I dont agree with takes, that mainly focus on technological solutions that want to introduce massive amounts of new machinery. Those need materials(lithum for batterys, rare earths in general, metal for wiring and construction, etc) just to build and maintain, but also to actually function and navigate in really complex environments like cities(like lots of 5G antennas or markers and landing/drop off pads).
The materials needed for those technological solutions are currently extracted from the earth with very high costs for all of nature including humans. Those factors are currently not really considered when profit driven corps extract the ressources. Extracting ressources from the earth in a solar punk way(non destructive, good conditions for those doing the task) is probably way harder and I honestly doubt that it would be worth the effort.
Yeah, a lot of people are really still very excited about electric vehicles without remembering that all we do is adding more vehicles and more transfer (and therefore loss) of the energy needed to run them, and that no amount of renewables can really keep pace with our idiotic obsession of traveling thousands of kilometers, often to get away from places that are ugly because we filled them with roads and traffic.
In a solarpunk future we might first want to figure out which comforts we can easily create at home with renewable resources. That squishy pillow you ordered from China and want to have delivered by Solar High Speed Rail in some utopian future? Did you know there’s probably at least 10 plant species growing in your region (possible considered weeds and/or invasives) that would make excellent pillow material? So bring back crafts, because things should be beautiful and long-lasting, not cheap and convenient. A solar- or wind- or water-powered machine to run the mill that makes local fluffy textiles? Of course, to do all the work that’s dangerous or tedious, why not?
I dont agree with takes, that mainly focus on technological solutions that want to introduce massive amounts of new machinery. Those need materials(lithum for batterys, rare earths in general, metal for wiring and construction, etc) just to build and maintain, but also to actually function and navigate in really complex environments like cities(like lots of 5G antennas or markers and landing/drop off pads).
The materials needed for those technological solutions are currently extracted from the earth with very high costs for all of nature including humans. Those factors are currently not really considered when profit driven corps extract the ressources. Extracting ressources from the earth in a solar punk way(non destructive, good conditions for those doing the task) is probably way harder and I honestly doubt that it would be worth the effort.
Yeah, a lot of people are really still very excited about electric vehicles without remembering that all we do is adding more vehicles and more transfer (and therefore loss) of the energy needed to run them, and that no amount of renewables can really keep pace with our idiotic obsession of traveling thousands of kilometers, often to get away from places that are ugly because we filled them with roads and traffic.
In a solarpunk future we might first want to figure out which comforts we can easily create at home with renewable resources. That squishy pillow you ordered from China and want to have delivered by Solar High Speed Rail in some utopian future? Did you know there’s probably at least 10 plant species growing in your region (possible considered weeds and/or invasives) that would make excellent pillow material? So bring back crafts, because things should be beautiful and long-lasting, not cheap and convenient. A solar- or wind- or water-powered machine to run the mill that makes local fluffy textiles? Of course, to do all the work that’s dangerous or tedious, why not?