Comedy For Environmentalists

We were fortunate in the Rose Cafe to have Professor Aaron Sachs lead a discussion on the lack of comedy that is associated with environmentalists and climate scientists. Through various video clips that satirized the approach of environmentalists when it comes to spreading their message, the professor attempted to convey that this current uptight approach isn’t working in regards to getting the message across. This perhaps suggests that a slightly less solemn method would be more effective. Indeed, comedy allows a subject to be more relatable on some level than it would have been through only a listing of facts. At the same time, comedy can cause a subject like global warming or climate change, which at its core is arguably the greatest challenge that mankind faces going forward, to lose the gravity that it may need for significant action to be invested into preventing it. As the professor stated, it is quite easy to watch a funny video or read a humorous article and focus more heavily on the comedy rather than the core subject or message itself. I guess it truly is an extremely tricky situation, but it is certainly feasible that if executed properly, it can lead to enormously positive results as many more individuals will be able to recognize the magnitude of an issue through comedic presentation.

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