Bray 1
Andrew Bray
Kim Strickland
ENGL 1010 Online
21 October 2018
We Are Destroying Earth
By Andrew Bray
Here we have an editorial cartoon written by Justin Bilicki in 2008. It depicts a man, presumably a scientist, holding papers titled "Facts" standing next to a giant presentation display simply reading "Research concludes: WE ARE DESTROYING EARTH." This statement seems troublesome to the corporate, big-government fat cats standing to the right who ask, "Could you kindly rephrase that in equivocal, inaccurate, vague, self-serving and roundabout terms that we can all understand?" All the while, cash seems to be overflowing from one of their briefcases justifiably titled "Government" across its diameter.
The context in which this ad is set is that of the everyday battle between greed and necessity. If we could all just be happy with a modest existence, taking into account the resources available, this planet might just have a chance. We, as human beings, should respect the earth and its resources, and attempt to leave it a better place for our children to come. We must be the change we wish to see in this world.
It is my firm belief that this cartoon rings truer now than it did when it was written in 2008, as we have since weathered 4 more years of global warming, economic strife, war, poverty, and general discord. We've attempted to circumvent a few of these trials and tribulations with measurable progress on battery-powered low-emissions vehicles, economic stimuli, bringing troops home, so forth and so on, but the majority of these problems still remain and must be further addressed.
I enjoy the simplicity of this political ad, as it doesn't take much to understand its meaning. The characters themselves are spot-on-stereotypes of what you would typically expect nerdy scientists and corporate fat cats to look like. It focuses on the reality that, most likely, corporate America understands well and clear the devastation and destruction they are inflicting on this planet—they simply don't care. As long as they get their paycheck at the end of the day, screw everyone else, Mother Earth included. If only her lobbyist groups were as powerful as theirs.
Sure, many companies also contribute to charitable organizations with intentions of cleaning up their act and helping out the community, but it's generally hit or miss and usually done in the name of tax credits. Until we can recognize on a global scale that our resources are finite, we will never be prepared for the desolation that will occur when we deplete the earth of its last drop of oil.
Upon further analysis of this cartoon, I find myself feeling overwhelmed with frustration. How many geeks with lab coats, pocket protectors and thick glasses spouting off about climate change is it going to take before people start listening? How many giant whiteboards with doomsday scenarios do we actually need before policy is changed? How long do we have before that last lump of coal is mined from the earth and our power plants run dry? Perhaps it's when the power finally does run out and we can't charge our cell phones any longer. Perhaps then, we'll be forced to actually look up for a moment.
In conclusion, this editorial cartoon sheds light on our extreme, universal arrogance to socially concerning issues. We need to take a stand, and not let corporate America affect policy past the point-of-no-return. WE ARE DESTROYING THE EARTH! It is my firm belief, that one would find it rather difficult to cash their paycheck—if there is no earth.
Works Cited
Bilicki, Justin. “Cartoon contest satirizes government interference in scientific inquiry.”We Are Destroying Earth (2008):