This blogpost is dedicated to a different breed of communicators (i.e. aside from those who write) on environmental issues. I refer mostly to imagery and the people who created it.
In my search for information for an article or report, I have come across some really nice examples, which have inspired me to think, and indeed, even feel privileged to be connected to all matters environmental. I hope these examples will also inspire you in equally vibrant (if not more) ways. So, here goes (I am not listing these examples in any particular order):
#1: This was a great example of why "throwing away" is such a misnomer. Ironically, this poster was part of an ad campaign run by Shell (no paragon of virtue in environmental matters). It shows smokestacks "spewing out" flowers instead of gases.
My first point though is the fact that "there is no away". My second point here is that, unfortunately, a lot of feel-good campaigns (like this one) can be enviro-propaganda-cum-greenwash. The small print in the poster says that Shell uses its "waste carbon dioxide to grow flowers" and "waste sulphur to make super-strong concrete," which was strongly contested by complainants Friends of the Earth. So always think about what you see and try to gauge its real message before jumping to conclusions.
#2: This is a photograph taken by Chris Jordan. The photographer traveled to Midway Island, near the site of the pivotal World War II naval battle, to document the death of baby albatrosses on the island's nature reserve (if it can happen in a nature reserve, are there any safe places left?!).
Moral of the story: reduce your use of plastic and recycle it as far as possible!
#3. This entry is really a photographic essay by Kalyan Varma, an award-winning wildlife photographer and film-maker from Bangalore. He currently freelances with the BBC Natural History and National Geographic Channel (India), and also works with grassroots NGO's to highlight environmental issues in India. I became a fan as soon as I saw it! To put in his words, "In the race to make every inch of our land 'productive' we have scarred the landscape forever. We dig, mine, scrape, plant, bore and drill the land. This essays shows some of these landscapes from the air." And what's more, these images are all earmarked under the Creative Commons License!
In my search for information for an article or report, I have come across some really nice examples, which have inspired me to think, and indeed, even feel privileged to be connected to all matters environmental. I hope these examples will also inspire you in equally vibrant (if not more) ways. So, here goes (I am not listing these examples in any particular order):
#1: This was a great example of why "throwing away" is such a misnomer. Ironically, this poster was part of an ad campaign run by Shell (no paragon of virtue in environmental matters). It shows smokestacks "spewing out" flowers instead of gases.
Above: Don't Throw Anything Away; there is No Away
(Courtesy(?): Shell)
My first point though is the fact that "there is no away". My second point here is that, unfortunately, a lot of feel-good campaigns (like this one) can be enviro-propaganda-cum-greenwash. The small print in the poster says that Shell uses its "waste carbon dioxide to grow flowers" and "waste sulphur to make super-strong concrete," which was strongly contested by complainants Friends of the Earth. So always think about what you see and try to gauge its real message before jumping to conclusions.
#2: This is a photograph taken by Chris Jordan. The photographer traveled to Midway Island, near the site of the pivotal World War II naval battle, to document the death of baby albatrosses on the island's nature reserve (if it can happen in a nature reserve, are there any safe places left?!).
Above: The parent birds are attracted to the colorful plastic trash in the water from the Pacific Trash Gyre, and feed it to their babies, with disastrous consequences. Jordan has said that the images show the actual contents in the birds' stomach, and has not been "moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way".
(Courtesy: Chris Jordan Photographic Arts)
Moral of the story: reduce your use of plastic and recycle it as far as possible!
#3. This entry is really a photographic essay by Kalyan Varma, an award-winning wildlife photographer and film-maker from Bangalore. He currently freelances with the BBC Natural History and National Geographic Channel (India), and also works with grassroots NGO's to highlight environmental issues in India. I became a fan as soon as I saw it! To put in his words, "In the race to make every inch of our land 'productive' we have scarred the landscape forever. We dig, mine, scrape, plant, bore and drill the land. This essays shows some of these landscapes from the air." And what's more, these images are all earmarked under the Creative Commons License!
Above: Landscrapes by Kalyan Varma. In this image, we see pits readied for planting trees. Dry thorn-scrub habitats without too many trees are natural too. However, the government does not realize that open forests like these are critical wildlife habitats and not waste land, and usually plant non-native species with commercial value.
(Courtesy: kalyanvarma.net)
#4: This image highlights the issue of organic food shams. Ironically, a lot of organic food produced in India makes it way to markets abroad, which can pay better prices for it. While there is a very small market for organic food in the country, it is miles behind that in countries such as the EU. However, notwithstanding its widespread availability, they have to grapple with other problems.
Above: Why in the world is this chicken painting its (uh) toe claws? In the UK, low cost retailers have been known to bank on the good reputation of organic food to try and attract customers to their stores, in which they market other lower quality produce. With an estimated market of GBP 600 million, is it any wonder?
(Courtesy: www.greens-efa.org)
#5. I will end this post with another "Indian" image, but I am sure it resonates with equal verve in other communities being deprived of their land and water. It is from a documentary called "Drowned Out". It charts the story of an Adivasi (indigenous) family whose home was due to be flooded by the rising waters of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, India.
The documentary follows the villagers of Jalsindhi (a village in Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the Narmada River about 10 miles upstream from the Sardar Sarovar project) and narrates their battle against the dam. The government provides them no viable alternatives: move to a slum in the city, accept the government's offer of unusable land a hundred miles away, or a small sum of money in compensation for their river-side land. The film documents hunger strikes, rallies, and a six-year long Supreme Court case, and finally follows the villagers as the dam fills and the river starts to rise.
The documentary follows the villagers of Jalsindhi (a village in Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the Narmada River about 10 miles upstream from the Sardar Sarovar project) and narrates their battle against the dam. The government provides them no viable alternatives: move to a slum in the city, accept the government's offer of unusable land a hundred miles away, or a small sum of money in compensation for their river-side land. The film documents hunger strikes, rallies, and a six-year long Supreme Court case, and finally follows the villagers as the dam fills and the river starts to rise.
Above: An Indian family chooses to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada Dam. I found this image particularly moving.
(Courtesy: Worldchanging.com)
Please feel free to share any images with an environmental bent, which have inspired (or even revolted) you. After all, it's not just about what you say; it's also about how you say (or rather, show) it.
This blogpost originally appeared on http://mahazareendastur.blogspot.in/.
