Journal of Sustainability Education Vol. 23, April 2020 Ecomedia Literacy ISSN: 2151-7452 “Solarpunk” & the Pedagogical Value of Utopia Isaijah Johnson University of California, Los Angeles isaijahjohnson@gmail.com Abstract: This paper examines the ecologically oriented speculative fiction genre known as “solarpunk” and its value for the cause of environmental justice. This article argues that the status quo is characterized by relative inaction on the issue of fighting climate change and that this inaction is the result of an inability to imagine a “green” future. As a form of speculative fiction which explicitly depicts such green futures, solarpunk may be a valuable tool in promoting action by overcoming widespread cynicism about the future. Solarpunk fiction is thus a useful tool for sustainability educators because it encourages critical examination of one’s environmental impact. This article details the ways in which solarpunk stories function as counter-hegemonic media by intertwining issues of race, gender, sexuality, class, and colonialism with an ecological ethic. Keywords: solarpunk; speculative fiction; environmental justice; sustainability education; social imaginary; media Isaijah Johnson is a student at University of California, Los Angeles where he studies history and philosophy. He studies a wide- range of topics, from the patterns and structures of colonialism to the analysis of digital media.