Climate Change

It has been debated around many dinner tables across the globe. It has been the hot topic of discussion amongst friends and foe alike. It has been talked about in class rooms and lectured in theatres. The attention this phenomenon has received has been remarkable and necessary. Let it be, Global Warming. We’ve read about it. We’ve heard about it. We see it. We feel it. It’s there. What have we done about it? What have you done about it?  

It’s one thing to acknowledge it; we all know it’s there. Its one thing to complain about it, talk is cheap. To sit back and hypocritically denounce the action of others who are willing to make a difference is an action which I cannot condone and one which I refuse to accept. Such an action has become the norm in the lives of many individuals in our society today. As a population we waste no time in our quest to gain knowledge. We are quick to form opinions. The speed at which we form judgements is perhaps our fastest skill. However, the speed of our reactions or at least our willingness to act is painfully slow.

Global warming can be defined as the gradual increase of the earth’s temperature. Anybody who hasn’t heard these words by now is either agonizingly ignorant or highly un-educated. Whether you choose to or not, these two words are virtually impossible to ignore. I think it is safe to say that we, as a society (when I say society I mean the global population) have become aware of the phenomenon that is Global Warming. To be aware is one thing. To act in a manner which may subsequently offer your children an additional year or two on this planet we call Earth is another one entirely. Personally, I feel that as the general public we tend to have adopted an attitude of nostalgia when confronted with life threatening inconveniences such as Global Warming

In my mind, this world is divided into two different types of people. Those who act and those who talk. Those who act are the people who go out there and make a difference. They believe in something and they have the courage to go out and do something about it. These people prove their value not around the dinner table debate, but through the example of their actions in society. Sure these people are not always right, and many of them aren’t. Wrong, they may be but brave and courageous form but a few of the qualities that make these people heroic.  Those who talk are a whole different group of people together. These are the people who complain, they have opinions and they are stubborn in their views. Sure, these people are believers. However, they prefer to express their views from the backseat of their comfortable lives as oppose to the ‘actors’ who express theirs through various commendable actions that will ultimately have an influence on our society.

The world is filled with too many ‘talkers’ and not enough ‘actors’. The ad in question is aimed at the ‘talkers’. The intention of this advert is to create awareness around Global Warming. The ad portrays the image of a man with distinct fish like qualities. The colour of his skin, the shape of the man’s mouth, eyes and head is testimony to this. The copy reads: “Stop Climate change before it changes you.” The ad is not literal in a sense that human being will not actually grow amphibious like features. Although the ad is extremely powerful through its use of the visual hyperbole of the “fish-man”. There is also an element of humour in the above advert as the final image of the man with fish qualities provides us, an audience with a sense of comic relief. This somewhat powerful advertisement makes use of the “shock factor “as it attempts to create awareness as to the harsh realities of climate change. I think it is safe to say that the advertisement being discussed is an effective one.

While there may be element of humour in the WWF (World Wildlife Federation) ad, the issue it is marketing is no laughing matter. Be as sceptical as you like, Climate change is a real thing. The statistics prove it. The seas are rising. The ice caps are melting. The air, the ocean and the environment as a whole is polluted beyond previous records.  Natural disasters are not freak accidents anymore, they are daily occurrences. I laughed sarcastically as I typed the word ‘natural’ in my previous sentence. The reason for my random outburst is due to the irony of the word in its context. It is ironic because there is nothing natural about the ‘’natural disasters’’ that occur on our beloved planet. The only thing we can blame for these disasters is ourselves. Every single individual needs to play their part in creating a planet which is sustainable enough to allow future generations the privilege that is the breath of life. An activity as simple as recycling could play a huge role in preventing the damage of climate change. All great journeys begin with one small, simple step.

As a population we need to get off our back sides and pull together to prevent the extent of Climate change. We need to bring our children up into a world where looking after the environment is not a chore but a necessity. Global warming exists. Climate change is real. We can do something about it. What are you going to do about it? That is the question that separates the ‘talkers’ from the ‘actors.’