jenni Barclay

    42:31
    In this episode, Prof. Jenni Barclay explains the importance of storytelling by scientists to themselves, other scientists, and the general public. Has that got you thinking, hey, wait, WHAT?! Everyone knows that scientists should never tell stories! If we expect them to show up like Back off man, I’m a scientist! and guide us through difficulties, then they’d best stick strictly and dryly to the facts, because everyone knows that scientists should never tell stories, right? But scientists even need to tell stories to themselves and to each other to more effectively process the information contained in their data, observations, and experiences. Human beings are not computers: we need stories to grasp the meanings of things, and that also goes for scientific facts. This means scientists need to be storytellers, too, if they want people to understand not just what the facts are, but what they mean for society and the world at large. Then people would better be able to see what our options are for responding to environmental and technological developments and emergencies. Learn more about Jenni and her research on volcanoes and scientists here https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/jenni-barclay or follow her on social media at @volcanojenni on xitter and bluesky.Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkpresents
  • 4. Perfect Storm: Roleplaying Your Way Into Understanding the Forces For and Against Climate Action, With Dr. Sourayan Mookerjea

    32:55
    On today’s episode, we’re talking about board games! Ariel interviews Dr Sourayan Mookerjea, Professor of sociology at University of Alberta, about the game “Perfect Storm”, which he uses in his classes and beyond to teach players about the complexities of a sustainable energy transition in the province of Alberta, and Canada more widely. We talk about the different meanings of “energy”, green capitalism, degrowth, decommodifying housing, and more!Links:Dr Mookerjea’s profile at U of A“Perfect Storm” description via Just Powers
  • 3. The Radical Democratizing Power of a Better Way to Make Things, With Sarah Hutton

    40:01
    Have the inhumanity and environmental destructiveness of global supply chains got you down? What about the rapaciousness of multinational corporations who have twisted globalization into a nightmare for so many people on Earth? Here’s one thing you can do about it: you can support the growing movement known as distributed production. In Episode 3 of Season 4, researcher Sarah Hutton of the Internet of Production Alliance explains what distributed production is, why it’s all about people power, and exactly why it is a completely radical and powerfully democratizing activity that is also better for local jobs, local communities, and the environment. Join the Internet of Production Alliance’s Community Forum at https://community.internetofproduction.org/Support Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.
  • 2. Solarpunk Considers Cohousing, With Hermina Joldersma

    42:06
    In this episode, Ariel talks to Hermina Joldersma, professor emerita at University of Calgary, about alternative housing arrangements, focusing on co-housing. They discuss not only Hermina’s experiences living in different types of housing, but the mindset necessary to co-housing and communal life, and the way that community often has to be intentionally created. Tune in now!Links:Hermina Joldersma’s profile page at University of CalgaryHermina Joldersma at Fibre Art NetworkUrban Green CohousingCBC article on Urban Green and co-housing in CanadaCoHo BC official websiteSupport Solarpunk Presents on Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal.