This past Friday, I attended the keynote speech at the EMU. Upon my arrival, I was given a pamphlet of sorts entitled “Enviro NGO Greenwashing and the Cult of Hopium: Fueling Destruction and Denial While the Biosphere Burns”. Even based on the title, it is not difficult to infer what sort of message this pamphlet and its author sought to portray. More interesting, however, than the strongly worded argument enclosed, are the comics that were featured inside. 

On the front page, is a comic that is set in the year 2025. It shows a family of 4 who are wearing hazard suits of sorts that cover their entire bodies, with what appears to be gas masks attached to each of them. The landscape that they are walking through appears to be a wasteland of sorts,with a large sun and dead trees. In the singular speech bubble, one of the characters says ,”Thank goodness that the president in 2008 called for reduced green house gasses by now…otherwise we’d really be in trouble”. This is a commentary on the lack of initiative that the government has previously shown in regards to climate change. The character in the comic satirically complains that what has been done thus far is too little too late, and that the consequences that loom in our future have already been set in motion. The illustrator of this comic surely feels that there needs to be an immediate increase in policy and action by the population, in order to prevent a future like the one they drew

On the next page, a 4 part comic by Clay Butler depicts the ineffective compromising that policymakers continue to adopt. It features what appear to be 2 politicians who are arguing over the issue of deforestation. While one asserts that the trees should be cut down, the other advocates for their salvation. Next, one of the politicians recognizes the futility of their arguing, and then comes up with a strategy for compromise. This compromise, however, proves to be ineffective, though it temporarily pleases both parties, because they agreed to cut down all the trees, halfway from up from the stump. This is obviously a comical representation of the debate, and yet it somewhat accurately depicts the lack of effective decisions that are made in the present, along with a tone of disapproval of the sheer political agenda that those in power are juggling.  The “happy medium” that they accomplished merely ended the argument, rather than fixing the real problem, a side effect of allowing politics to cloud the solution-making discussions.

While both of these comics are different in immediate subject matter, they both are lobbying for a change in the political climate regarding global warming. These comics, along with those who spoke at the gathering call for immediate change, in an attempt to lessen the ramifications of our excessive use of fossil fuels, and a lack of governmental regulations. While it is hard to say whether the comics are effective at raising awareness, they are inarguably successful at conveying the message that so desperately needs to be heard in an accessible way.