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Mallory Meadows

Climate Change
Climate change has been a very controversial issue ever since the subject was discovered.
People argue both sides all the time. Some believe that the climate is drastically changing and
greatly affecting the environment and we should take action immediately. The EPA states that
Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases
and solving this global challenge (Climate Change 2011). While others feel this is a myth.
These people believe that climate change is a fallacy and if the world is actually warming it is
caused from caused by natural climatic variability and is not an issue (Alexander 2008). On
the other hand, I believe that climate change is an issue. Figure one and two are examples that
portray climate change as a drastic problem using very different tactics to get people involved in
changing the world.

Figure 1:
2009)
Figure 2:

(Green

(Niallhore 2011)
Figure one shows Noahs Ark full of animals and a boat named the Climate-Change
Summit heading for Mt. Everest because the world is flooding. This is portraying that if we do
not do anything to slow down the process of global warming the polar ice caps will melt and
flood the Earth. The main appeal used in this comic is humorous sarcasm. Especially the word
bubbles that say Good news!... We finally have a binding international agreement to control
greenhouse gases (Green 2009). They are making a joke saying the only way the whole world
will come together and try to reduce the amounts of greenhouse gases, it will already be too late.
The world will already be destroyed before we think that global warming is a problem. This is
implying that our society is ignorant and will wait until it is too late before we try to do
something. This is a very effective way of getting a point across. Saying that the world will
actually be destroyed if we do not do something is trying to scare the world into trying to fix this
problem. Also, it shows that only the animals and the Climate-Change Summit will survive
when this happens. This makes people want to join the cause so they will be a survivor. This
plays into the scare tactics as well. In addition, Green used the statistical fact of putting the year
2040 on the back of the boat which represents this will all happen in less than thirty years from
now. This is much earlier than anyone expected. This will make the efforts increase rapidly. This
is not completely accurate or scientific facts, but it will convince more people to try to help the

reduction on greenhouse gases being released into the environment. The more people they get to
be aware of this growing problem, the more extreme the results will be.
Figure two is very similar to figure one in that it is using humorous sarcasm to show the
issue of climate change. This comic is a man fishing on a small island and two sharks looking
hungrily at him waiting for the world to flood so that they can eat him. The shark on the right is
reading a book called Sea-level Rise (Niallhore 2011) saying that in five years the sea-level
will be high enough that the island the man is sitting on will be under water. Our greenhouse
gases that we have been emitting since the Industrial Revolution will be causing the polar ice
caps to melt and flood the world. Once again they are trying to scare the world into getting
involved while using the humor that if we do not change our ways we will be shark bait. This
carton is probably aimed toward young children and does a very good job advertizing this issue
because it is very simple and straight to the point. They used the statistical fact that says in less
than five years this will happen which is easily understandable for children. With it being a
colorful, funny cartoon it will just add to the number of children growing up and being aware of
climate changes to benefit future generations. Kids learning this information early will help the
world even more. They are the future of this world so what they learn now will just exponentially
increase the awareness and efforts to reduce the gas emissions.
All in all, both cartoons are trying to depict the growing problem of climate change. Both
cartoons used their own styles to enlighten the world and motivate people to be part of the
solution not the problem. While I feel both did a good job illustrating the issue, I feel figure one
did a better job. It is still funny and easy to understand, it is used for a larger audience rather than
just kids. Figure two is more for children and this is beneficial in most cases, but figure one can
be used for all ages. I think both are a good influence on the world and artists should continue
using political cartoons as a way to educate the world about the bigger issues going on. As long

as our society keeps being ignorant towards climate change, the bigger the problem will be for
future generations.

References:
Alexander, Will. "Namibia: Climate Change a Fallacy - South African Professor | Climate
Realists." Home | Climate Realists. 10 June 2008. Web. 03 May 2011.
<http://climaterealists.com/index.php?id=1425>.

"Climate Change | U.S. EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. 22 Apr. 2011. Web. 03 May
2011. <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/>.

Green, Duncan. "CC Noah's Ark Cartoon." Cartoon. 2009. Print.


Niallhore. "Global Warming Cartoon." Cartoon. 2011. Print.

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