Solarpunk: Where Nature, Artificial Intelligence and Humans Live In Harmony
Technology has become one of the most important assets that humanity has in order to be productive and thrive today. Very soon, we will be able to merge with machines and there is no stoping that. That idea on its own can be a tough pill to swallow, but… what if we could find a way to make the future something beautiful and harmonious, with the help of technology, instead of a dark dystopian nightmare?
I have to admit, I was one of those people who was very against technology taking over our lives completely. I’ve always loved the way humans get to interact with each other and find ways to connect organically. I am a nature and animal lover, a person who believes the natural cycles of life should be protected and respected at all costs. And that is still true. There are a lot of things we still need to take care of when it comes to technological safety and where the lines and boundaries are drawn, in this particular case, involving technology and what we consider ‘organic life’.
Recognizing The Value Of Our World
First of all, I think it’s necessary to realize how lucky we are. We get to be on this planet, we get to experience it with our bodies. We get to share this crazy place we call Earth with other non-human beings, beings that feel and experience this planet in their own and unique way. Isn’t that on its own kind of insane? I surprise myself thinking about this very often, and a feeling of happiness and humility fills my heart.
Without being aware of this, how possibly will we be able to take care of it? Being aware of oneself is necessary; to grow, to expand, to have a fulfilling life. But we cannot forget to be aware of what is around us. Nature. The trees that fill our lungs with fresh air every day. The ocean that allows us to enjoy the warmth of spring and summer, as well as the freshness of the cold in winter. The bees that keep our planet going, very silently and what it seems at times to be ‘in the shadows’. And the whole world gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor!
Once we, together, get to really appreciate and value what we take for granted every day, we will be able to make the right choices when it comes to technological advancement and protection of the planet as a whole.
Technology and Nature Working Together
Now, the term ‘solarpunk’ is defined as: ‘a genre and art movement that envisions how the future might look if humanity succeeded in solving major contemporary challenges with an emphasis on sustainability, climate change and pollution.’ by Wikipedia. That alone just sounds amazing. This concept might be fun to think about, or just good enough to make us day dream about what that would really look like in the real world.
Why don’t we think about it as an actual phenomenon that we could bring to life? The images that pop up when we simply google ‘solarpunk’ are surely enough to light the fire in someone’s mind about what this could look like. Or the video created by THE LINE, a BAFTA nominated collective of designers, directors, and animators based in London, who were able to create an amazing animation titled ‘Alice’ that encapsulates (in my opinion) what a solarpunk future would look like. You can watch it right here.
Another thing: in order to know what the light is, we also need to be aware about what darkness is. How are we going to create right laws and protect this planet if we don’t know what we need to protect it from? Like I said at the start of this article, technology is now part of us. And it is advancing faster than we can possibly phantom at this point. This alone should make all of us extra cautious and keep us vigilant, we cannot allow certain limits to be surpassed. We need to keep an open mind but also keep ourselves on check when to comes to:
- Bioengineering: protecting the natural genetics of human beings and of the rest of the creatures and organic life on this planet must be a priority in all the countries of the world.
- Artificial intelligence: protecting the integrity of our rights. We need to be informed about the technological tools that are being used to track our information online. We need to know the level at which we are being monitored and make sure it doesn’t trespass that very thin line between what is our private and delicate information (such as personal preferences, family members, where we are living or being tracked via satellite, GPS, etc.) and what is good for the authorities to know in case of a national emergency.
- Cybersecurity: Nation states or rogue entities that hack into each other’s systems, either by stealing information or wreaking havoc and causing destruction. Amongst other situations that are taking place right now, or that could do so in the near future.
