I had the privilege of growing up during the good ol’ times of the great post-70’s Pollution Awakening. We learned all about the ozone layer, acid rain, toxic waste, and, yes, global warming. I was there for the beginning of recycling, the solar power push, and the understanding that smoke was evil. But most importantly, I was there during the Golden Age of cartoon spokespersons.
I remember when Captain Planet was one of the best cartoons on television, with lesser-knowns like Toxic Crusaders bringing in the Saturday morning ratings. Fern Gully was a big motion-picture hit. We even had strong messages from old-timers like Smokey the Bear, Woodsy Owl and that jazzy Lightning Bug telling us what was what with the environment and how to be safe. Even the Ninja Turtles, who made mutagens look like so much fun, had a few things to say about our fragile environment. I came out of grade school as an environmentally savvy individual because of talking animals.
But where are they now?
I was thinking about this while going through children’s sites about climate change. The places I visited ranged from the EPA site that makes global warming look like a fun time at the beach, to the PEW Center site which somehow did not get the memo that kids don’t like to read unillustrated black-and-white text in the form of an FAQ. Some, like globalwarmingkids.net, attempted makeshift cartoon spokespersons like Simon the Hippo and a bird with a guitar.
My favorite was the site by OneWorld.net, in which I learned the following things: (1) A giant talking penguin is not as alarming to people as Global Warming, (2) A polar bear and a penguin trapped alone on an iceberg would both be depressed, (3) All people who cause global warming are old men in suits, while the most educated people are 8-year-old girls, and (4) Kids should know all about Domestic Tradeable Quotas, because grown-ups will listen to them.
But there really isn’t a strong animated presence on climate change. How sad is it that the most visible symbol of such an intense topic is… Al Gore? When are we going to get something with a little more pep? Penguins are OK, but the whole March of the Penguins thing has kind gotten old. Polar bears are associated with CocaCola. Whales have their own problems. Maybe one of those new antarctic sea creatures could step up to the plate. Lucy the Sea Spider! Pixar’s next movie, WallE, promises to have some not-subtle messages, but we can’t rest our environmental future on a group run by Disney, can we?
In spite of the effectiveness of cartoon campaigns, there is a serious quandary when using it. How do you convey the seriousness of the effects of environmental concerns if they are associated with singing animals and fun slogans written in Comic Sans font? Shouldn’t these websites for children be reading “Planetary Death and the Extinction of Humanity: Ages 2-8” We need to make the campaigns much more sinister. You don’t see happy talking animals on war and terror information sites.
What if we had a cartoon of a sickly Earth with arms, legs and a lot of dirt surrounding him like that kid from Peanuts? We could show him smoking, breathing out methane fumes and hacking up a lung. That way, we’d be getting two messages out at once. Harvey Fierstein could do the voice. The EPA needs to make this official.
Listen up, environmental people. You can put up all the picket signs, public service announcements and slide shows you want, but I won’t be able to tell if we’re taking climate change seriously until you show me a cartoon that I can really get behind.
Anyone but Spongebob. Please.
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