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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.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 30 min
  • English

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  • S6 · E20
    June 26 · 26 min

    Climate Harm Has Victims, and Governments Have Names

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson takes a look at a climate human rights case out of Australia, and its implications for the ability to hold corporations accountable for their role in damaging the climate. Then, we explore what a solarpunk system of climate accountability would look like. 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 News Articles and Other Sources Trapped by floods and fearing death in the heat: the Australians taking legal action over the climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/22/trapped-by-floods-and-fearing-death-in-the-heat-the-australians-taking-legal-action-over-the-climate-crisis Meet the 10 Australians and Read their Complaint https://earthjustice.org/hardtruthscase/legal Fossil Fuel Exports at Center of UN Human Rights Case Against Australian Government https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/fossil-fuel-exports-at-center-of-un-human-rights-case-against-australian-government U.N. court rules countries have duty to limit greenhouse emissions https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/23/world-court-climate-ruling Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change https://www.icj-cij.org/case/187 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S6 · E16
    June 17 · 20 min

    Clean Air Is Climate Infrastructure

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson continues the discussion about wildfire and smoke from earlier this week, but from the angle of clean air as public infrastructure rather than from the perspective of small community disaster preparedness. 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 News Articles and Other Sources Wildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study finds https://apnews.com/article/smog-wildfires-climate-change-ozone-artificial-intelligence-bc9cde6da8ae4019cc07b800c70106ad Fires reverse progress toward ozone air quality standards in the United States https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aed3197 NASA-Funded Study Shows Wildfire Smoke’s Hidden Ozone Toll https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-funded-study-shows-wildfire-smokes-hidden-ozone-toll Wildfire smoke has reversed US progress toward ozone air quality, study finds https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/04/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-ozone The Clean Air Act 101 https://www.nrdc.org/stories/clean-air-act-101 American Lung Association State of the Air Report https://www.lung.org/research/sota Science in Action: How to Build a Corsi-Rosenthal Box https://engineering.ucdavis.edu/news/science-action-how-build-corsi-rosenthal-box Monitor the Air Quality Index Near You https://www.iqair.com/usa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S6 · E14
    June 10 · 42 min

    Radio Free Luna, Signing Off by Sylvie Althoff

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson reads a short story from our most recent issue, Solarpunk Magazine Issue #27. This story was written by Sylvie Althoff, and is titled, "Radio Free Luna, Signing Off." 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 You can learn more about Sylvie Althoff and her work on her website, and you can connect with her on Bluesky @sylvie-althoff.bsky.social. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S6 · E12
    May 29 · 23 min

    Solar Is About to Win, So Why Are We Still Paying So Much?

    On this episode of Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast from Solarpunk Magazine, host Justine Norton-Kertson looks at the rise of solar power and examines the systems that keep us paying so much for electricity when sunlight is so abundant. 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 Solar’s day in the sun is rapidly approaching https://www.ft.com/content/2d78227e-d74d-43f0-ba92-13543e22b1d3 New Energy Outlook 2026 https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/new-energy-outlook/#row-6a19c1eed9b5a CORRECTION: In the episode, it's stated that battery storage deployment could rise from 223 GW in 2025 to 3.8 TW by 2035, but that was said incorrectly. BloombergNEF’s executive summary says storage rises from 223 GW in 2025 to 3.8 TW by 2050, not 2035. Our apologies for the mistake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S6 · E11
    May 28 · 24 min

    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.

  • S6 · E9
    May 25 · 23 min

    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.

  • S6 · E8
    May 23 · 29 min

    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.

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