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Solarpunk/Swamp Punk Fiction World Building Guide

May 8, 2025May 16, 2025 jbjwrites1 Comment

Why write a story in a swamp? Aren’t they smelly places full of mosquitoes, gators, and Florida Men?

Last month I put together a comprehensive guide on the fiction genre our world desperately needs—solarpunk! A genre of fiction that envisions humanity, technology, and nature all coexisting in a utopian way.

As an add on to the previous article, I wanted to write another guide geared toward writers or gamers depicting a solarpunk world in a swamp-like, or wetland setting.

Why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s my Florida Woman side shining through? Or maybe it’s because the solarpunk genre recognizes that the beauty of the natural world takes on many diverse forms. As someone who spent summers as a child canoeing through wetland environments, I am intrigued by these landscapes full of above ground roots, alligators, colorful water lilies, and towering cypress trees.

But here’s a more indepth response to the question, Why create a story in a swamp?

Swamps as a Place of Refuge: Throughout U.S. history for example, swamps have been a place of refuge for both Native Americans, and run away slaves. While swamps are not ideal places to live, both of these populations found creative ways to make it work. In a solarpunk story, this could take the form of a band of anarchists taking refuge in a swamp in order to resist the corruption of a surrounding capitalist society.

Exotic Swamp Worlds: Given that swamps and wetlands have an exotic, otherworldly quality, they can be a great way to also create an exotic world on another planet.

Natural Hazards: Swamps can be a way to create conflict in a story, given their many hazards. They can be a perilous transition zone a character goes through on a journey.

The Darker (Sludgier) Side of Nature: Solarpunk is typically sunny and full of optimism, but perhaps “Swamp Punk” could represent another necessary side of nature, the sludgy not so pleasant side that is full of peril, darkness, death, decay, and mystery. A group of humans learning to live in harmony with a swamp, or wetland environment, could show the human endeavor to coexist, and even celebrate nature’s more macabre side, not as an evil thing, but in understanding that death and decay are necessary parts of life.

So without further adieu, here you go!

First off, does “Swamp Punk” as a subgenre of solarpunk actually exist?

“Venusian Dragon” by edenpictures is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

There aren’t many well-known “solarpunk” stories specifically set in swamps, but there are a few stories of varying genres that touch on similar ecological and aesthetic territory—lush, humid, waterlogged environments where nature is powerful and human systems must adapt.

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi: This book is YA dystopia. So it does not have the sunny, optimistic, utopian setting of the solarpunk genre. But it does touch on the themes of ecology and survival in a swamp or jungle-like setting. “In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man—a bioengineered war beast named Tool—who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses.”

Anthologies like Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation: While this book is not definitively focused on swamps, it is a collection of solarpunk stories focused on survival in different types of climates and situations.

Books like A Land Remembered or Forever Island by Patrick D Smith are historical fiction, rather than sci-fi. But in absolutely beautiful and intricate language, they bring the Florida wetlands to life. These books also depict the ingenuity and courage of the Seminole Indians who built a life in the swamps, engaged in a resistance against the Trail of Tears, and then later, resisted efforts of developers to steal and destroy their land. Thematically, that is quite solarpunk indeed!

There are quite a few stories written in the turn of the century by the sci-fi author, Robert A Heinlein, in which he depicted swamps on Venus. As I discussed in my World Building Science Fiction – Venus guide, early pulp science fiction (1930 -1950) often portrayed Venus as a lush paradise full of jungles, swamps, Amazonian women, and even dinosaurs. It wasn’t until the 1960s that scientists discovered that Venus was super hot and that the clouds are made out of sulfuric acid.

Key Ecological Features of Swamps:

“Everglades and Turner River” by chaunceydavis818 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

To write fiction in a swamp, one should be aware of what specifically constitutes a swamp, and what some of its key ecological features are.

A swamp is a type of wetland. A wetland (true to its name) is a very wet land where the ground is saturated in water either permanently or seasonably. A swamp is a forested wetland. This is the key difference between a swamp and a marsh. Swamps are dominated by trees while marshes are dominated by grasses and other non-woody plants. Swamps also have deeper standing water (a great breeding ground for mosquitoes and other fun six-legged friends!)

Swamps are considered transition zones because both water and land play a key role in this environment.

While I have to be careful to prevent this from turning into a Wikipedia entry, I just want to cover some basic, core features of a swamp.

Tree roots that protrude from the ground: A particularly interesting, and visually distinctive feature of swamps is that they have tree roots that protrude from the ground. These above the ground roots are an adaptation to waterlogged, low-oxygen soil, where normal roots wouldn’t get enough air to function. An example of this are the knobby looking “knees” of bald cypress trees (commonly seen in Florida), the vertical “snorkel” roots of Black Mangrove trees (which protrude out of the ground like a snorkel), the stilt roots of Red Mangroves, and the Buttress Roots (large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree) seen in African and Amazonian swamp forests.

Bugs and lots of them! You are probably already aware that these water logged environments make a great home to mosquitoes and dragonflies. Other common bugs are water striders (that skim or walk on the surface of water), deer flies (painful biters active in daylight), ants, termites, beetles, butterflies, moths, gnats, and a type of insects commonly called “No-See-Ums,” incredibly small, almost impossible to see sand flies that swarm in the humid air and love to bite. But while people may call them no-see-ums, you’ll certainly feel them when they bite!

Hammocks. No, not the kind you lie in. A hammock is a slightly elevated area of dry land—often just a few inches to a few feet higher than the surrounding wetlands—that allows different types of plants and trees to grow, usually hardwoods. These areas act as ecological islands within the swamp or marsh.

Food: For those who live in or near swamps or other types of wetlands, they can eat catfish, tilapia, frogs, alligators, crocodiles, crawfish, mussels, clams, honey, snails, duck, herons, egret, or game birds. Edible plants include cattails, wild rice, pickerelweed & arrowhead (duck potato), palmetto hearts, muscadine grapes, pecans or hickory nuts, mayhaws, and swamp apples (wild crab apples).

WARNING!!!: Some fruits, like pond apples, have poison seeds. So this is obviously not a real life survival guide. Do research elsewhere if you are going to figure out what you can eat in a swamp…Yet the poison seeds could make a great source of tension in a story.

If you are curious about traditional dishes someone might make from content they have collected from a swamp, look into Cajun/Creole cuisine, or the diets of indigenous groups that have historically lived in or near swamps.

Medicinal plants include elderberry (a great immune system booster), along with swamp milkweed which thrives in clay soil and is poisonous, but has historically been used in small amounts for purging and killing parasites…once again, don’t use this article as your guide before signing up for the Florida Redneck version of the Naked and Afraid, this is for fiction only, people!

Human activities in a swamp include hunting, trapping, and fishing. However, swamps historically have had low property values compared to fields, prairies, or woodlands because they have a reputation for being “unproductive land” that cannot be easily used for human living or farming activities.

Thus farmers commonly drain the swamps next to their fields to gain more usable land for crops. Human development has often resulted in the destruction of swamps, destroying ecologically biodiverse habitats that are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life.

Real World Places Where a Swamp Punk Story Could Take Place:

“Bird in the Everglades” by milan.boers is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Bayou Country USA: An ecological landscape of slow-moving rivers, swamps, and cypress groves along the Gulf. The term “Bayou Country” is closely associated with Cajun, Creole, and French settler cultural groups. The term may also be associated with the homelands of certain Choctaw tribal groups.

The Everglades (Florida, U.S.) A vast subtropical wetland of sawgrass prairies, mangrove forests, and slow-moving waters stretching across southern Florida. The Everglades are home to a wide array of wildlife (such as panthers, manatees, alligators, turtles, ibis, etc.) There area is tied to the histories of the Miccosukee and Seminole peoples.

The Okavango Delta (Botswana) A sprawling inland delta of winding waterways, seasonal floodplains, and papyrus reed beds in northern Botswana. The Okavango is a rich African ecosystem that is home to elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and countless bird species. The Okavango Delta peoples consist of five ethnic groups: The Hambukushu, Dceriku, Wayeyi, Bugakhwe, and ǁanikhwe.

The Sundarbans (India/Bangladesh) A mangrove forest area in the Ganges Delta straddling the border of India and Bangladesh. This region is home to dense networks of rivers, mudflats, and salt-tolerant mangrove forests, as well as Bengal tigers, crocodiles, and migratory birds. People who live in the Sundarbans include Bengali communities, the Munda, and Mahato. Life involves adapting to the region’s shifting tides and monsoon rhythms.

The Pantanal (Brazil) The Pantanal encompasses the world’s largest tropical wetland area. It is located mostly within Brazil, but also extends to parts of Bolivia and Paraguay. The region is home to jaguars, capybaras, caimans, giant otters, and several bird species. The Pantanal has been home to a variety of different indigenous peoples who have historically been resourceful at adapting to this semi-aquatic environment. This includes the Paiaguá “Canoe Indians”, the Terena who were accomplished farmers, and the Guaicurú.

Powerful Uses of Swamps and Other Wetlands in a Solarpunk World:

Anti-flooding defense: Swamps and other wetlands are a natural defense against flooding and provide great flood management. For instance, when flooding occurs, swamps are like a natural sponge that absorbs and use the excess water in the wetland, preventing it from spreading to the surrounding areas. Thus in a solarpunk story, it could be interesting to show a more advanced and empathetic humanity cultivating swamps as a defense against flooding (especially flooding caused by global warming).

Water, pollution, and carbon purification: Wetlands act as natural water purifiers. They filter sediment and absorb pollution. Development and agriculture contribute extra nutrients, pesticides, and silt to local waterways. Wetlands trap and filter these impurities, helping to maintain healthy rivers, bays, and beaches. Salt marshes, seagrass beds, and mangroves also play an important role in addressing climate change by removing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing them in plants and in the soil. “Coastal blue carbon” is the term used for carbon that is stored in these coastal habitats.

Sustainable fisheries: If you love seafood, thank a coastal wetland for your favorite dish. Coastal wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems on Earth when it comes to seafood. In 2018, U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries supported 1.7 million jobs and contributed $238 billion in sales. Thus in a solarpunk setting, wetlands could be a useful source of sustainable seafood.

Tourism, Recreation, and Spiritual Reflection: In a solarpunk world, the natural world isn’t seen a tool for human use. Humans and the natural world learn to coexist. Humans in this setting would also learn to appreciate the deep awe and beauty of a place like the Everglades. They’d find ways to explore and engage with that beauty without harming the ecosystem. This could include canoeing along quiet waterways, hiking on raised boardwalks, birdwatching among mangroves, or sitting in stillness beneath moss-draped cypress trees.

Tech, Infrastructure, Clothing, and Other Useful Items in a Swamp Punk Setting:

As I mentioned in my original Solarpunk Worldbuilding Guide, solarpunk doesn’t have to be high tech. It can often come in the form of a “low-tech renaissance,” or “cottage core.” If there is a simple, low tech way for people to live in harmony with the environment without exploiting too many resources, then all the better.

So some of these are not high-tech solutions. They are simply looking at what has worked for cultures that were historically connected to wetland areas. However, there is also some high tech thrown in here as well.

🛖 Housing and Settlement

Stilt Houses and Raised Platforms

Built on stilts or mounds to stay above seasonal floodwaters.
Found among the Bayou tribes (e.g., Chitimacha) and in Amazonian wetland cultures.
In the Sundarbans, people build homes on slightly elevated earthen platforms.

Dealing With Mosquitoes

In any wetland setting, mosquito netting will be essential for preserving a character’s sanity.
Mosquito-Repelling Gardens: Swamp homes could be surrounded by plants like citronella, lemongrass, marigold, lavender, and basil to create natural bug buffers.
Bioluminescent Bug Lures: Lights powered by algae or fungi could draw bugs away from dwellings and toward trap zones or pollinator gardens.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Seminole Indians (the indigenous people of Florida) used a variety of methods to repel mosquitoes which included throwing certain plants into a fire and standing in the smoke, rubbing gar fish oil on the skin, migrating during peak mosquito season (May and June), and potentially developed a tolerance over time.

Solar Canopy Roofs

Broad, angled roofs equipped with solar panels that double as shade structures and water collectors. Panels could be bifacial to absorb light from above and the reflected water below.

Rainwater Harvesting and Filtration

Gutter systems feed into cisterns below the house, paired with natural filtration units using sand, charcoal, and local wetland plants.

Chinampas (Floating Gardens)

Used by the Aztecs in swampy areas of central Mexico.
Constructed from layers of mud, vegetation, and reeds to create fertile floating plots.

Alligator or Crocodile Farms

Alligator or crocodile farms would be a way to breed and raise alligators/crocodiles for meat, leather, and other goods. In the solarpunk story, “A Field of Sapphires and Sunshine” by Jaymee Goh, published in Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers, a crocodile farm is used in a controversial way to dispose of bodies (great tension!).

Mound Building

Tribes like the Muskogee (Creek) and Mississippian cultures created large earthen mounds for ceremonial and residential use in flood-prone areas. The mounds could also be used to preserve important items from flooding, such as seed libraries or conventional book libraries.

🛶 Transportation and Mobility

Canoes and Dugouts

Swamps are naturally difficult to traverse by foot, so canoes built from hollowed logs or woven reeds are useful for transport. The Miccosukee and Seminole people of Florida are known for using dugout canoes in the Everglades.

Airboats:

Many people today in wetland areas also use airboats, which glide over the waterline. Gliding allows them to do less damage to the environment and animal life.

Solar Powered Boats:

Since 2016, the Indigenous Achuar people have navigated solar-powered boats along the Amazonian waters of eastern Ecuador. These boats are large canoes covered with a roof of glossy black solar panels that soaks up the bright light of the Amazonian sun. The solar panels on these boats also help power the electricity in Amazonian rainforest villages. This has been a critical way to offer development without deforestation, because the people can travel by river instead of cutting down trees to build roads.

Raised Walkways or Log Paths

Temporary or seasonal paths laid with logs, brush, or woven mats made out of palmetto fronds to allow foot travel across wet areas.

🧵 Swamp Punk Clothing: Materials & Features

Woven reeds or cattails – for belts, sandals, basket-armor, or lightweight hats.
Palm or palmetto fibers – used like raffia to make breathable skirts, wraps, or hooded capes.
Moss-dyed linen or hemp – cool, breathable plant-based fabric grown on hammocks or traded from highland zones.
Mycelium leather – water-resistant, compostable, and grown from fungi—used for boots, satchels, or armor plating.
Water hyacinth fibers – invasive in many swamp areas, but can be spun into rope, mats, or textiles.
Layered wraps and drapes – allow airflow while protecting from bugs and sun.
Arm and leg gaiters – made from waxed cloth, moss-treated fiber, or mycelium to keep leeches, mosquitoes, and swamp debris off.
Wide-brimmed hats and neck veils – woven from palm fronds or reed fibers, often coated in natural insect repellents.
Knee-high boots or foot wraps – made from sealed plant fibers, fish skin, or upcycled rubber for navigating muck.
Gator or snake hide for leather clothing, hats, and boots.
Scavenged animal feathers, teeth, and claws for decoration.

⚡ Energy

Floating Solar Rafts

In my article, Five Real Life Examples of Solarpunk?, I discussed the real life use of solar islands, floating solar islands that collect sunshine and convert it to energy. Wetlands areas with vast waterways, and plenty of sun exposure, could use these to collect energy.

Biogas from Anaerobic Soil and Swamp Grass

As mentioned above in this article, swamps and other wetlands have been often dubbed as poor areas for human development due to the fact the soil is low in oxygen, or is anaerobic. Thus, not much traditional agricultural activity can take place. However, this would make swamps a great place for a process called anaerobic digestion, which can be used to produce biogas. This is a process in which microbes break down organic matter and release methane. Methane gas can be used for used for cooking, heating, and even small-scale electricity generation.

Swamp grasses like elephant grass, cattails, and giant reeds are excellent resources for biogas production. They produce a large amount of biomass per unit area, which translates to a significant amount of biogas. The organic matter in these grasses is easily broken down by anaerobic microorganisms, resulting in efficient biogas production. They also don’t compete with food crops for land, making them a sustainable option for bioenergy production.

Compact, dome-shaped biogas collectors could be nestled near homes or community kitchens, and fueled by compost, swamp vegetation, swamp grass, or waste.

Turn Mud Into Energy! Plant Microbial Fuel Cells

Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells create electricity using living plants and the bacteria in the soil. As plants grow, they make food through photosynthesis. Some of that food—up to 70%—is sent out through their roots into the soil. Bacteria eat this leftover material and, in the process, release tiny electric charges called electrons. Scientists place special electrodes near the roots to collect those electrons and turn them into usable electricity.

Swamps are especially well-suited for Plant-Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFCs) because their natural conditions already support the key elements these systems need to work well. They are wet, which provides good electron conductivity and bacterial growth. The anaerobic soil in swamps is also great for bacterial production. See more at Turn Mud into Energy With a Microbial Fuel Cell.

Kinetic and Water-Based Systems

Canoe docks, fishing platforms, and suspended walkways could be outfitted with kinetic pads or treadle-powered devices that convert foot traffic and movement into usable energy.

Micro-hydro turbines hidden in slow-moving creeks could provide continuous trickles of power without disturbing aquatic life.

I hope you enjoyed this guide!

Feel free to comment if you feel like there are any important points I missed or should add.

If there are other solarpunk biomes you’d like me to create guides for, please suggest some.

And as always, don’t forget to share, like, and subscribe.

“The Bee Wrangler” – New Military Flash Fiction

April 30, 2025May 2, 2025 jbjwritesLeave a comment

Ines deals with the war by wrangling bees.

For those of you who are interested in reading or writing military fiction (the same genre which brought us Starship Troopers and Ender’s Game), check out Bullet Points Magazine! They are accepting submissions!

They are a military fiction magazine that captures the complexity, tragedy, and hope of warfare and violence in human and nonhuman society.

My story, “The Bee Wrangler,” just made it into their AI edition.

The 9th edition of Bullet Points Magazine explores AI in warfare from multiple angles: AI run amok (in some very unexpected ways), the loyalty of AI on the battlefield, or more reflective uses of AI after the fighting has stopped, and sometimes, the real fighting begins (as explained in the magazine’s introduction). There’s also a funny story about sentient bullets.

“The Bee Wrangler” depicts the tale of a former drone operator trying to overcome the trauma of war by using the military tech installed in her brain in a quite unexpected way—to save the bees!

Read Bullet Points Edition 9 Here on Amazon

Read “The Bee Wrangler” for FREE here!

An Image I Made For “The Bee Wrangler”

“UpCycle Day” – Solarpunk Microfiction

April 24, 2025May 2, 2025 jbjwritesLeave a comment

Monica’s gifts were legendary: a quilt stitched from shirts they’d torn on hikes, a charm necklace made of screws fallen from their barn, a music box rigged from lightbulbs and wire that played their song.

Rose’s gifts were… less legendary.

A birdhouse that collapsed mid-breeze.

A mug that leaked.

A robotic parrot that sang out of tune and then promptly escaped.

This year, Rose vowed to do better.

She gathered Monica’s old gifts and fed them to the UpCycler, piece by piece with care.

On UpCycle Day, she handed Monica a palm-sized projector. It flickered to life—playing scenes of laughter, kisses, and quiet afternoons sipping tea in their garden.

Monica stared, eyes shining. “You UpCycled our time together into a gift.”

Rose smiled. “I finally made something that lasts.”

Author’s Note: For those of you who read solarpunk, you know that it’s a genre that depicts humanity using technology to live in harmony with the Earth. One of the values emphasized in solarpunk is reusing and recycling items, rather than wasting them—as we do in our current day and age.

Thus the idea of UpCycle Day came to me. Unlike Christmas or birthdays in our world, where people fall into consumerism and buy a large number of gifts that end up eventually filling a landfill, the idea of UpCycle Day is that it’s a day when people turn their old junk into something useful or sentimental or both.

Let me know what you thought of this concept.

And if you enjoyed this story, feel free to share it with your friends and to subscribe below for more!

Five Real Life Examples of Solarpunk?

On this post, I wanted to share some potential real life examples of solarpunk to help get you inspired, and to show that these ideas are potentially possible in real life if we dare to dream big.

April 23, 2025October 3, 2025 jbjwrites3 Comments

“Vertical Forest apartment building in Milan”
by Patrick Bombaert. CC Licensed Image.

Continuing with our Earth Month theme, I’m back to talk more about the genre/movement our world desperately needs—Solarpunk! A genre which depicts humanity, nature, and technology living in harmony. To learn more about the genre itself, check out my Solarpunk Worldbuilding Guide here!

On this post, I wanted to share some potential real life examples of solarpunk to help get you inspired, and to show that these ideas are potentially possible in real life if we dare to dream big. However, let there be emphasis on the word potential and the fact that I used a question mark in the title.

Caveat: By sharing these examples, I’m not claiming they are 100% representative of solarpunk values. Indeed we still live in a world dominated by late stage capitalism, so there are most likely flaws in these examples, as they are part of an inherently flawed system. Yet I still decided to share these because they are an example of attempts to go in a solarpunk direction.

I’m also not claiming these are the only examples. If you can think of some better ones, please let me know in the comments.

Earthships! – Where The Hobbit Meets Bladerunner

“Earthship Biotecture.” by Howderfamily. CC Licensed Image.

Described as “The Hobbit meets Bladerunner”, Earthships are a creative experiment in sustainable living. Often built from recycled materials (like old tires and aluminum cans) Earthships are created to operate off-grid, generate their own electricity, collect water, and manage waste on-site. This reduces dependence on external utilities and significantly lowers their environmental footprint. Such a structure that doesn’t depend on external resources of oversight can often function well in a more localized/anarchist society.

The Greater World Earthship Community in Taos, New Mexico, is recognized as the first Earthship community, according to Taos.org and Earthship Biotecture. It was founded near the Rio Grande by architect Michael Reynolds (the visionary behind the Earthship concept). The 113 homes in the community feature construction using repurposed items and are designed to generate their own water, electricity, and food.

For example, Earthships can have mini-hydroponic planters in suspended buckets that have added vertical growing space in the greenhouses and have yields of herbs, peppers, tomatoes, kale, beets, cucumbers, and more, allowing residents to pull their food straight off the vine if they like. Earthships can also have a composting toilet that reuses waste for a greenhouse. There may be cisterns and water distillation systems to produce clean water from rainwater sitting on the roof. Energy can be produced with solar, wind, biodiesel, and micro hydro. Just keep in mind the off the grid solarpanel systems may require a battery pack to store power, so that the power can be used at night.

To learn more about earthships, go here!

Tiny Homes, Big Impact

“Tiny House POD” by QUADRAPOL. Creative Commons Licensed Image on Wikipedia Commons.

Tiny homes bring together minimalism and sustainability, while offering a compelling alternative to traditional housing. Tiny homes are small-scale residences designed to maximize space efficiency and minimize environmental impact. They come in a variety of forms: stationary structures, mobile units on wheels, and even from repurposed shipping containers! Despite their size, they come equipped with full kitchens, bathrooms, and sleeping areas. Learn more here!

Real Life Examples of Tiny Home Communities Include:

WeeCasa: WeeCasa, located in the mountains of Colorado, offers tiny living for short-stays and vacations. The largest tiny home they have sleeps five—and all homes are equipped with essentials for a comfortable stay. This could be an option for those who want to experience tiny home living temporarily. But don’t take it from me! Do your own research.

Caravan: This is another rental option for those wanting to try but not buy a tiny home. Caravan is located in the Alberta Arts District of Portland, Oregon. All six tiny homes, ranging in size from 120-170 square feet, are constructed by local builders and decorated with Portland art, as well as fair-trade, sustainable products. Using the homes to create a circle, Caravan cultivates a gathering space for music, games, and conversation. Guests can even roast vegan marshmallows over the fire pit!

Community First Village – Austin Texas: Community First Village, Located in Austin Texas, is a collection of 140 micro homes, 100 RVs, and 20 canvas-sided cottages offering affordable, permanent housing and supportive community to the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas. Tiny homes on the 27-acre grounds are designed by architects from around the world and furnishings are obtained through generous donors. Property amenities include a medical facility, walking trails and gardens, outdoor movie theater, community market, wireless internet, bed & breakfast for visiting guests, and convenient access to the metro. It’s also a place for those who are hurting to heal and rediscover hope with the support of the community.

Cedar Springs Tiny Village: “Simple Living on the Lake” is the motto for Ohio’s first full-fledged tiny home community. There are up to 30 lots – some water-front. Walking paths, community gardens, a recycling program, mature trees, and close proximately to the Natural Springs Resort.

Orlando Lakefront At College Park: This is a revitalization of a 1950’s trailer park. Re-use and repurpose is totally the right solarpunk spirit! Orlando Lakefront at College Park offers permanent parking space for tiny homeowners, as well as short and long-term rentals on Lake Fairview – just outside Orlando, Florida.

6 Tiny Home Communities Inspiring Minimal And Collective Living (The Good Trade)

Green City Innovations

The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore. by Khairul Nizam. Creative Commons Licensed Image

The concept of a “green city” is one of city working actively to foster the wellbeing of its people and environment. There are many facets of what makes a city “green.” And there is still much more work that needs to be done.

Green Cities Can Have The Following Factors:

The availability of green spaces and parks
Public transportation options
Bikeability
Renewable energy options
Reduced carbon footprint
Recycling programs
Sustainable buildings
Community gardens and farms
Urban agriculture
Ethically sourced goods
Divesting from fossil fuels

Top Four Cities With Lowest Carbon Emissions:

São Paulo, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Bogotá, Colombia
Jakarta, Indonesia

Potential Examples of Green Cities:

Notice the word “potential.” I know some of these cities may not be where they need to be on carbon emissions or ethics, but they have examples of innovations where they are trying to go in a more green direction.

Singapore: Nicknamed the “City in a Garden,” more than 40% of Singapore is covered in greenery in the form of nature reserves, parks, gardens, roadside greenery, skyrise greenery, and vacant state land.

Copenhagen Denmark: Considered one of the most sustainable cities in the world, Copenhagen has ambitious climate goals, extensive cycling infrastructure, wind energy, green roofs, and harbor water clean enough to swim in.

Reykjavík, Iceland is an example of a city where geothermal energy provides almost all of the city’s heating needs. Green City Times also calls them one of the leading renewable energy capitals in the world.

Curbita, Brazil has an extensive mass transportation system, where 60% of commuters use the “bus rapid transmit” (BRT) system. The BRT bus network of Curitiba operates like an above-ground subway. Many Curitiba bus routes have their own express lanes on highways. They have biofuel only buses along with hybrid electric buses. Curitiba also has almost 600 square feet of green space per resident, mostly in the form of municipal parks.

Freiburg, Germany is Europe’s “solar city.” Vauban is a city district in Freiburg in which the majority of homes run on solar energy generated on-site, mostly in the form of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels (as well as a supply of bioenergy). Some of the homes are are “plus-energy buildings,” meaning the extra energy from plus-energy buildings can be sold back to and used by the local electricity grid.

Vertical Gardens- Going Green at New Heights!

Vertical garden located next to the Caixa Forum in Madrid, by Laurago. Creative Commons Image.

Vertical gardens are an iconic image of the solarpunk world. And they also exist in real life! As urban areas grow more dense, there is an increasing need for sustainable, eco-friendly architecture that lowers CO2 emissions and integrates spaces for growing fresh produce. Thus vertical gardens have gained attention for their potential to transform urban environments. These are structures that incorporate vegetation into the facades of buildings (the exterior face or front of a structure).

In addition to looking cool, these green towers offer tangible benefits to both city residents and the environment.

The advantages of vertical gardens include:

Energy Efficiency: Vertical gardens help with insulation and can cut down on energy use in a big way. One study showed that green facades can reduce heating and cooling needs by up to 30%. Plants act like natural shade and help regulate temperature, so buildings don’t have to rely as much on AC or heating systems.

Improved Wellbeing: Living near greenery just makes people feel better—it’s been shown to reduce stress and boost overall happiness. In fact, folks who live close to vertical gardens report a 15% jump in well-being. Plus, these green walls help quiet things down in noisy cities by cutting noise levels by 5 to 10 decibels. So they’re good for your mood and your ears.

Environmental Benefits: Vertical gardens are like natural air filters—they soak up pollution and CO2 and give us back fresh oxygen. They also help cool things down; studies show green spaces can drop local temps by up to 2°C, which is a big deal for fighting the urban heat island effect. And as if that wasn’t enough, vertical gardens also help manage rainwater by soaking it up, which means less runoff and less strain on storm drains.

However, despite their many benefits, there are some challenges.

Maintenance Costs for these vertical spaces can be higher than traditional gardens.

Not Always Compatible With Older Structures: It may also be hard to apply these vertical gardens to older buildings, requiring the construction of new buildings—which goes against the solarpunk ethos of reusing and recycling what already exists.

Climate: Not all climates are suitable for vertical gardens. In climates with extreme heat or cold, the costs of maintaining these gardens would become very high.

Green Gentrification? When sustainable innovations are super expensive and only accessible to the wealthy, it leaves lower-income communities out of the picture. This is often called exclusionary sustainability—or “green gentrification.” Indeed we’re seeing some green gentrification now with vertical gardens. Because of their high cost, and the fact that they work better on newer buildings, they are difficult to access for low-income folk.

Vertical Farming in Low Income Communities:

Above I mentioned the problem of green gentrification. However, there has been discussion about using vertical farming to help low income communities. Indeed, in places like Milwaukee and New York City, vertical gardens are being planted in low-income communities in order to combat the problem of food deserts, address food insecurity, create job opportunities, and fund sustainable agriculture.

Currently there is a cost barrier because the upfront cost to implement these gardens are high. In the low-income communities, they often need grants or other forms of financial aid to make these projects happen, which doesn’t quite fit into the sustainable or DIY solarpunk world.

However, there is hope that as the technology to create these gardens gets better, the costs will decrease, and access will hopefully increase.

Vertical Farming in Low-Income Communities (Green.org)

Famous Vertical Gardens:

Vertical forest high-rise buildings in Milan. “Bosco Verticale.” Creative Commons Image.

Bosco Verticale, Milan, Italy: One of the famous vertical garden projects out there is the Bosco Verticale—or “Vertical Forest”—in Milan. Finished in 2014, these two residential towers are packed with around 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 plants across 20,000 square meters. Designed by architect Stefano Boeri, the towers have brought birds and other wildlife into the city, boosting local biodiversity. They also do some serious environmental work—soaking up about 30 tons of CO2 each year and producing 19 tons of oxygen. Fun fact: the apartments are also super pricey and often owned by celebrities and soccer stars, thanks to their prime location and the cost of maintaining all that greenery. While the environmental benefits are great, the lack of affordability and access doesn’t quite fit into solarpunk values.

One Central Park, Sydney, Australia: One Central Park in Sydney was constructed in 2014. This residential building features a lush green design by world-famous botanist Patrick Blanc. It’s got over 35,000 plants covering half the building’s exterior. Thanks to all that greenery, the building uses about 25% less energy and stays noticeably cooler during those hot summers down under.

Nanjing Green Towers, China: The Nanjing Green Towers in China were designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti (yup, the same guy behind Milan’s Vertical Forest). These towers are home to over 1,100 trees and 2,500 cascading shrubs. Together, they soak up around 25 tons of CO2 every year and pump out about 60 kg of oxygen a day. That’s a solid boost for cleaner city air and local biodiversity.

Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore: Singapore’s Oasia Hotel Downtown is unique. The 27-story facade is wrapped in over 21 different plant species, creating a biodiversity rich green space that supports birds, bugs, and all kinds of urban wildlife. The greenery helps keep the building cool and cuts down on energy use. It’s an example of why Singapore is called a “City in a Garden.”

Vertical Gardens: On to New Heights (Solarpunk Cities)

Solar Islands – Floating on Sunshine

Floating solar panels in Walden, CO. Free public domain image from the U.S. Government.

Solar islands are essentially floating solar farms. Instead of taking up land, they’re installed on lakes, reservoirs, ponds, or even oceans They can consist of:

Floating structures (plastic pontoons or other buoyant materials)

Photovoltaic panels mounted on top

Anchoring and mooring systems to keep them in place

Underwater cables to transmit power to the grid or nearby facilities

Why Build Solar Islands?

Efficient use of space. They are a potential solution for densely populated areas with little available land. They free up land for agriculture, housing, or nature.

Improved Solar Panel Efficiency. The cooling effect of water can boost panel performance by preventing overheating.

Reduces Water Evaporation. They are particularly useful on reservoirs in hot climates—the solar panels can help conserve water by shading it.

Less Ecosystem Disruption. Compared to land-based solar farms, they often require less environmental disruption.

However, there are currently some limitations. Floating solar farms need to be installed in areas with weaker tides and better weather, confining their roll out to certain areas.

Where Are They Being Used?

Netherlands – Proteus – Sun-Tracking Floating Solar Island. Designed by SolarisFloat, Proteus is a circular floating solar island that tracks the sun to maximize energy absorption. “It chases the sun like a flower,” says Solaris Float. This innovative design enhances efficiency and represents a world-first in floating solar technology. (Source)

Singapore – Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm. Spanning 45 hectares with over 122,000 solar panels, this facility is one of the world’s largest inland floating solar systems. It generates enough electricity to power about 12,500 households annually. (Source)

Japan – Yamakura Dam Floating Solar Plant. Kyocera TCL Solar developed this floating solar power plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir in Chiba Prefecture. It is capable of powering around 5,000 households (Source).

India – Seven Solar Power Plants to Note. I’m going to share an article that will discuss seven large floating solar power plants to note in India. Read more here.

World Building Guide for Writing Solarpunk

April 7, 2025October 16, 2025 jbjwrites4 Comments

Happy Earth Month!

In honor of Earth Month, I wanted to put together a guide for the literary genre our world needs right now. Solarpunk!

Right now we’re living in an era where it’s hard not to feel gloomy. The term “doom scrolling” is popular for a reason.

But what if instead of using our mental energy to doom scroll, we used our imaginations to conceive of a better future, where nature, technology, utopia, and human compassion came together to build a better world, a brighter world full of hope and optimism.

Enter Solarpunk. Solarpunk is a literary and artistic movement that envisions a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. Contrary to the tech and capitalist heavy themes of Cyberpunk, Solarpunk imagines a world where we’ve evolved beyond hyper consumerism, and we have learned to live with nature in harmony. For this reason, Solarpunk is not just a fun read, but it’s often a call to action in our world to build a better future.

The term “Solarpunk” was coined in 2008 in a blog post titled “From Steampunk to Solarpunk.” The term combines the words “solar” and “punk”: “Solar” represents a world more reliant on solar energy, but the connotation of the word can also evoke a bright and sunny world full of vibrant colors and optimism. The word “punk” alludes to a grouping with other fiction subgenres, such as cyberpunk, dieselpunk, and steampunk; it also refers to a DIY (Do it yourself) counter culture.

(The above image is creative commons licensed and can be found here)

Impactful Quotes About Solarpunk:

“Dystopian stories surely have a place, as a warning, but sometimes I feel like I’ve been warned enough. I want to know what to do in the face of despair, to not only avoid being crushed, but to reach for brighter skies. In times like those, I look for books that are part of an expanding genre — and a growing social movement — a counternarrative that has infused my days with hope. More and more lately, I find myself reading solarpunk.”

Quote Source: How solarpunk helped alleviate my existential dread

A new movement in SF that examines the possibility of a future in which currently emerging movements in society such as green movement, Black Lives Matter movement, and certain aspects of Occupy Wall Street coalesce to create more optimistic future in a more just world.

Quote Source: Cultural Elements in World-Building of Solarpunk Short Stories

Solarpunk with Capitalism is just greenwashed cyberpunk.

Quote Source: Reddit Post

Solarpunk Ethos:

The ethos of Solarpunk represents a world that has evolved beyond material capitalism.

It is a world in which knowledge sharing and resource sharing are encouraged. Technology has an open-source model.

The focus of this genre is often on local communities rather than globalism. Businesses often have a worker-owned model.

Popular Themes:

The following themes are popular in the world of Solarpunk.

Environmentalism
Renewable energy and sustainable tech.
DIY (Do It Yourself), ingenuity, localized resilience
Social justice
Feminism
Optimism
Historically marginalized communities, such as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ folk are highlighted. Non-Western cultures are also highlighted
Animal rights
Localism over globalism, decentralization
Long term designs over built in obsolescence
Eco-anarchism and eco-socialism
Post capitalist, post scarcity societies, universal basic income, anticapitalism, anti-greenwashing
Antiwar

Artistic Inspiration:

The artistic genre of Solarpunk often uses the Art Nouveau style. Art Nouveau, which means “new art” in French, is an international ornamental art style that flourished from about 1890 to 1910, characterized by flowing, organic lines, floral and plant-inspired motifs, and a focus on integrating art into everyday life. “In particular, Art Nouveau became an aesthetic touchstone for solarpunk…not only because of its penchant for earthy, organic forms, but also because it’s both ornate and approachable, according to Rosie Albrecht, editor of solarpunk zine Optopia (source)”

The Solarpunk aesthetic also makes heavy use of bright colors and is often inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, particularly Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

1800s age-of-sail/frontier living (but with more bicycles)

Jugaad is a concept of non-conventional, frugal innovation in the Indian subcontinent. It includes innovative fixes or simple workarounds, solutions that bend the rules, or resources that can be used in such a way. It is considered creative to make existing things work and create new things with meager resources.

Stained glass windows used as solar panels.

Solarpunk Fashion

Sustainable
Thrift clothes
Recycled uniforms and armor
A love of nature shines through (flowers, animals, plants)
Practical
Includes diversity of cultures

Ideas for Tech:

When thinking about how tech functions in a solarpunk world, it’s not merely enough to slap some solarpanels on a roof and call it a day. Technology does not exist in a vacuum. We must also consider how it’s used and extracted by the culture of the society it exists within. For instance, under an imperialist-fascist state, solar panels do nothing to change the exploitative relationship between humans and the planet. Plundering the natural world and using abused workers to create electric batteries or solarpanels is not solarpunk.

So technological solutions within a solarpunk literary world must be integrated into ideas of humane relations with our fellow human beings and the planet. Solarpunk also isn’t always high or low tech. It depends upon the context and the culture it exists amongst. Much like our current world, the applications of the technology could be extremely diverse.

Solarpunk isn’t “anti-tech”, but it doesn’t romanticize technology either.

Two criteria for uses of solarpunk tech are the following: Is it equitable Is it sustainable?

Examples of solarpunk tech:

Below I’m going to generate a collection of ideas you can expand upon in your own stories. I’m not claiming the list is perfect. I’m sure there are ways that some of the items here could potentially be used in an exploitative way if it gets in the wrong hands, but such is human nature. Humans are gonna human. If anything, that could be a great source of tension in your story.

⚡️Energy Tech

Transparent Solar Panels – integrated into windows or even wearable fabrics.
Personal Wind Turbines – compact vertical-axis turbines for urban rooftops or balconies.
Algae Bio-reactors – used on buildings to generate energy and purify air.
Piezoelectric Flooring – captures energy from footsteps in public spaces.
Smart Energy Grids – decentralized and powered by community-run solar or wind co-ops.
Kinetic Batteries – store energy generated from human motion (e.g., walking, cycling, or dancing) for personal or community use.
Hydro Projects – small-scale, ecologically sensitive water turbines and current harvesters used in rivers, streams, or coastal flows to produce clean energy.
Wind Farms – large-scale turbine networks strategically placed on land or offshore, managed by local cooperatives or bioregional councils.
Solar Arrays – fields or rooftops lined with solar panels, often community-owned, that feed into local grids or energy commons.
Biogas Fuel Systems – anaerobic digesters convert organic waste (like food scraps or manure) into methane-rich biogas, which can be used for cooking, heating, electricity, or as vehicle fuel—closing waste loops and providing clean energy in both rural and urban settings.

🌬️ Low-Tech Renaissance

A redditor brought up a great point that my guide leaned toward the high-tech side of the genre, but that solarpunk can also be a return to low-tech. A return to low-tech doesn’t mean regression; it means refinement. Solarpunk societies embrace tools and techniques that are sustainable, repairable, and human-scaled. These technologies are rooted in harmony with the earth and designed for long-term care rather than short-term gain.

Sail & Ship Networks – Instead of high-emission air travel, long-distance journeys could rely on ships that sail across the ocean.
Windmills & Waterwheels – Time-honored energy sources could make a comeback, quietly powering villages, artisan workshops, and micro-grids. Designed with elegance and ecological sensitivity, they are living symbols of regeneration and place-based resilience.
Village Tailors & Community Cobblers – Clothing and shoes may no longer be mass-produced but crafted with skill and care by local artisans using natural fibers and recycled materials. Fashion becomes personal, circular, and expressive of shared values.
Open-Air Workshops – Community workspaces powered by pedal, solar, or hand tools offer locals the means to build, mend, and make with intention. From bicycles to furniture, goods are created to last—and meant to be passed down, not thrown away.
Slow Roads – Pathways made for carts, bicycles, walking, and animal companions invite slower travel and deeper connection. These routes are dotted with rest stations, food gardens, and communal gathering spaces.
Craft Guilds & Apprenticeships – Knowledge transmission happens face to face, generation to generation. Skills like blacksmithing, herbalism, fermentation, and textile arts are cherished as both livelihood and culture.
Off-Grid Sanctuaries – Healing retreats and study centers located deep in forest clearings, deserts, or mountain valleys rely on low-tech tools, local foods, and deep ecology to support recovery from burnout, grief, and disconnection.

🚜 Agriculture & Food

(This art is from The Lemonaut, who has made their art piece ‘A Solarpunk Tower‘ available for public use.)

Vertical Forest Towers – skyscrapers covered in trees and gardens for food production and air purification.
Smart Permaculture Systems – using sensors and AI to manage polycultures and water flow.
Hydroponic & Aeroponic Wall Gardens – growing food in apartments, on balconies, or on public buildings.
Mushroom-Based Packaging & Materials – biodegradable and grown locally.
Community Food Printers – 3D-printing meals from organic, local paste materials.
Biotech Gardens – genetically tailored plants grown for specific nutrients, climates, or medicinal properties, often co-designed with local healers or AI.
Clean Water Silos – vertical reservoirs that collect, filter, and store rainwater for irrigation and drinking, often integrated into garden infrastructure.
Ecogrid Interfaces – digital dashboards that allow communities to monitor soil health, water usage, crop readiness, and pollination data in real time.
Purification Plants – decentralized, eco-engineered water purification facilities that use layers of sand, charcoal, aquatic plants, and engineered microbes to clean greywater and storm runoff for reuse in agriculture and homes.
Harvester Titans – towering, solar-powered automata that tend and harvest large-scale vertical farms and biodiverse fields with delicate precision.
Pollination Drones – gentle, bee-sized drones that assist in crop pollination in balance with natural pollinators, guided by AI to avoid ecosystem disruption.
Cannabis and Hemp Systems – widespread cultivation of hemp and cannabis for sustainable textiles, biodegradable plastics, building materials (like hempcrete), oils, medicine, and soil regeneration—integrated into closed-loop agricultural and industrial systems.
Shift to Plant-Based Diets – many solarpunk communities could emphasize vegetarian or vegan lifestyles to reduce land use, emissions, and animal suffering, while celebrating culinary creativity and plant diversity.
Insect Farming – small-scale, ethical insect farms could provide high-protein, low-impact nutrition and compostable byproducts, used in community kitchens or food printers with minimal environmental footprint. (For more on solarpunk about insect farming, check out this story here).

🚲 Transportation

Solar-Electric Bikes – charge themselves while parked in the sun.
Hyperloop-like Community Transit – ultra-efficient intercity tubes powered by renewables.
Maglev Cargo Drones – clean, quiet deliveries between green rooftops or decentralized hubs.
Glider Roosts – launch and landing platforms for solar-gliders and personal winged transport, often built into cliffs, towers, or floating pads above green cities.
Shared Mobility Pods – electric, autonomous, and summoned via a community-run app.
Mass Transit – high-capacity, clean-energy transportation systems (like electric trams, solar subways, and suspended railways) that connect neighborhoods, eco-villages, and bioregional hubs with seamless accessibility and zero emissions. Mass transit is more ecofriendly than individual transit because more people are using the same vehicle, reducing waste.
Mobile Homes and Nomadic Lifestyle – compact, solar-powered dwellings on wheels or tracks that allow people to live nomadically while minimizing ecological impact; often shared among communities, artist collectives, or seasonal workers and parked in rotating eco-zones with resource-sharing hubs. A nomadic farmer lifestyle (if carbon free) could be more ecofriendly, as farmers aren’t using the same land over and over, and giving it a chance to replenish itself.

🎓 Information & Education

(More artwork from The Lemonaut. This piece is “A prosthesis maintenance day at the hackerspace“)

Community Mesh Networks – free, decentralized internet not reliant on big corporations.
Augmented Reality for Nature Education – overlaying info on plants/animals/eco-systems in real time.
Digital Seed Libraries – sharing open-source genetic data and growing guides.
Localized Learning Pods – tech-enabled home or neighborhood schools with flexible, community-based curricula.

🏛️Architecture & Infrastructure

Green Cities – urban areas designed around nature rather than over it, featuring dense canopy cover, integrated food forests, rooftop gardens, car-free zones, and buildings that act as part of the local ecosystem.
Green Avenues – wide, plant-lined boulevards that prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife over vehicles, with integrated water channels, edible landscapes, shaded walkways, and solar lighting.
Vertical Gardens – living walls and stacked growing systems that provide food, purify air, and insulate buildings, often integrated into homes, schools, and public spaces.
Living Buildings – structures made from bioengineered materials that self-heal, grow, and clean the air.
Solar Paint – coats walls/roofs with light-absorbing nanomaterials.
Water-Harvesting Facades – designed to collect and purify rain or fog water.
Bioluminescent Pathways – glowing moss or engineered plants that light walkways at night without electricity.
Guerrilla Gardening – grassroots planting efforts in abandoned lots, roadside medians, or neglected corners of the city—transforming forgotten spaces into thriving gardens and biodiversity pockets, often without official permission.

🏘️ Eco-Architecture & Local Tech

Earthships – off-grid homes made from natural and recycled materials, with built-in water harvesting, passive heating/cooling, food growing, and waste systems.
Localized Material Tech – using regional materials (e.g., adobe, bamboo, volcanic rock, clay, algae) for construction, tech housing, and tools—optimized by AI to ensure durability and ecological harmony.
Modular Green Micro-Hubs – plug-and-play, solar-powered pods used for mobile clinics, education, or maker spaces, built from local biocomposites.

🌳 Integration with Nature and Forests

In solarpunk societies, nature is not something to be tamed or walled off—it is home, teacher, and ally. Landscapes are cultivated with reverence, cities and ecosystems coexist, and human responsibility is rooted in reciprocity and regeneration.

Land Conservation – expansive zones of protected wilderness co-managed by local communities, scientists, and indigenous caretakers, often monitored with eco-drones and supported by regenerative land use practices.
Integrated Forests – forests designed in collaboration with local ecosystems to blend food production, wildlife corridors, spiritual spaces, and climate resilience into the heart of every city, village, or biome.
Ranger Stations – solar-powered, earth-integrated outposts where ecological stewards live and work, tending forest health, assisting with wildlife care, and offering eco-literacy education to travelers and residents.
Food Forests – layered, self-sustaining ecosystems of edible plants, fruit trees, herbs, and fungi that mimic natural forest systems while providing abundant nourishment for humans and wildlife alike.
Coppicing and Pollarding – traditional woodland management techniques revived for sustainable timber, fuel, and craft material harvesting—encouraging long-term tree health and biodiversity while maintaining human-nature reciprocity.

♻️Waste & Circular Economy

A focus on extending the life span of tech, or utilizing waste, will be key in a solarpunk society, rather than the planned obsolescence we have in our current consumer society.

Smart Composting Toilets – odorless, clean, and turns waste into garden fuel.
AI-Driven Material Recyclers – neighborhood hubs that auto-sort and repurpose everything.
Upcycling Fabricators – small home devices that remake broken objects into new tools.
Blockchain for Zero-Waste Supply Chains – transparent tracking of materials from source to product to reuse.
Repair Garages – community-run workshops where people fix appliances, clothing, furniture, and tech together, sharing tools, knowledge, and skills to extend the life of every object.
Nuclear Reclamation Zones – long-term environmental healing projects that use biotech, fungi, and solar-powered robotics to detoxify and restore areas damaged by nuclear waste or meltdown sites, turning them into future sanctuaries or research gardens.
Ocean Plastic Harvesters – elegant marine drones and floating fungi rafts that collect microplastics and waste from the ocean, breaking them down into usable materials or feeding them into offshore bio-processing stations for reuse in construction, textiles, and tools.
Upcycled Tech Nodes – tech made from e-waste and scrap, locally repaired or refabricated using open-source designs and local knowledge.
Solar Forges – community workshops using intense solar reflectors to melt and reshape metals or glass without fossil fuels.
Biodegradable Tech Shells – devices (like phones or tools) made with organic exteriors that decompose safely once obsolete.
Repurposed Ruins – abandoned buildings, infrastructure, and industrial sites creatively transformed into gardens, homes, maker spaces, or cultural centers—honoring the past while reclaiming space for regenerative community use.

🤖 Tech & Robotics

In a solarpunk world, technology is decentralized, open-source, and designed for harmony with nature—not profit. Robotics and digital tools serve communities, not corporations, and often integrate with biology, local materials, and ecological systems.

Tech Markets – open-air or digital marketplaces where inventors, tinkerers, and communities exchange custom tools, code, micro-devices, and repair parts; often local, open-source, and governed by mutual aid.
Bot/Machine Shops – cooperative workshops where communities design, build, and maintain helpful robots and devices for farming, energy, caregiving, and exploration. Often part of neighborhood maker hubs or education centers.
AI Companions – emotionally intelligent digital beings trained to support mental health, creativity, memory-keeping, and spiritual reflection. Designed with ethical boundaries and community oversight.
Mycelium-Based Processors – living fungal circuits that process data slowly but sustainably, used for long-term ecological modeling, local computing, and communication with environmental systems.
Caregiving Robots – gentle, adaptive machines designed to assist the elderly, children, or those with disabilities in daily life, programmed with kindness, cultural sensitivity, and open-source ethics.
Nature Monitoring Drones – small, quiet aerial or aquatic drones that help track soil health, forest regrowth, air quality, and pollinator movement—designed to observe, not disrupt.
Trash Sorter Bots – helpful home or community-level bots that automatically sort waste for compost, reuse, recycling, or repair, integrated with circular economy platforms.
Collaborative Exosuits – lightweight robotic exoskeletons used for farming, building, or caregiving—shared through community tool libraries for people who need a little extra strength or mobility.

🦠Symbiotic & Regenerative Organisms

Engineered Plant-Partners – crops adapted to local conditions that also fix nitrogen, purify air, or glow softly at night.
Living Walls & Roofs – genetically enhanced mosses, lichens, and vines that clean pollutants, capture water, and self-regulate temperature.
Bioluminescent Organisms – light-producing algae or trees replacing street lamps and interior lighting in public areas.
Bio-Integrated Wearables – skin-safe sensors grown from bacteria or fungi, used for health tracking or plant-human communication.
Mycelium Neural Nets – fungal-based computing systems that process information like a natural brain and interface with environmental sensors.
Biocircuitry – genetic “wiring” for low-energy devices, potentially replacing silicon-based tech with self-growing organic materials.

⛏️Ethical Resource Extraction

In a solarpunk society, even the most industrial processes are reimagined to honor the Earth. Resource extraction is rare, deliberate, and done with maximum respect for ecosystems, often guided by indigenous wisdom, systems thinking, and community oversight. Extraction methods are low-impact, decentralized, and deeply integrated with land healing practices.

Agromining – the use of hyperaccumulator plants to draw metals like nickel or zinc from the soil; once harvested, metals are extracted from plant matter, creating a closed-loop alternative to traditional mining. Agromining can also be used to remove heavy metals and toxins from polluted ground, healing the land as it produces usable resources. Though less common today due to higher costs, solarpunk communities invest in it for its ecological benefits.
Biological Prospecting – using fungal networks, soil bacteria, and deep-rooted plants to detect mineral concentrations underground without destructive drilling.
Geothermal Access Wells – small-scale, carefully drilled wells that tap geothermal energy or access deep-earth minerals using low-impact, community-approved tech.
Robotic Micro-Miners – autonomous, solar-powered bots that extract minerals from abandoned waste piles, tailings, or post-industrial ruins rather than virgin ecosystems.
Salvage Rights Collectives – community-led groups that reclaim and process materials from old tech, ruins, or infrastructure—essentially mining the past instead of the planet.
Crystal Harvest Sanctuaries – ceremonial zones where rare minerals (like quartz or lithium) are harvested by hand in slow, respectful ways—often paired with offerings, story-sharing, or rituals to maintain balance with the Earth.

☁️ Sky Tech

Solar Blimps & Dirigibles – slow, serene airships for travel and cargo, powered by solar panels and algae biofuel; low-impact and panoramic.
Wind-Surfing Drones – lightweight transport or delivery drones that glide on natural wind currents, needing minimal propulsion.
Sky Gardens – floating platforms or tethered aeroponic systems that grow food and purify air high above dense cities.

🌍 Climate Control

This section may be controversial, because humans “controlling” the climate goes against the ethos of humans living in harmony with nature. However, this could also be a source of tension in the story, such as in the story ‘Weather Duty,’ by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Moisture Balloons – large, solar-inflated aerial devices that collect humidity from the atmosphere and release it as gentle rain over arid or drought-stricken areas.
Climate Satellites – orbital systems that monitor weather patterns, carbon levels, and ecological shifts in real time, guiding adaptive land use and early warning systems for natural disasters.
Habitation Domes – sealed or semi-sealed environments that maintain ideal living conditions in extreme climates (desert, tundra, post-industrial zones), incorporating regenerative agriculture, water cycling, and passive energy systems.
Cloud Seeding Drones – eco-safe drones that deploy mineral-based compounds to encourage rainfall in areas affected by prolonged drought, coordinated with local weather councils.
Forest Fire Prevention Nets – sensor-equipped mesh systems strung through high-risk areas to detect early signs of heat, smoke, and dryness, releasing moisture or alerting ground teams.
AI-Guided Climate Modeling – advanced simulations that blend indigenous knowledge with real-time environmental data, helping communities adapt agriculture, construction, and migration to shifting climates.
Thermal Buffer Zones – areas designed with plant layers, wind tunnels, and reflective surfaces to cool urban heat islands and stabilize microclimates.

🌐 AI & Adaptive Systems

This is another section that may be controversial. Today many people in humanist spaces are against AI because of the exploitative way it is being created and used. However, keep in mind that this is the use of AI within the framework of our exploitative, capitalist society. In a more humanist, egalitarian society, AI would be utilized differently.

AI Ecosystem Managers – constantly monitor soil health, water use, and plant life; advise communities on how to optimize their local ecosystem.
AI-Designed Buildings – use natural principles (biomimicry) and local materials, designing structures adapted to microclimates and community needs.
Companion AIs – spiritual/creative collaborators rather than productivity tools—helping people write poetry, tend gardens, or maintain emotional well-being.
Community Memory Archives – AI-curated oral histories, recipes, indigenous knowledge, and collective dreams, accessible in every neighborhood.

🧬 Medicinal & Healing Tech

Gene-Sharing Seed Banks – containing both heritage crops and newly bred species resistant to climate extremes and rich in nutrients.
Personalized Herbal Bio-Synthesizers – small, AI-assisted devices that grow, extract, and combine medicinal compounds on demand.
Adaptive Immuno-Gardens – plants engineered to detect airborne viruses and release natural immune boosters into the air.

🤝 Governance & Community Tech

Solar Credits & Energy Sharing Apps – neighbors can trade extra solar power peer-to-peer.
Consensus Decision-Making Platforms – decentralized apps that help communities vote and prioritize projects.
Time Banking Apps – track hours of community service as currency.
Augmented Co-Design Tools – AR/VR platforms that let citizens collaboratively design parks, buildings, etc.
A reddit user pointed out that rather than having a tech heavy solution, people in a solarpunk setting could even go back to a much more participatory democracy, as was practiced in Athens. See a YouTube video about it here.

⚖️Ethical Frameworks

Cooperative Genetic Commons – open-source genetic blueprints maintained by communities rather than corporations, respecting indigenous and ecological wisdom.
Consent-Based Biodesign – ecosystems and species are “consulted” (through observation, AI translation, or ritual) before engineering is done, emphasizing harmony over domination.
Biotech Literacy Education – every citizen understands the basics of bioethics, systems biology, and ecological interdependence.

For another list, check out the comprehensive picture Reddit user “OtherAtlas” put together. You can see their original post here.

Sources of Tension Within a Solarpunk Setting?

This video here by the Cleric Corner examines great questions about how to create compelling stories and world building within the Solarpunk setting.

Combating ecological threats
Competing views on how to get to utopia
Competing world views (i.e. a solarpunk society versus a cyberpunk society)
Contrasting ways of life
Two different solarpunk communities with competing views
Threats of greenwashing (pretending to be ecofriendly for publicity while engaging in destructive ecological practices

Alternative Social Structures to Modern Capitalism?

Solarpunk worldbuilding is an amazing place to explore reimagined social structures—especially ones rooted in equity, care, cooperation, and ecological consciousness. Below is a list of social structures that could govern (or gently guide) a solarpunk society, branching off from anti-capitalist, anti-patriarchal, and post-work themes. This could be useful food for thought in your stories or RPGs.

🌿 Post-Capitalist Economies

(This piece is Solarpunk Community Center by The Lemonaut)

Gift Economies – goods and services are shared freely within the community, based on need and mutual care.
Time Banking – time is currency; people earn hours by helping others and trade those hours for services (e.g. teaching, healing, repairing).
Resource Cooperatives – decentralized, worker-owned orgs manage energy, food, housing, and tech infrastructure.
Solar Credits & Energy Commons – people trade solar power or other renewable energy units in a localized, non-profit grid.

🚩Eco-Anarchist & Eco-Socialist Structures

Autonomous Bioregions – communities are organized by ecological regions (watersheds, forests, coastlines) instead of national borders.
Anarchist Syndicates – non-hierarchical collectives that handle specialized functions like healthcare, education, and resource distribution.
Eco-Councils – rotating representatives chosen by consensus to manage common resources, guided by ecological science and local knowledge.

🏘️ Localism & Systems Thinking

Resilient City-States – urban hubs surrounded by regenerative agriculture zones; decisions made at the local level with inter-city cooperation through federations.
Holonic Governance – nested systems of decision-making (e.g., family pod → neighborhood circle → city assembly → regional council), where each level handles only what it must.
Community Circles – regular gatherings where people of all ages deliberate local issues, share meals, and reconnect.

♻️ Reuse Economy

(This piece is a solarpunk tailor workshop by The Lemonaut)

In a solarpunk society, reuse isn’t just a personal habit—it’s a cultural and economic cornerstone. By building systems that prioritize second lives for objects, communities reduce waste, foster creativity, and deepen respect for the natural world.

Circular Education Initiatives – community programs that teach skills in repair, composting, material science, and conscious consumption, often tied to local schools or makerspaces.
Reuse Marketplaces – local platforms or town-square-style events where people trade surplus tools, parts, furniture, or salvaged materials, fostering a vibrant sharing culture.
Thrift Stores – secondhand shops embedded in community ecosystems, focused not just on resale but on upcycling, repair, and storytelling behind reused goods.

♀️ Anti-Patriarchy & Feminist Structures

Matriarchal or Matrilineal Societies – wisdom, inheritance, and leadership pass through maternal lines; power lies in care, relationship-building, and communal memory.
Queer Communal Families – chosen families and multi-parent households are common; care and parenting roles are distributed.
Feminist Tech Stewardship – technology is evaluated not by profit or scale, but by its capacity to nourish, liberate, and reduce harm—especially for women and marginalized people.

🌀 Spiritual & Indigenous-Inspired Model

Council of All Beings – decisions are made in ceremony that invites members to speak as animals, plants, rivers, ancestors—honoring the rights and voices of all life forms.
Dream Governance – dreams, intuition, and spiritual insight play a formal role in guiding decisions, often through dreamers, poets, or seers.
Elder Circles – wisdom keepers, often elders or tradition-bearers, hold space for long-term thinking, remembering histories, and resolving disputes with ancestral and ecological awareness.

🌻 Post-Work & Liberated Labor

End of Wage Labor – automation, AI, and biotech reduce the need for grueling labor, allowing people to choose meaningful roles instead of jobs.
Care Networks – caregiving (for people, animals, and land) is honored as sacred work; often rotated communally with full societal support.
Ritual-Based Rhythms – daily life is shaped by natural and seasonal rhythms rather than a clock; work is occasional, purposeful, and often celebratory. People celebrate the seasons, along with the lunar and solar cycles.

Alternatives to Policing & Prisons in a Solarpunk Society

🕊️ Transformative Justice

Community Accountability Circles – when harm occurs, the person who caused harm, the person harmed, and trusted community members meet in facilitated circles to process the event, name the harm, and co-create a plan for repair.
Restoration Hubs – peaceful, garden-like spaces where people come to reflect, learn, and heal after causing or experiencing harm. These are staffed by trained mediators, counselors, elders, and spiritual guides.
Conflict Weavers – respected community members who specialize in de-escalation, mediation, and long-term relationship repair; they’re trained in communication, psychology, and cultural traditions.

🛠️ Systems of Prevention & Repair

Harm Prevention Teams – nonviolent, trauma-informed groups trained in crisis intervention, mental health first aid, and de-escalation; called upon in emergencies instead of police.
Accountability Apprenticeships – individuals who’ve caused harm may be mentored by elders or former wrongdoers in regenerative roles (e.g., farming, healing, community service) to re-earn trust and learn care-based values.
Circle of Needs Assessments – when community tensions rise, councils use systems thinking to identify unmet needs behind behavior—like hunger, grief, or isolation—and build communal solutions.

🌱 Abolitionist Principles in Practice

No Prisons, Just Pathways – instead of incarceration, people who’ve done harm are invited into long-term, immersive programs focused on therapy, skill-building, ancestral reconnection, and spiritual healing.
Restorative Memory Gardens – places that honor and remember harm that has occurred (such as intergenerational trauma or ecological devastation) as part of collective healing and learning.
Public Truth-Telling Ceremonies – storytelling and ritual where people speak openly about harms they’ve caused and received, witnessed by community with compassion, not condemnation.

🧠 Rebuilding Social Safety Nets

Universal Care Networks – wraparound systems that support people before crises happen, including housing, mental health care, food sovereignty, and community mentoring.
Early Signal Monitoring – AI and local data cooperatives track rising stress factors (like hunger, isolation, air quality) and alert community responders before harm escalates.
Neighborhood Guardians – rather than enforcing rules, these gentle figures provide protection and support by building relationships, noticing tensions early, and facilitating trust between groups.

Solarpunk Ireland, Druids, Celts – Art and Worldbuilding Ideas

June 30, 2024June 30, 2024 jbjwrites3 Comments

This is a collection of digital art that captures the vision of a solarpunk Ireland, along with images of a futuristic world inspired by the ancient Celts.

Back in May of this year, I visited Dublin, along with Western Ireland, where my ancestors are from, and took hundreds of photos of sweeping Irish landscapes, cobblestone houses in the countryside, churchs, ruins, castles, and Irish towns, such as Galway and Cork. In this collection of digital art, I used my photos of Ireland and enhanced them with Dream Studio, an AI art device. The collection below represents my experiment of enhancing pre-existing art with AI.

Solarpunk Ireland

Solarpunk is a literary and artistic movement that envisions and works toward actualizing a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. The artistic genre uses the Art Nouveau style. The aesthetic also makes heavy use of bright colors and is often inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, particularly Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Worldbuilding a Solarpunk Ireland

In a solarpunk, futuristic Ireland, the landscape is a harmonious blend of advanced technology and natural beauty, showcasing a society that has embraced renewable energy and sustainable practices. Solar panels are seamlessly integrated into the rooftops of homes and public buildings, capturing the sun’s energy even on overcast days. Wind turbines, gracefully turning along the windy coastline, provide a substantial portion of the country’s electricity, while wave and tidal energy converters harness the power of the Atlantic Ocean. Urban areas are designed with green roofs and vertical gardens, transforming cities into lush, living ecosystems that produce food and filter the air.

Agriculture in Ireland thrives on principles of permaculture and regenerative farming. Fertile fields and pastures, nurtured by Ireland’s abundant cattle, sheep, and crop rotation, yield abundant harvests without depleting the soil. Traditional farms coexist with high-tech vertical farms and aquaponic systems, ensuring a steady supply of fresh, organic produce year-round. Coastal communities sustainably harvest fish and seaweed, maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Forests are carefully managed to provide timber and other resources, with reforestation efforts ensuring that forest cover is continually expanding, supporting biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

Alternative Celtic History

In an alternative history where the Celtic people were never conquered, their society evolves with a profound connection to nature, deeply rooted in Druidic customs and Celtic lore. This solarpunk future reflects a harmonious blend of ancient wisdom and advanced technology. The Celts, with their reverence for the natural world, develop sophisticated sustainable practices, seamlessly integrating renewable energy and eco-friendly living into their everyday lives.

The landscape of this Celtic society is dotted with roundhouses and crannogs, traditional structures made from locally sourced, sustainable materials like timber and thatch. These dwellings are updated with green roofs and solar panels, providing energy while maintaining harmony with the environment. Sacred groves, revered as places of worship and reflection, are meticulously preserved, and advanced techniques in agroforestry and permaculture ensure that agriculture supports biodiversity and soil health. Celtic knotwork and ogham inscriptions adorn public spaces, celebrating cultural heritage while embracing cutting-edge design.

In this futuristic Celtic society, Druids play a central role as both spiritual leaders and keepers of knowledge. They oversee the use of renewable resources, guiding communities in the sustainable harvest of timber, the management of waterways, and the harnessing of wind and solar energy. Education is holistic, combining ancient lore with scientific inquiry. Children learn the healing properties of plants alongside principles of renewable energy and environmental stewardship. Festivals celebrate the changing seasons, with music, dance, and storytelling reinforcing communal bonds and cultural identity.

Solarpunk Irish Towns and Cityscapes

Anime/Studio Ghibli Vision of Irish Landscapes

These photos include the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, and the Burren National Park.

Solarpunk Celtic Style and People

Anime Meets 9th Century Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is a work of 9th century monastic art that depicts scenes in the Bible. This book was moved around quite a bit to protect it from being destroyed by the vikings. I took some photos I have of the Book of Kells and applied an anime/solarpunk/celtic filter.

Solarpunk Castles

If there is one thing the Irish landscape has in abundance, it is medieval castles. Below is a vision of medieval castles being repurposed for vertical agriculture.

Solarpunk Irish Countryside

Solarpunk Dublin Portal

Solarpunk Long Room/Trinity College Library

Solarpunk Irish Fairy Gardens

Futuristic Druids Meet Ancient Structures

June 26, 2023June 27, 2023 jbjwrites2 Comments

This is a collection of digital art that captures the vision of a solarpunk Spain, along with images of a futuristic Al-Andalus from an alternative timeline in which the Moors were never thrown out.

Back in 2022, I visited Madrid, along with Southern Spain, and took hundreds of photos of Moorish architecture, Moorish gardens, picturesque mountain side villages, Granada, and Seville. In this collection of digital art, I used my photos of Spain and enhanced them with Dream Studio, an AI art device. The collection below represents my experiment of enhancing pre-existing art with AI.

SOLARPUNK SPAIN

WHAT IS SOLARPUNK?

WORLDBUILDING A SOLARPUNK SPAIN

In a solarpunk story, where renewable energy and sustainable practices shape the world, Southern Spain emerges as an ideal location due to its naturally sunny landscape. Vast solar farms can stretch across the picturesque plains, generating clean and limitless energy to power the cities and communities. This immense solar potential would allow Southern Spain to become a shining example of self-sufficiency and reduced carbon footprint.

The sunny landscape of Southern Spain offers an opportunity for the integration of solar energy into everyday life. Buildings can incorporate advanced solar panels seamlessly into their design, harnessing the sun’s energy for electricity and heating needs. Entire communities can adopt solar-powered infrastructure, including streetlights, public transportation, and charging stations for electric vehicles. The vibrant, sun-drenched streets of Southern Spain can become a hub of clean energy utilization, showcasing a future where sustainable technologies harmonize with the environment.

Southern Spain’s landscape can also inspire innovative agricultural practices. With the right approach, the region can leverage its abundant sunlight to promote sustainable farming techniques. Vertical farms and greenhouses equipped with solar panels can thrive, providing locally grown produce and reducing the need for long-distance transportation. These sustainable agricultural practices would not only contribute to food security but also preserve the region’s natural beauty and biodiversity.

SEVILLE

ANTEQUERA

PARQUE RETIRO AND MADRID

GARDENS

SKYLINES OF MOUNTAINOUS, SOUTHERN SPANISH TOWNS

FASHION

AL-ANDALUS 2077

I used photos of the Alhambra along with Spanish mosques to produce the pictures above. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

ACTUAL HISTORY OF AL-ANDALUS

Al-Andalus was the Muslim ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was a center of learning and philosophy in the medieval world. The city of Córdoba, the second largest in Europe, became one of the leading cultural and economic centers throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Islamic world. Achievements that advanced Islamic and Western science came from al-Andalus, including major advances in trigonometry (Jabir ibn Aflah), astronomy (Al-Zarqali), surgery (Al-Zahrawi), pharmacology (Ibn Zuhr), and agronomy (Ibn Bassal and Abū l-Khayr al-Ishbīlī). Al-Andalus became a major educational center for Europe and the lands around the Mediterranean Sea as well as a conduit for cultural and scientific exchange between the Islamic and Christian worlds.

It was also the home of Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 AD), a scholar, Sufi mystic, and poet who is still extremely influential in Islamic thought and philosophy today.

Ultimately the Christian kingdoms in the North overpowered the Muslims states in the South. Between 1492-1610 massive numbers of Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain.

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF AL-ANDALUS

In an alternative history of Al-Andalus, the Moors were not conquered and driven out. Instead the spirit of knowledge, spirituality, sufi mysticism and philosophy lived on. And once the people of Al-Andalus acquired renewable energy technology in the 21st century, they created a sustainable, post scarcity society where the people advanced beyond the Capitalist grind to create a utopia. In late 21st century, the people spend their days focusing on knowledge, art, culture, spiritual advancement, sufi mysticism, and living in peace with the Earth. They are inspired by the Quran’s description of sumptuous gardens in paradise, along with the command in the Quran not to walk too heavily upon the Earth (17:37).

MISCELLANEOUS

Upcoming Utopia and Climate Conference for Creatives – 2023

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023 jbjwritesLeave a comment

Explore and learn with paradigm shifting CliFi authors, artists, film makers, and world-builders.

The 2nd annual Utopia Awards will highlight and honor authors, artists, and other creators producing works focused on hopeful outlooks, solutions to climate change and related social problems, and building a better future.

The Climate Fiction Conference will host panel discussions and workshops on a range of related topics, including but not necessarily limited to

climate fiction (as well as poetry, nonfiction, art, games, and film)
writing craft development
climate change, climate tech, and climate solutions
sci-fi punk genres such as solarpunk, hopepunk, ecopunk, biopunk, cyberpunk, and steampunk

Conference Website