As the World Burns is a classic example of a tool for
social activism. It is written by climate activist to promote a “climate”
agenda. So, what exactly is climate change?
Unfortunately, that depends on who you are talking to and what their agenda is.
Before I continue, I want to clear the
air, I am not a planet hating, destroy the world, climate change denier. I am a
realist, who does my own research on the topic rather than losing my head amid
the “Armageddon” fear mongering, holy cow we’re all going to die in 10 years rhetoric.
So, reading this book, for me, was an “eyerolling” endeavor because of the
research I have done and life that I have lived. Disclaimer done, now moving on
to the book!
Extraterrestrial planet eating robots
whose goals are to kill or eat everything on the planet, “Big bad corporations”
of America ( who according to the book are implied to be the ones eating the
planet themselves), two little girls, one who is a bit more conservative in
her approach than the other, fighting against
these horrible planet killing monsters, and a one eyed bunny (labeled a terrorist)
are all main characters in this book. The
book begins with these two little girls talking between themselves and trying
to figure out how to fight against those who are destroying the planet (be they
humans or aliens). There is a bigger
picture here than just a “graphic novel”. Many graphic novels have a point, but
this one has a point and an agenda with it. As you can probably guess this is
an activist book, whose topic is climate change and pushing that agenda. Using typical graphic novel features this book
sets out to “shed light” on the topic of climate change, disaster, whatever you
want to call it. One encounter that I found
interesting in the book was the one between, I guess you would call him a “modern day” hippie and a fox. During the exchange the man admonishes the fox for
being a meat eater. He tells the fox how
disrespectful and cruel it is. The fox’s response is a jab at the hippie as the
fox reminds the man who it was that created “factory farming” and labs etc.… A
jab at humans for their way of life I suppose. In this exchange you can see in the picture below
how the illustrator of the book uses the concept of lines, symbolism, and movement
to attract the reader’s eye. For the
lines you can see in the last frame the man sitting on the stump of the tree
and there are lines above his head representing his act of “meditation” the symbolism is the trees being cut down, representing
the destruction of the planet and movement is the fox moving from the last
frame into the next. Picture Below:
Another frame I would like to highlight is below:
In this frame the two girls are talking about the stats of
recycling, cutting down on garbage, changing your light bulbs that you use, all
the “energy reducing” things that people can do to reduce their “carbon footprint”. For
some reason this concept is attacked by the author throughout the book, as if
they do not matter or can not help… in the opinion of the author of the book
the only thing that would help is killing the corporations of the world, ( not
smart if you ask me). In these frames
the authors lack of use of color is interesting. I believe the decision to use black and white
here are the authors attempt to create a mood of gloom. The author also using
the sense of movement in these frames as the two girl’s foot position give the reader
the sense that they are walking. In the last frame the use of the word bubble
with the word “sigh” in it gives the reader an audio to hear in their minds. As
you read you in your own minds sighs right along with her.
NOW MOVING ON TO WHAT'S NEW?
What’s new that you may not know? Here is some information about
“climate” that most people do not know. Though I commend the younger generation
for their efforts of being good stewards of the planet, which we should be,
there are things that people my age and older have that they do not. Time, experience
and history. Most people in the younger generation,
because they have not been around very long, fail to realize that ever so often
the climate people climb out of their labs and try to throw some kind of
climate catastrophes at the world to see if it will stick. Here are some examples:
·
In 1967 a Sandford biologist Paul Ehrlrich said
the world would be in a longtime feminine that would peak by 1975…. Didn’t happen…
·
In the 1970’s these scientist predicted a new
ice age by the 21st century depleting the rivers in the U.S and
strangling the worlds oxygen… we were all supposed to be dead by the 1990… ummm yea, still here.
·
In 1978 there was a “no end in sight for the 30-year
cooling trend. I remember watching a segment on this on the history channel hosted
by Leonard Nimoy in 1979. They said we were all going to freeze to death…. Yea we’re
not frozen either….
·
1989 prediction of rising sea level were going
to obliterate the nation: NEWS FLASH the U.S. IS STILL HERE... no obliteration occurred.
·
Let us not forget the great acid rain scare of
the 80’s. yea all of our skins were going to be burned off by acid rain…. Nope that
didn’t happen either.
·
1990’s the dreaded wearing away of the ozone
layer… we were all going to die of over exposure of the sun... it was later
proven with study that every time there is a lightening storm the ozone repairs
itself… soo yea that didn't happen either.
·
2008 it was said that the Arctic would be free of
all sea ice by 2018… hmmm well this is 2019 and the ice is still there, in fact
it’s actually on the rise.
·
2004 they predicted that Britain would have the same
climate as Siberia by 2024…. The world awaits…. But that probably won’t happen
either!
My point is this, these people are never correct! The earth
is a living breathing creature, just like you and me…. And just like you and me
she has seasons…. (there is a reason she is referred to as “mother” earth.) Does
the earth change from time to time, yes but she knows what she is doing and is
very resilient! Does that mean we don’t need to take care of her, no not at all,
again we are supposed to be good stewards, but it also doesn’t mean when need to
crush all of our cars, stop drilling for oil, and move into caves and live off
of sea weed for the rest of our lives! Cows do not cause environmental travesties
and neither do we… the dinosaurs are proof of that, they didn’t drive around in
cars, build things, have air conditioners or fly around in planes, yet you don’t
see them walking around anymore…. The earth is going to do what she is going to
do and no one on her surface can predict that or stop it. To believe that we
are that powerful that we control what she does is arrogant.
Comments
Post a Comment