this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2023
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How do you envision a postal system in a solarpunk world, both on a small scale and larger one? (slrpnk.net)
submitted 1 year ago by countrypunk@slrpnk.net to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net
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[–] punkisundead@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I did not ready OPs question in the way that they have big problems with the current postal system, but more as a prompt for an interesting thought experiment. But I would like to point out some problems I currently see:

  • highly centralized system, usually on a national scale. This makes it really hard to actually manage regional differences in environment and need. also top down decision making
  • profit driven companies are the backbone of the postal system in many parts of the world. the current setup might be more incentivized by the profit motive and national laws and not by the needs of the people working there or those using the postal services.
  • usage of time as (one of) the most important metric for a postal service, resulting in multiple tiers of service based on how much you spend. also resulting in the usage of planes to send stuff, sometimes even when sending stuff nationally
  • a solar punk society would still have to figure out how to cooperate with postal systems of different continents / societies. Imagine having a solar punk society trying to make a deal with current USA on how their postal systems should cooperate.
[–] keepthepace@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 year ago

Fair enough. I did not see it as a prompt.

I guess that problem becomes really much simpler once you have a fleet of autonomous electric vehicles and decarbonized grid. From heavy trucks down to individual light-weight drones dropping things on rooftops/balconies/urban dropsites I think the problem will pretty much solve itself, whatever economic system is behind.

Yes, you will likely need some central nexuses depending on how your transportation network is organized.

a solar punk society would still have to figure out how to cooperate with postal systems of different continents / societies. Imagine having a solar punk society trying to make a deal with current USA on how their postal systems should cooperate.

Postal services were one of the first thing to organize internationally. The UPU was founded in the 19th century. The problem in itself is simple:

  1. Agree on how to state which country to send it to.
  2. Write an address in a way that locals understand it
  3. Pay the local post the fee they consider fair to distribute it.

I consider this problem solved and I don't see why we should assume it becomes more complicated than that? If you live in a place with free deliveries, then you may still have to pay a fee to deliver to another country. And from another country you will at least pay the fee to get your stuff to the border.

[–] sndrtj@feddit.nl 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My country tried to privatize mail. It failed. Why: it's very hard to operate profitably.

[–] punkisundead@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago

Postal service is privatized in Germany and highly profitable.