About the Show:

Solarpunk Now! is a podcast at the intersection of art, science, and politics. ​An alternative to the pessimistic futurism of cyberpunk or other dystopias, solarpunk is a vision of a brighter tomorrow.  Solarpunk is an art movement in its narrow sense, but one that blossoms into a radical politics of social and environmental change.

We can’t solve ecological problems while ignoring social ones, or vice versa. Solarpunk as a movement recognizes this, taking a holistic approach to imagining, and building, a better world. There are things we can do now to build resilience in the face of what’s inevitable, and to lessen some of the destruction that isn’t inevitable. Solarpunk Now! is about radical ideas, projects and theories working to make the future kinder, healthier, and more sustainable.

Solarpunk is a utopia, but elements of it may not be as out of reach as we think. Though many of us may feel like giving up on a better world, I hope this podcast will be a ray of sunlight. Let’s demand a brighter future together!

About the Host:

Luka Dowell (they/them) is the host/writer/producer/most everything else of Solarpunk Now. They began working in media while studying critical theory and cognitive science at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Their thesis explored the psychology of neoliberal capitalism, asking: how can we escape the pessimism that dominates our era? Inspired by this research, Solarpunk Now! is an experiment in challenging the availability heuristic of capitalist realism, highlighting the hopeful, radical, inspiring work happening all around us.

Press/Appearances:

“Towards a Solarpunk Theory of Technology,” published in The Solarpunk Conference Journal: 2023 Conference (January 16, 2024)

Panelist at Solarpunk Conference 2023 (June 24, 2023)

“Hauntings, Futurisms and the Present Moment,” a conversation with Joey Ayoub of The Fire These Times podcast (January 20, 2023)

Panelist at CliFiCon 2022 (October 1, 2022)

Interview with Solarpunk Magazine (March 10, 2022)