The problem with solarpunk
A while ago I found the developing genre of solalpunk, and I was incredibly excited for it's potential. Over time however, I started having a nagging feeling about much of the solarpunk media I was seeing: it felt so...distant. All these better worlds waiting on inventions that might never happen.
I also noticed a problem exemplified by solar ovens. Now don't get me wrong, they are neat, very solarpunk tools, but having a more practical solution like an induction cooktop will usually be a generally better solution to your day to day use. The idealized solution is not the ideal solution. Practical adoption can outweigh ideal in the implementation of a solution.
And so I present a concept: Earthenpunk.
Somtimes the answer is right in front of you. An earthen wall might work better than a prefab panel of mycellium for a solution right here and now. I've noticed a lot of people remarking on similar lines of reasoning, like trains and public transit over flying cars, but I wanted a name for this idea.
Earthenpunk is an ideal of practical solarpunk, mended clothes, and local diets, smaller houses and community building, ecovillages and neighborhood markets. Asking for help and giving what you can when asked.
If people lead by example maybe we can make a prototype of the lives we want to live, and I, for one, want to live a better way.