So even though I wasn’t able to write a cool solarpunk story the other day, I’m still looking at ways to integrate solarpunk into the stories I write. There will be bumps on the road to solarpunk just like there are in real life, which is what I want to take a moment to celebrate.
You might be wondering to yourself, why would we celebrate problems? It might seem counter-intuitive, but finding problems is a good thing. Failure is the first sign you’re doing something that matters. Today’s pain points are tomorrow’s success stories.
With all this in mind, let’s talk about 3D-printed concrete houses. Perhaps you’ve read about them, one of the big hype beasts of future tech answers to the question of homelessness. It’s so easy, right? Just 3D print our way out of this! As you’ll see shortly, the answer isn’t that simple. Here’s Belinda Carr talking about why 3D houses aren’t the answer:
I like Belinda Carr – she’s very transparent in her discussions about technology and real-world solutions to human problems. For instance, even though she’s not a fan of shipping container homes, she’s willing to showcase success stories for shipping container structures. That’s the kind of clear-headed, no-hype focus we need to solve the food, clothing, and shelter issues we’ll face through the rest of this century.
We’ve got a million problems out there with one solution: Solarpunk. When we stop thinking that dystopia is inevitable and start thinking about how to solve our challenges while protecting the environment, repairing damage done to the environment, and conserving the Earth’s natural resources, we’ll be 90% of the way there. In the meantime, feel free to call out when you see a problem. That’s how you light the way toward a solution.
Write on!