Solarpunk by Laura Gema

Secure 3022 Solarpunk Story Bible

Saving3022 is a transmedia experience based on solarpunk meant to show audiences how a sustainable world would look like in hopes of bringing awareness to environmental issues and promoting sustainable decisions. Alexandra Kmieciak Laura Gema Dimas Samira Shaine Jalmasco Thanusha Kanagendran Vrinda Patel Toronto, 2022

Chapter I From 22 to 22 Martha is a scientist from the year 3022 researching time travel using kinetic energy. In the year 3022, scientists are on the verge of discovering a new way of producing water for the global population, but it might be too late: many cities across the world are facing severe droughts, leading to mass fatalities. Martha knows that if in the past, we had better addressed the climate crisis, the scientists in 3022 would have enough time to make a breakthrough and save Earth. With her mind made up, Martha decides to use the latest prototype of the time travel machine to go back in time and warn the people in the past about the dire consequences of ignoring climate change. She starts the time machine and enters the year 2022 into her console. Martha turns a key and the machine comes to life, bending the space around her until all that is left is blinding light and the rattling of the machine. Martha's time machine finally sputters and quiets, as the bright light from outside begins to dim. Did she do it? Did she travel back through time? Taking inventory of the machine, Martha notices that the kinetic battery that powers the machine has been damaged and will need to be charged once again if she is to make it back to 3022. The only way to charge the battery is through movement, and so Martha decides to start her journey by grabbing her smart ring to help her navigate and learn about Toronto 2022, stores the kinetic battery in a backpack she slings over her shoulder, and sets off to find someone who will help her save Toronto 3022.

Chapter II HIGH PARK Martha sets foot outside her time machine and is immediately disoriented: although she knew the Toronto of the past would be different, she did not anticipate the change to be so striking: the streets are filled with cars, the sky is hazy and there is barely any greenery to be seen. Martha turns on her ring, which projects her current location as High Park, but her ring keeps flashing an odd symbol: a flower with six petals and lines circling it with grooves and dead ends. She quickly realizes that it's a maze, and she begins walking around the park in the hopes of finding this maze and more clues on how to save her home. Walking through the park, she observes many people enjoying the greenery. Through her short journey into the park, Martha made note of the little amount of trees and plants there were in the city, and more and the constant presence of clouds of dust that seemed to loom over the city. Walking deeper into the park, Martha notices the maze her ring had displayed earlier, and makes her way to it; she's still puzzled by the area, so after the maze she decides to keep walking around the park. She checks her ring again for more clues and details about 2022: this century has yet to incorporate permaculture. Note: Permaculture is “the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way” (Barth, 2018)

HIGH PARK She continues her journey through the park, and notices a community garden being built, an outdoor theater currently being unused with children chasing each other around the screen, and a lake where people are sprawled on benches looking at the shimmering water. Getting transfixed herself by the calm surface of the lake, Martha feels a pang looking over this scene - she needs to let these people know about the future that lies ahead, of the urgency to start saving the future today.

Chapter III JUNCTION Martha realizes her battery has barely charged while walking around the park, so she decides to venture out from the green space into a new area of town. Her battery will only charge through kinetic energy, but wonders if perhaps being near another energy source might facilitate the charging process and make it quicker. As she’s walking through the city a large ominous building surrounded by tall wire fences. After she gets closer, she also notices poster boards that have been haphazardly attached to the fence with zip ties and rope: the posters are denouncing the nuclear treatment plant which is placed in the neighbourhood, and the concern that local residents have of being exposed to radiation. Upon seeing this, Martha wonders what advancements people have made in 2022 made towards renewable energy, and if they have come up with a safer method to handle and dispose of nuclear waste. Martha is relieved to see that local residents are stepping up to oppose the nuclear facility, because she is all too familiar with the allure of nuclear energy and the possibilities it opens up. However, the ecological impacts are far too great to consider nuclear energy as sustainable, and this world has ways to go to understand that.

Chapter IV LIBERTY VILLAGE & QUEEN’S PARK Martha decides to keep walking, using her ring to guide her through Toronto. At every turn, she is amazed by the differences of Toronto 2022 and Toronto 3022 - although she expected these places to be unfamiliar to her, she can’t help but be surprised at a turn of a corner she thought she knew. Worry also starts to seep in that she might not be able to make it back home. While walking with her head down, observing her ring, she bumps into something rubbery. Finally looking up, Martha sees an entire row of bicycles and becomes excited - this is going to speed her battery recharge! With a bit of fiddling around, she manages to use her ring as a tool to pay and disconnect a bike from its station, and she sets off. Immediately, Martha feels lighter, this reminds her of home! As she pedals through the streets, Martha takes note of the houses. In this particular area, all the buildings look “new” with barely any where, but Martha also notices tents pitched in parks. The area’s residents also don’t appear diverse, and Martha begins to wonder if the area has a healthy sense of community (she had learned in school that the previous millennium had been riddled with economic issues such as a widening wealth gap). As Martha makes her way closer to the downtown core, she decides to walk on foot, as she gets frustrated having to share the road with so many vehicles. In the distance, she notices the Legislative building, awed to see it in full glory, rather than the dilapidated relic that it becomes in 3022 when the assembly moves to a new building. Martha decides to leave a note: “Change must happen now if we are to secure our future”.

LIBERTY VILLAGE & QUEEN’S PARK Note: According to ACORN, “staggering rental costs in Toronto make it difficult for low-income individuals and families to find housing that is adequate, suitable and affordable. Since 2011, the average market rent of a one-bedroom apartment has risen by almost one third. [...] Average market rents have increased drastically for all unit types. However, the sharpest increases are apparent for bachelor, one and two bedroom apartments. These are the cheapest options available, outside of shared accommodation. As a result, low and moderate income tenants are vulnerable to unaffordable rents. [...] Many low and moderate income earners cannot afford to pay average market rent, which exposes a huge flaw in the City’s definition of affordability and impacts the number of households experiencing unaffordable housing. ACORN members are concerned about the prevalence of severely unaffordable and unaffordable housing within extremely low-income, low-income and moderate-income Toronto households. The number of households in severely unaffordable housing increases with lower household income levels. Less than 10 percent of extremely low income households live in affordable housing; almost 85 per cent spend more than 50% of their income on rent. More than half of people earning $30,000 - $39,999 spend more than 30 per cent of their income on shelter costs, while almost the same number of households earning $20,000 - $29,999 spend over 50 per cent of their income on shelter costs. 1 in 5 households earning close to the Toronto median income of $65,829 spend over 30 per cent of their income on shelter” (2018).

Chapter V DOWNTOWN / KING & BAY As she’s walking around downtown, she also looks around at the skyscraper’s and how archaic they feel: another reminder that she isn’t home. Note: According to ACORN, “staggering rental costs in Toronto make it difficult for low-income individuals and families to find housing that is adequate, suitable and affordable. Since 2011, the average market rent of a one-bedroom apartment has risen by almost one third. [...] Average market rents have increased drastically for all unit types. However, the sharpest increases are apparent for bachelor, one and two bedroom apartments. These are the cheapest options available, outside of shared accommodation. As a result, low and moderate income tenants are vulnerable to unaffordable rents. [...] Many low and moderate income earners cannot afford to pay average market rent, which exposes a huge flaw in the City’s definition of affordability and impacts the number of households experiencing unaffordable housing. ACORN members are concerned about the prevalence of severely unaffordable and unaffordable housing within extremely low-income, low-income and moderate-income Toronto households. The number of households in severely unaffordable housing increases with lower household income levels. Less than 10 percent of extremely low income households live in affordable housing; almost 85 per cent spend more than 50% of their income on rent. More than half of people earning $30,000 - $39,999 spend more than 30 per cent of their income on shelter costs, while almost the same number of households earning $20,000 - $29,999 spend over 50 per cent of their income on shelter costs. 1 in 5 households earning close to the Toronto median income of $65,829 spend over 30 per cent of their income on shelter” (2018).

Chapter VI BLOOR & YONGE Martha decides to go further west, until she sees a massive red brick and glass building. Curious to see what’s inside, she makes her way through the revolving doors and is immediately greeted with high ceilings and bold curves making up each floor - seeing the rows of books, she assumes she’s at a library. Martha realizes this would be the perfect opportunity to delve into the history of Toronto and learn more about sustainable measures they have taken. Looking through the records for air quality index, she sees that Toronto has taken important measures to improve air quality, and more is being done to improve the city. Although Martha knows there is much still do, Martha is reinvigorated to know that the people of Toronto 2022 are taking climate change seriously, and there’s still a chance of saving her present.

Chapter VII YORKVILLE Once Martha leaves the library, she checks her battery, which is nearly full. Deciding to give it one last push, she hopes on another city bike and makes her way through the city. Not long after, she sees a large crowd of people waving signs and chanting: a protest seems to be underway. Getting closer, she sees that they are protesting fashion, or more specifically fast fashion. Martha is surprised to see that sustainable clothing has yet to be the standard.

Chapter VIII TERRY BEACH Martha keeps making her way east, until she sees water. Here, there are very few people and she finds the sound of the waves reassuring. Seeing the lake in its full glory leaves her with a sense of urgency - she needs the people of Toronto to know about the future that could be if they take climate action. She needs to let them know that her world is in danger. Martha sees by the boardwalk blank panels which appear to be for the rising tide. She finds a a marker in her bag, and begins to write.

Secure 3022 Solarpunk Story Bible