A recent post on Andrew Revkin’s New York Times Dot Earth blog about climate change and geoengineering. Those of you particularly interested in the short story “The Weatherman” might find the discussion particularly interesting. Scientists do agree that no kind of “engineering” techno-fix can take the place of mitigation; note, however, that the discussion doesn’t focus much on the ethical dimensions of these ideas, nor is there much mention of the implications of geoengineering schemes on social justice.
Month: February 2015
A Positive Outlook
A reoccurring topic that we have discussed in class is the fact that most climate change stories that we read and most facts that come up about climate change are very negative. While the facts may predict a very negative impact on the future, we must realize that if people begin to help now, the damage on the world could be decreased. One of the main issues with getting people to help is the fact that a lot of people here all of these depressing facts about climate change and think that there is no way to prevent it from happening. While there are natural changes on the planet throughout the years, the extremely negative side effects of global warming could be stopped or helped if people begin to help. While the short stories we have read in class do help people connect emotionally with the problem, I do not think that they help in this aspect. Most of them show little hope for the future and instead just show the negative effects and how people cope with them. I think the story of “IDP: 2043” did a good job of showing both the effects and the solutions to climate change. Contine reading
Modern Class Warfare 3
When it comes down to climate change and global warming the rich will be the ones afloat when the oceans rise and flood coastal cities.
From what we’ve read in class about cli-fi stories, it seems as though a crucial element of the genre is the separation of rich and poor. How the rich are REALLY rich and how the poor seem as though they are living in a third world country even if they are living in the same backyard as the rich. The story that best represent this narrative discourse is “The Weatherman”.
What Can I Do?
On Wednesday, Mr. Siperstein asked our class to answer a few questions about climate change in our journals. Those questions were, “Why don’t people care about climate change? Or if they do care, why don’t they act?”
I found this activity to be especially interesting because this is a topic I think about continuously. Being a person that knew hardly anything about climate change before taking this class, I think it’s safe to say that I can answer these questions from first-hand experience. Now, I don’t think the issue is that people don’t care about climate change. In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite. I would argue that most people not only care about the issue, but are also at least somewhat scared about the negative effects climate change could have on our society. However, I don’t think people know enough about climate change and its repercussions to realize just how serious of an issue it really is. As a result, they probably don’t think there’s anything they could really even do to help.
Now, obviously I can’t sit here and claim that all of these assumptions are true, but as I said before I’ve decided to base my assumptions off of my own personal experience with the matter.
Anyway, on top of not understanding the severity of this issue and the need for a change, I think there are several other reasons why people don’t act towards resolving this issue. The main issue though, is that people don’t know what to even do. This is the main reason why I myself don’t act upon this issue. I definitely want to do my part in making a positive change, but I really have no clue about how I could get involved. I don’t even know where to begin! I’m assuming many other people probably feel this same way, so I decided to do some research about how to get involved.
Upon my research, I discovered a number of different ways to get involved, even right here in Eugene! The University of Oregon has a group called The Tribal Climate Change Project, and the city of Eugene there is a campaign called Youth Climate Action Now (YouCAN). The groups have done and are continuing to do some amazing things locally, and both would be great place for one to start getting involved. Contine reading
Advertising for Climate Change
This past weekend during the Super Bowl a commercial caught my eye. I was standing in Pegasus Pizza waiting to order my small cheese pizza and the song “this land is your land, this land is my land…” started playing on the television. The new Jeep commercial is promoting the importance of taking care of our earth. It starts with a scene of the ocean, to the snowy mountains, then the grand canyon, and across the landscape of the United States. All while the song “This Land is Your Land” plays promoting the importance of preserving America. It doesn’t stop there though, it continues to show popular landmarks throughout the world. The camera goes from the streets of India, to the rivers of Vietnam, to the Great Wall of China, and much more. Showing people of all different ethnicities, ages, gender, and religious beliefs coming together as one. Climate change will effect everyone all over the world and Jeep is trying to spread that message. The Jeep commercial inspires people to treat the earth with respect. At the end of the commercial the words “The world is a gift. Play responsibly.” flashes on the screen reminding everyone that they should not take the world for granted.
http://youtu.be/j7LbPdzYrrE
As this commercial played I thought back to everything we have learned in class so far, and how we have talked about people not taking initiative to change the way we live. But, I think that Jeep is one company trying to make a difference and opening peoples eyes.
Another company I found advertising for climate change is the website Nature is Speaking, which features celebrities speaking from the perspective of the earth. For example, Harrison Ford is The Ocean, Julia Roberts is Mother Nature, Kevin Spacey is The Rainforest, and many more public figures speak out. The videos are unique and captures an audiences attention because its new and inventive because a viewer isn’t being lectured on climate change but instead hearing what our earth has to say about it.
Harrison Ford says, “Humans there no different. I don’t owe them a thing. I give, they take, but I can always take back. Thats just the way its always been. Its not their planet anyway. Never was, never will be.” I think this audio clip is a reality check to some people because some people feel the earth is ours, but it really isn’t. We live here and have taken over, but plants and animals were here before us. This land didn’t start with us, but we have taken over and have been destroying where we live. Hopefully more propaganda for global warming will start to make its way into the media, so more people realize that this is real. The saying on the website says, “Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature” and this is very true. We rely on water, soil, and clean air to live and without generations will be lost. One benefit to the Nature is speaking website is there’s a tab, so people can do something. People can act and start making a difference. Its great to see advertising and public figures starting to take a stand.
Political Power
We talk a lot in class about how global warming and climate change can affect our resources, our living styles, and the future of our planet. We lack in the area of what political actions are being taken towards this issue. What I mean by that is how our republicans react to global warming, along with democrats, and so on. Or if they are even reacting. Our nation relies on our people for decision making mostly, but at the end of the day our government are the ones who we need to put plans into action. We rely on them for change because of the power they have. In retrospect this can be seen as a negative and a positive aspect in our countries government. It brings the question to mind of how do we know we are in good hands and can trust they are putting our nations best interest at the top of the priority list. For example, we discussed the Keystone Pipeline that our government has had a lot of controversy over, when in my opinion, I feel like it is obvious we should not follow through with that plan. Why would we risk the chance of ruining water sources for states along with their untouched land? While also, adding more fossil fuels in our atmosphere. The main purpose to this pipeline is to transfer 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast. When is enough, enough? I see this plan as almost selfish in the way that money is involved along with more damage to our land. That is one perspective to this plan, which protesters throughout our nation are trying to make clear to our government officials. The reason why I believe that this example strongly shows how our government has the power to make or break our nation is because the fact that there were mixed votes on the Keystone Pipeline from our government officials, makes me think we might not be in good hands. Contine reading
Hot Planet/ Cool Athletes
While researching information for my blog post, I came across a program created by The North Face called “Hot Planet / Cool Athletes”. They also paired up with sponsors Cliff Bar and MEC to educate middle and high schools about the truth of climate change. They use the influence of pro athletes to energize the youth about the future of our planet if we continue at the same rate we are at. These athletes, many of whom are professional snowboarders and skiers, provide a different perspective of the reality of climate change that they have experienced first hand.
I think this is a great idea to connect with the youth. For many students hearing from a teacher about the effect the human race is having on the world is often not enough to influence and fully educate them. This program brings in professionals who have first hand experience with the changing of snow levels in mountains all across the world in just the last decade. The Hot Planet Cool Athletes program has reached over 27,000 students since it was founded in 2011 by speaking and inspiring the youth in classes and assemblies.
I think that the education of climate change needs to go farther than the classroom. The youth of today is the generation that really needs to step up and change the way that humans live and pollute. With an increasing focus on climate change in schools, the information may become repetitive or still not have a personal impact with students, especially those who live in an urban environment. Field trips should be mandatory that physically display the effects that humans have on the environment. Once the evidence is displayed to students first hand, then maybe the next generation will be motivated and eager to change the world.
Climate Change = Bad Roommate
After reading our graphic novel this week, and thinking about some of the questions that we brought up in class, I decided to look up some climate change comic strips. I wanted to answer the question that my group was discussing in class, which was: “Why don’t people care about climate change and why don’t they think it will happen?” Our group focused on the notion that many people do not believe it is happening because they are not facing any changes in their daily life as of now due to climate change. I, too, did not think that climate change had severe consequences as the ones we have been learning. Reading “Diary of an Interesting Year,” though it is a fictional story, made me think about when the world is going to take a turn in that direction. That story gave it a date: 2040. The graphic novel, IDP: 2043 also gives it a date. Though the comic strip I found does not have date included, it relates it in a different way that we have not really seen yet.
Step up
What is Obama doing to stop climate change? What is Lebron James doing to stop climate change? What is Justin Bieber doing to stop climate change? These are some of the biggest celebrities today and celebrities have the most impactful power in our nation. If celebrities show more concern about climate change, maybe this will bring more awareness to the world. Recently we learned in class that climate change was not of much concern among citizens. Other issues such as terrorism and military were of bigger concerns. I do believe that people are willing to invest more in current problems rather than future problems. People tend to want to focus on the issues that impact them now rather than focusing on the future. I could see why some people have that way of thinking but if we emphasize the future impact of global warming more, maybe there will be more awareness.
Obama plays an immense role in regulating climate change. In 2013, he introduced the Climate Action Plan hoping that it would make a difference in the amount of carbon being produced by large companies and power plants.Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency are working together to develop carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants. In June 2014, the EPA released the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants. These standards will help keep children safe and reduce the amount of carbon produced by 30% by the year 2030. Obama also advocates for building a more climate resilient America. He is trying to introduce public investments that will benefit the future in dealing with climate change. Some of these investments include grants for cleaning up trashed areas and energy efficient transportation funds. Is Obama doing enough to stop this issue? Is he putting enough emphasis on stopping global warming?
Big Oil, Bigger Problems.
One of the few aspects about climate change that we have gone over briefly in class, but have not gone into depth with is the political and economic impact of climate change. The majority of the short stories we have read also have neglected to go into depth on the political and economic impacts but these are some of the most important aspects in the fight against climate change. I ultimately believe that political legislation and the impact of the economy due to climate change, will be the largest driving force in favor of doing something about the problem. One of the major reasons why I enjoyed “An Athabasca Story” and the various photo essays on the Tar Sands in Canada was they tied together issues that are relevant today, issues such as the Keystone pipeline, with the Cli-Fi genre. Contine reading
What we didn’t know about “An Athabasca Story”
In class when reviewing “An Athabasca Story” I noticed a plethora of people had questions on who Elder Brother is and what the last part of the story means. I did my essay on “An Athabasca Story” and figured out Elder Brothers part in the story and analyzed it. I thought I would share my information with everyone and thought it would also help with studying for the midterm.
As we all know Elder Brother cannot die but is alive through all of us. He is in our cars, our heaters, and anything we use that needs oil. In the last part of the story the narrator says, “you might hear a knocking, rattling sound down deep in the bowels of the machine. Thats Elder Brother, trying to get your attention, begging you to let him out” (Cariou, 75). When we hear these noises Elder Brother wants us to stop our car and turn it off and think about him inside of our car as oil. What he really wants us to do is to stop and think about the tar sands. He is trying to get our attention through the noise he is making by telling us to stop the car and stop the tar sands. Some may or may not have noticed when reading the story that there is also a motif, with this quote and a quote in the beginning that says, “His stomach was like the shrunken dried crop of a partridge. It rattled around inside him as he walked, and with each step he took the sound made him shiver even more” (Cariou, 70). The motif is the rattling of the partridge and the rattling of Elder Brother in the car. Elder Brothers shrunken up stomach is foreshadowing what is going to happen in the end of the story. In the end of the story Elder Brother is trying to make us more aware of the tar sands and stop them or else our world is going to shrivel up like a dried crop of a partridge.
Athabasca Break Down
I became very interested in “An Athabasca Story” mainly because I was confused on how Cariou wanted the last few paragraphs to be portrayed to the reader. I did a lot of research which I used for my close reading but I broke down almost every aspect of “An Athabasca Story” to be able to picture it better.
Cariou grew up in Saskatchewan and when he heard that his community and northern Alberta were under the threat of oil sands, he traveled to Alberta to create a documentary on the natives who have been dealing with these fears. While he was there, he spoke with an elder who told him some stores. Cariou said that his stories started to blend in with what he saw there(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmZ-ej_Sx5Q). I viewed Elder Brother as a Native American who lived off the land in the forest. There was some discussion in class on whether he was human or not but it stated that he wore moccasins, had fingers and toes, and spoke English.
We’re Here, So Let’s Make That Clear
In class today, we were asked to write down answers to the question, “Why don’t people care about climate change?” My classmates and I came up with many reasons, for example: global warming hasn’t personally affected people, it’s not viewed as a serious issue in our society, people aren’t properly informed, etc. With our current technology and knowledge of global warming, we have an accurate picture of what our Earth could look like in the next couple years. I think it’s important to start creating ways to get the public involved and informed of global warming and how it’s going to affect our communities if we don’t address it.
First, we need to start by educating the younger generation that will be growing up and living in the aftermath of our current actions. The government or activists should supply school funding to provide environmental classes that inform students of the changing climate and how to adapt. By learning about this issue at such a young age, this generation will be innovative and motivated to adapt and maybe reverse global warming. Adam Dyster stated in his article, Comment: education is the key to addressing climate change, “It equips youth with the skills to help combat climate change, and be part of a green recovering, and positive future.” Contine reading
When Will People Care?
In class we have been reading fictional stories about the future of global warming. I personally have never read a graphic novel. When I read a graphic novel I think it is harder to understand because I have to read the texts and look at the pictures. When I read the text the images that come into my head is not what the photo illustrates. The book I.D.P takes place in 2043 and is told by six different authors. A different author tells each chapter and they put their own flavor into the story. In the reading so far there is a separation between the rich and the poor. The key themes through the story are about survival, government, wealth, and more. There is a tower and all the rich live in the tower and there are farmers located at the top. Food is scarce and everyone is trying to survive in a rough time. It shows how technology has been advanced and to get into buildings you scan your hand. I feel like as the years go by new inventions are going to appearing.
In the article called, “How To Feed the World After Climate Change” by Matt Hertsgarrd was very educational. It really made me think about my future and when I have kids. It talked about how in the future making a birthday cake will be hard because wheat and flour will not be available. These raw materials will become harder to grow because of climate change and because less rainfall. When I read this I though about my birthday and how weird it would be if I didn’t get to blow out the candles. It talks about how in Iowa they will experience extreme heat in 2040 and will go without flour for three summers. Flour is in a lot of foods we eat today and that’s a resource we need. This is only one state and how it will be affected, what is going to happen to other places?
In most of the readings we talk about in class it says a solution to climate change is reducing fossil fuel. Fossil fuel is everywhere and everything is made with fossil fuel. It is located in our house, cars, stores, and other places.
The Athabascan Allegory
In class, we briefly noted that “An Athabasca Story” was not merely a short story, but rather a narrative of a story being told. I took this idea home and developed it further, into a theory, and the topic of my close reading paper. Upon closer reading and interpretation, I came to the conclusion that the story is not only a folktale, but a Native American style allegory, written similarly to the orally dictated and passed down Native American tales we have here.
Our Fault, Our Problem
After reading Kathleen Moore’s article on “The Ethics of Adaption to Global Warming” she proposed a question, which asked, “Does the adaptation effort privilege the wealthy and powerful, at unjustified cost to the poor and dispossessed?” This question immediately reminded me of the short story “The Weatherman”. Characters in this story are faced with life changing decisions that are the exact answer to Moore’s question. Most stories we are reading in our English 104 class have to do with the powerful controlling the future while the poor are left to starve and die. It’s easy to imagine ourselves as one of the rich in a case like this but what if we are the poor? And are left to starve. It’s a harder image to grasp when faced with a question like that. You have to decide now what side you are going to be on. Either we can start to do something now to help face and protect the Earth from climate change, which ultimately will protect us, or adapt to it and become the rich, greedy, and self-preserving. Contine reading