I was looking back at how my Philosophies and ideas about the world have changed over the past 5 years, when it sparked a thought that we could introduce into the Solarpunk lexicon.
A couple of years ago I considered myself a punk. not necessarily a traditional punk, but I carried the views and life of the culture. I very much saw things in a pessimistic way, that we must tear down everything that we have built and start new. I SAW EVERYTHING FOR THE SHADOWS THAT THEY CASTED ON THE WORLD. Big corporations, big highrise buildings casting shadows on the smaller ethical groups of people. Stealing their light and power from the sun.
I’ve been reading almost every post and comment on this reddit for a couple of weeks, and I can see a divide. Optimistic views of the future that some people are promoting, but at the same time there are views that are purely a pessimistic commentary on how bad we have built the past. Although I understand to not repeat the past we must study it, I wholeheartedly believe an optimistic future is a much more powerful tool in the development of a Solarpunk world.
I think “shadowing” is the perfect term to introduce into the movement as it has a specific context. A shadow can only be created if there is light. Light and solar are what power our world.
How does everyone feel about introducing the term “shadowing” as a means of focusing too heavily on the negative things that are out of our immediate control. The things of the past that cast a shadow on the future, stealing the light from stronger ethical groups.
Open to discussion