Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast

Justine Norton-Kertson

THE PRESENT Our newly renamed podcast, Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast is all about radical hope and resistance in the age of climate disaster. This newest iteration of Solarpunk Magazine's podcast will launch it's first episode on Monday, January 27, 2025. On Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast, host Justine Norton-Kertson (founder and co-editor-in-chief of Solarpunk Magazine) envisions a world where humanity thrives in harmony with nature, equity and justice guide our communities, and creativity fuels solutions to our shared challenges. By imagining brighter futures and confronting current crises with resilience, we aim to cultivate hope and empower individuals to co-create a sustainable, inclusive, and thriving planet. Our mission is to inspire hope and action by exploring solarpunk ideas, sharing grassroots solutions, and amplifying the voices of change-makers who challenge dystopian realities. Through critical analysis, meaningful conversations, and creative storytelling, we provide listeners with the tools and inspiration to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world while nurturing optimism in the face of adversity. THE PAST Our podcast began with the title Solarpunk Futures and has gone through a few different iterations. Starting in the fall of 2021, the original podcast ran for seven monthly episodes. Then beginning in fall 2022, the podcast was rebranded as Solarpunk Presents. That iteration was hosted by our then non-fiction co-editors Ariel Kroon and Christina De La Rocha. In January of 2023, Solarpunk Presents branched off on its own as a separate podcast, and in the spring of 2024 Solarpunk Futures came back briefly for a few episodes before going on hiatus for a reworking and rebranding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Is Regenerative Agriculture the Next Greenwashing Scam?

    7h ago

    Is Regenerative Agriculture the Next Greenwashing Scam?

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson discusses the recent Regenerative Agriculture pledge signed by over 40 major food and agriculture companies, and asks if regenerative agriculture is becoming the next greenwashing scam. Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag SOURCES AND LINKS Global food and beverage giants join forces on regenerative agriculture https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-food-beverage-giants-join-forces-regenerative-agriculture-2026-05-19 From pilots to practice: a new bid to scale regenerative agriculture https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/pilots-practice-new-bid-scale-regenerative-agriculture--ecmii-2026-05-18 Climate reporting rules for food sector set high bar for regenerative agriculture https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/climate-reporting-rules-food-sector-raise-bar-regenerative-agriculture--ecmii-2026-04-15 Rewarding farmers for regenerative agriculture is ‘critical for decarbonising the food sector https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/rewarding-farmers-regenerative-agriculture-is-critical-decarbonising-food-sector-2024-06-10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
  2. Beyond Mortar and Magic + What the Sea Remembers

    1d ago

    Beyond Mortar and Magic + What the Sea Remembers

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson reads two short stories from Solarpunk Magazine Issue #27: "Beyond Mortar and Magic" by Alex Vossler, and "What the Sea Remembers" by Dennis Mombauer. Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Get Issue #27: https://solarpunkmagazine.com/shop/solarpunk-magazine-issue-27 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  3. Climate Action Is Not Charity

    3d ago

    Climate Action Is Not Charity

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson discusses the recent UN General Assembly vote on climate action and the idea that climate aid isn’t charity or leverage in political negotiations, but instead, is an obligation.  Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag SOURCES AND LINKS News Articles on the UN Vote: https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-vanuatu-trump-administration-international-court-90b89dc776e0bece17f2ab4064b7f71e https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/un-backs-world-court-climate-opinion-us-among-few-oppose-2026-05-20 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/22/un-climate-crisis-vote-shows-political-momentum-growing-experts UN Resolution Text: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4113865/files/A_80_L.65-EN.pdf https://www.icj-cij.org/case/187 ICJ Advisory Opinion: https://icj-web.leman.un-icc.cloud/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-adv-01-00-en.pdf Columbia Law Blog Articles: https://blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/2025/08/13/a-panoply-of-consequences-remedies-and-reparations-in-the-icjs-climate-opinion https://blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/2025/08/05/new-standards-in-government-framework-litigation-legal-implications-of-the-icj-advisory-opinion-on-climate-change Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
  4. Coming This Summer

    Trailer

    Coming This Summer

    When disaster comes, the fantasy says: run, hide, protect your own. But real survival has never worked that way. When the smoke rolls in, when the floodwaters rise, when the power fails, when the evacuation order comes too late—what saves people isn't a bunker. It’s a neighbor with a spare room, a phone tree, a ride across town, a community center with clean air, a pantry built for sharing, and a plan that includes everyone. This summer on Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, we’re talking about disaster prep as mutual aid, community care, and the infrastructure of survival. Because no one survives alone. --------------- Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min
  5. Can a River Have Rights?

    5d ago

    Can a River Have Rights?

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson discusses local, national, and international efforts to grant legal rights to nature. Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag SOURCES AND LINKS Lane County Watersheds Bill of Rights Full ballot measure language: https://www.protectlanecountywatersheds.org/read_ordinance The ballot measure explained: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide-military/Measure20-373Explanatory.html Arguments in favor: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide-military/Measure20-373ArgInFavor.html Arguments opposed: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide-military/Measure20-373ArgOppose.html General Rights of Nature Sources "Should Trees Have Standing" by Christopher D. Stone: https://southerncalifornialawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Christopher-D.-Stone-Should-Trees-Have-Standing_%E2%80%94Toward-Legal-Rights-for-Natural-Objects-45-S.-CAL.-L.-REV.-450-1972..pdf Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature: https://www.garn.org/rights-of-nature Case Studies Tamaqua, Pennsylvania: https://celdf.org/2015/08/tamaqua-borough Toledo, Ohio: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/03/06/lake-erie-bill-rights-federal-court-unconstitutional Orange County, Florida: https://aldf.org/article/legal-rights-recognized-for-rivers-in-florida-and-quebec Grant Township, Pennsylvania: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13062023/pennsylvania-fracking-wastewater-injection-wells https://celdf.org/2023/05/unrepentant-and-vindicated-proposed-frack-waste-injection-well-in-grant-township-to-be-plugged-and-abandoned New Zealand: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2017/7/en/latest/#DLM6831462 Columbia: https://apnews.com/article/atrato-guardians-illegal-mining-contamination-threats-choco-977ad1e171715b8f7fb20a8ac6b9e149 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
  6. The Energy Transition Has a Mining Problem

    May 18

    The Energy Transition Has a Mining Problem

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson examines the energy transition's dependency on mining and imagines what a solarpunk energy transition would do differently. G7 trade talks target critical minerals as US-EU tariff rift strains unity https://www.reuters.com/world/china/g7-trade-ministers-discuss-critical-minerals-supply-chain-french-minister-says-2026-05-06 France convenes G7 on critical minerals to curb China's grip https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/france-convenes-g7-critical-minerals-curb-chinas-grip-2026-05-05 The energy transition has a rare earth problem https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/05/05/the-energy-transition-has-a-rare-earth-problem-these-startups-are-solving-it Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
  7. AI Has a Body

    May 13

    AI Has a Body

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson talks about AI and what it costs us, our communities, and our planet, then imagines what public computational infrastructure and solarpunk data centers might look like. Reuters Articles AEP raises capital plan to $78 billion as data center power demand skyrockets  https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/aep-raises-capital-plan-78-billion-beats-profit-estimates-data-center-demand-2026-05-05/ Duke Energy Tops Profit, Revenue Estimates Rate Recovery, Weather Boost https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/duke-energy-tops-profit-revenue-estimates-rate-recovery-weather-boost-2026-05-05/ US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA says https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-beat-record-highs-2026-2027-ai-use-surges-eia-says-2026-05-12/ Other Cited Sources https://www.utilitydive.com/news/duke-energy-earnings-anderson-gas-plant/819428/ Solarpunk Magazine: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Follow Solarpunk Magazine on social media: Bluesky Instagram TikTok Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  8. Why Are Hopeful Stories Still So Hard to Write?

    May 11

    Why Are Hopeful Stories Still So Hard to Write?

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson explores why hopeful stories are still so hard to write, and offers tools and suggestions to help creators shift their thinking and open up new possibilities beyond dystopia. Our Website: https://solarpunkmagazine.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/solarpunkmag Our Social Media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/solarpunklitmag.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarpunklitmag TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@solarpunklitmag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solarpunklitmag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    23 min
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About

THE PRESENT Our newly renamed podcast, Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast is all about radical hope and resistance in the age of climate disaster. This newest iteration of Solarpunk Magazine's podcast will launch it's first episode on Monday, January 27, 2025. On Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast, host Justine Norton-Kertson (founder and co-editor-in-chief of Solarpunk Magazine) envisions a world where humanity thrives in harmony with nature, equity and justice guide our communities, and creativity fuels solutions to our shared challenges. By imagining brighter futures and confronting current crises with resilience, we aim to cultivate hope and empower individuals to co-create a sustainable, inclusive, and thriving planet. Our mission is to inspire hope and action by exploring solarpunk ideas, sharing grassroots solutions, and amplifying the voices of change-makers who challenge dystopian realities. Through critical analysis, meaningful conversations, and creative storytelling, we provide listeners with the tools and inspiration to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world while nurturing optimism in the face of adversity. THE PAST Our podcast began with the title Solarpunk Futures and has gone through a few different iterations. Starting in the fall of 2021, the original podcast ran for seven monthly episodes. Then beginning in fall 2022, the podcast was rebranded as Solarpunk Presents. That iteration was hosted by our then non-fiction co-editors Ariel Kroon and Christina De La Rocha. In January of 2023, Solarpunk Presents branched off on its own as a separate podcast, and in the spring of 2024 Solarpunk Futures came back briefly for a few episodes before going on hiatus for a reworking and rebranding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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