Scorched Earth or Green Hills?
The images and stories that make us pay attention (or not), turn us off, or inspire us.
Earth’s Next Chapter was begun, in part, as an effort to help us understand that our planetary future is not yet written. Despite all the bad news, and the pictures of drought-cracked land, and flood-destroyed neighborhoods, and houses where only the chimney remains standing after a wildfire, there is also beauty worth saving, and people already saving it.
The central idea behind ENC is that we are more inspired to action (which is what we need) by seeing success and a world worth our time and effort, rather than being disheartened (or maybe outraged) and then desensitized by a world seemingly, constantly, on fire.
I still stand by that idea.
And….I also believe there is also a role for the images and stories of loss and destruction.
Let’s use the analogy of a home improvement show (Why? Because I’m refinishing my kitchen cabinets. That’s why.)
In these shows, we typically follow some new, clueless homeowners on a budget as they transform a tired, torn up, grubby little 1930s craftsman-style house (with good bones) into a beautifully refinished, rustic cottage with artisanal architectural details (and a walk-in pantry).
We marvel over how they refinished the floors and restored the archways. We root for the distressed homeowners as contractors reveal an unexpected discovery of termites, the cracked floor joist, and the mysterious puddle in the basement.
And then, at the end of the show, the camera crew and editors pull together a spectacular montage of…..wait for it……the ‘before and after’ scenes. Wow. Amazing! How did they do that?!
The point I’m getting at here of course, is that two things tell this story:
The plight of homeowners in a valiant struggle against the odds. This is the classic hero story, told, in this case, via shiplap and sprayfoam insulation.
The visual contrast between a neglected and unlivable past, and a beautifully-restored present.
Without having seen the appalling state of the low, yellowed popcorn ceiling before, we would not be able to fully appreciate the miracle of the new, bright white, vaulted ‘great room’ now.
So, before I truly regret this analogy, I’ll move along now, but I think we could learn a thing or two about this approach.
Firstly, we need heroes and their stories. We have to be able to follow people through a struggle, to an ultimately preferred outcome. I want to tell those stories about where we are now in our planetary and human journey. There are TONS of these heroes out there in all parts of the world.
Secondly, we don’t just need to see beaches full of plastic, or pristine post-plastic sand. We need both. And here’s why:
The first ‘before’ pictures - of destruction or loss or the mess we humans make - do two things. They build awareness that there is a problem, and stir an emotional reaction in response to that problem.
If we only had these ‘before’ pictures, our emotional reactions would be too much. We would either tune out, or get depressed. And indeed many of us are doing just that, because the emotional reaction to the ‘before’ pictures is usually outrage or grief. These reactions are what sell newspapers and TV ads, which is why there are more of them than the ‘after’ pictures (which is a problem). But lest you think me too cynical, I also believe these images are necessary, as I’ve mentioned.
But not sufficient.
We also need the ‘after’ pictures, otherwise there is no place to engage, no sense of possibility, and no leaders to follow.
Showing new green shoots coming up after a wildfire, or a re-emerging forest after being clear cut, or whole towns being rebuilt on entirely renewable energy after a tornado (this link has the requisite before and after photos!) are all an essential part of our human story and a visual reminder that engagement and action matters.
There are plenty of places where we have not yet reached an ‘after’ picture. But I think the chances of doing so are greatly improved by being able to see, follow, celebrate, and replicate other successful efforts.
So, not just scorched earth, nor just green hills, but a balance of both. And while we’re at it, let’s show the heroes who are making those changes too.
What do you think?