Beyond iCelebrities

Sources:

https://foodtank.com/news/2015/01/sixteen-actors-and-actresses-at-the-forefront-of-the-food-movement/

https://www.dimensions.com/element/wheat

https://www.cityfarmer.org/NYcomgardens.html

https://www.grownyc.org/gardens/our-community-gardens 

“This is how it must go. There will be catastrophes. Disastrous setbacks and slaughters. But life is going someplace. It wants to know itself; it wants the power of choice. It wants solutions to problems that nothing alive yet knows how to solve, and it’s willing to use even death to find them.” (496).

The Overstory is an amazing fictional novel by Richard Powers that shows the connection of trees as a symbol for life. Throughout the book, we are introduced to separate characters throughout time, at different points in their life and with different life stories but are all connected through trees. Powers uses influences of real life stories such as Suzanne Simard’s talking trees or Douglas Pavlicek’s participation in the Stanford Prison Experiment. 

My favorite story that Powers had explained was one that was quite sad. As the very first story, he goes on about a family’s roots being moved from New York to Iowa, and the planting of a tree at that. Out of six trees, one remains alive enough for generations upon generations to photograph to the point where one descendant decides to call it a curse. When his son gets infatuated with the photographs that his ancestors had taken, he begins the tradition once more of documenting the chestnut tree. The interesting take on this chapter, though is that the descendant, Nick Hoel, gets stuck in a snowstorm while visiting a Museum one Christmas and comes back to find his entire family dead.

My other favorite chapter from this book is around Chapter 8, which connects to Chapter 1 about the Hoel farm and their chestnut tree. The character, Olivia, meets Nick Hoel on the farm after going through a life-changing event. She gets struck by an electrical socket as her heart stops beating. When in this state, she speaks to other worldly beings that tell her to save the Redwoods in California. after several minutes, her heart starts again. On her way there, she meets Nick Hoel on the farm and convinces him to go with her. I loved the cross referencing between stories and how theirs happened to merge. Their story is shown throughout multiple chapters across the book. 

This book changes this idea of “celebrityhood”  and iconicism of people. When reading the book, it felt like I had an inside scoop on the lives that the book’s chapters were influenced by. It put into perspective that celebrityhood is merely subjective. Celebrities, as us, also have story and a life with hardships and meanings. They don’t just wake up, get glammed up, and go about their day on social media. 

This book made me feel as though I was a third party, experiencing lives in third-person. It has the reader going through the achievements and obstacles in everyday events which really put it into perspective, especially with more well-known people. With Simard’s-influenced chapter, I was able to understand what Patricia, Simard’s character, had gone through. What struck me as interesting was one of Simard’s talks, she discussed mother trees talking to their spawn and relaying knowledge at death. Similarly, Patricia’s dad had done the same to her with agroforestry and ecology. 

This book is the epitome of a portrayal of activism. One of the main themes of this book is about the relationship between the human and the tree. The tree remains the same while humans continually change, die, and eventfully harm themselves and other trees. It opened my eyes to human nature, being the everyday flashy and fast lifestyle. One of the more interesting themes present is that of destruction. With extreme tragedies, human nature will be the destruction of ourselves. Something that we often hear in everyday about climate change is that nature will eventually reverse the effects, but that day will come once humans are extinct. 

The rebirthing of nature is a common notion that Powers highlights throughout the book. In a chapter about a Mulberry tree being planted when the character, Ma Si Hsiun immigrated to America to escape communism, he plants his roots and starts his family. In this chapter, his three daughters never truly understood the man or where he came from despite being his father. As the chapter progresses and his daughters get older, Ma Si eventually kills himself under the same Mulberry tree he had planted. This symbolism describes the roots he set forth being his demise and reasoning of loneliness. 

How trees talk to each other by Suzanne Simard is an interesting story about a fascinating way that trees talk! Simard, a forest scientist, conducted an experiment that concluded that trees utilize their root system in order to thrive by transmitting different gases and relaying knowledge to their seedlings. In an amazing take, Simard highlighted the way mycelium systems under the soil act as neurotransmitters do ultimately proving that trees do communicate! 

When looking at trees initially, I’ve seen them as important tools in our ecosystem, providing shelter for other animals and gas conversions for our atmosphere. What I failed to realize, though, is that trees are much more resilient by nature! I was astonished at the findings of Simard where trees are a nexus web of communication! 

With the increasing awareness of climate justice and the effects of deforestation, knowledge on trees has been ever-changing. When finding out that trees are indeed a socialist community as opposed to fighting for sunlight, it brings empathy and compassion seeing them personified. In recent years, Pop Culture references have began referring to trees and another form of consciousness because of the amazing discoveries of Suzanne Simard. It brings a new meaning to the idea of what a tree is for and the natural abilities of survival. We look at nature in a way that all animals only have one final goal of survival, in an animalistic approach, and tend to separate humans from that category. Seeing trees being social adds the ideas of human qualities of community which appeals to our society more. 

“We can think of an ecosystem of wolves, caribou, trees and fungi creating biodiversity, just as an orchestra of woodwinds, brass and string musicians assemble into a symphony, or our brains composed of neurons, axons and neurotransmitters produce thought and compassion, or the ways brothers and sisters join together to overcome trauma like illness or death, the whole greater than the sum of the parts.”—Suzanne Simard

In this quote, Simard compares the nexus of tree and ecosystem coexistence to that of a symphony and the human experience. Knowing that trees relate to the human experience deepens the meaning of the way trees are treated, especially knowing that they communicate and act as the brain for the forest to thrive.  The pathos evoked of a living tree that has the potential to feel and know leaves a bigger impact on the impacts of deforestation than numbers and data may show. 

Street art is a beautiful sign of expression and discourse. Although I’ve never produced my own, here is a small gallery from a few walks I’ve taken around the boroughs this last week: 

This photo was taken on my way home from the bus stop in front of the Parsons building. I stopped because I saw the beautiful bright orange sticker that says “Always Stay Curious,” and it was very motivational. Now that I am looking closer at the image, I see an NFT with a QR code at the bottom which explains our new economic climate of crypto. I am unsure of who this artist is but the colors are gorgeous. Although not influential of literal public discourse, it definitely is insightful about curiosity and learning, especially being located outside of a school. 

This photo was taken a few steps from the previous one. These forms of artwork on the sidewalks have become more prevalent throughout the years, and it’s a great way to get people to directly look at something. Although this one also does not promote public discourse, it does encourage the individual. I find this location to also be particularly flattering because it was right outside a thrift store and in front of a fashion school. 

This artwork was taken from somewhere outside next to 375 Chicken N’ Fries in lower Manhattan. The colorful artwork is what captivated me. I’m unsure of what the graffiti stands for, but it looks like it was commissioned due to the detail and quality that was placed in it. One thing I love about street art is that there is this unspoken rule about graffiti commissioned art, you should never tag over someone else’s work and that’s how this work is preserved. I’m unsure of the artist as I was just strolling to get lunch but it does say this was finished in 2019 by the signature. 

This billboard graffiti is extremely controversial and political. I took this in Long Island City. I can’t help but state that I would not have noticed this if I was not actively looking for street art. The billboard states, “No Police, No President, No Pelosi in Prison. We Want Everything” and, what I believe to be, the Anarchist symbol. It seems as though another disapproving view had tried to paint over it with “PIN” which could be a tag? Once again, I am unaware of the artist. 

This street art is more-so from the sticker. This was also in Long Island City at the same intersection as the previous one. On the sticker it talks about how vaccines in children are child abuse. It also spits propaganda about PCR tests not being able to detect infections. The thing that caught my eye mostly was the illustration of the baby on the front of the sticker.

Sustainable fashion is a new innovation that influencers are beginning to make trendy. Trends in the eye of sustainability are foreign, as trends change with the seasons and fast fashion becomes apparent. 

When I began researching sustainability, I not only found that it was great for the environment, but also for the people. International sweatshops are deregulated and often are a violation to basic human rights. Due to the deregulation of the market, the carbon footprint of fast fashion brands such as Forever 21, H&M, Zara, etc. is far from environmentally and people friendly. Newer fast fashion brands emerging, such as that of SheIn and Wish, offer even more of an impact in global-scale to the inhumanities faced by the labor force. 

To say the least, I too, have also fell into the traps of what fast fashion and trends mean for society by shopping at nearly every store I listed above. Learning about the devastating influence of fast fashion brands, I began shopping more second-hand. I found that companies will label things as sustainable, shoot up the price tremendously, and then collect the profit all while initiating this loophole effect of greenwashing. H&M’s Conscious label is highly known for this, as they advertise their clothes are made from recycled material that is unethically sourced. 

Second-hand, when faced with the decision of prices vs. quality, is probably the most sustainable one could get while shopping. Instead of single use clothing, by buying second-hand you give it new life. Not to mention, thrifting and other forms of second-hand shopping have become huge in the trends of circular economy and fashion. Many social media influencers offer hauls from GoodWill, Buffalo Exchange, L Train, and other second hand store. 

One celebrity brand that is doing well in this essentiality of sustainability is Goop G. Label by Gwyneth Paltrow, which is very on-brand for her. The designs of the line are neutral and considered ‘trend-proof’ while also focusing on manufacturing and assembly processes and material quality of clothing. Furthermore, the line is also ethically sourced and made. The stores for G. Label are also net zero emissions. 

On the other hand, brands like SheIn collaborate with many celebrities. For instance, influencers and Youtubers Gabi & Niki Demartino are two of many to collab with the brand. These twin sisters promote and advertise SheIn, although known for the unethical business model and unsustainable approach that the brand is affiliated with. SheIn hosts many other collabs with various KPOP stars, and American celebrities such as Billie Eilish. 

When watching the video on Mushroom leather, it was interesting to see Mycelium being used in this way. As a studying architect, we have already been using mycelium as a building brick. To see it replace something as unsustainable as leather may be is amazing in retrospect. Vegans will definitely be a massive influence in the turning point of mycelium leather. Veganism has sought to end the traumatic slaughtering of animals which also has a positive environmental impact. The breeding and growing of animals alone release various gases into the atmosphere. By eliminating the need for real leather, we can also help the planet. 

"Younger generations are being more cautious about their fashion choices, meaning they could be the ones who lead the change for sustainable fashion.”

Our generation is trending on the ideas of thrifting and buying second-hand. Furthermore, many more companies are being transparent on where their materials are sourced from, and being able to be considered a sustainable brand. 

"Fast fashion is a worldwide issue, so it will take leaders of change in every country to combat the fast fashion industry.”

Leaders of every country are afraid of what is to come if we do not meet our agreement goals on climate change. One idea is to start on cracking down the fashion industry as we have been able to do for more efficient buildings. Sustainability in fashion should start with policy. Ways that I have been able to raise awareness for this issue is volunteering in a sustainable fashion show with local brands and designers that have used mostly recycled clothing. 

“The best way to be more sustainable is by choosing quality pieces that will last a long time over cheaper ones that you know will go out-of-style.”

By choosing quality pieces, especially neutrals and basics, they will never go out of style or ruin in quality. When I thrift, I check to see what the materials are made of and if I would wear it two or more years from the day I bought it. 

Some clothing brands and items that I own, considering sustainability, are:

Patagonia Synchilla Snap On

Red Unbranded Sweatshirt from GoodWill

In Jenny Odell’s book, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, she encapsulates the idea of stopping and smelling the roses. We, as a society, are so caught up with work, school, etc. that we tend to put ourselves on autopilot and, in Odell’s experience, we don’t stop to smell the roses. In her example, Odell delves into bird watching as a hobby. Bird watching takes patience and observance as you let the bird find you, Odell explains. As a matter of fact, it should be renamed bird observing or noticing. When watching birds, Odell describes that she is no longer on autopilot, but is placed in an environment that is thought-provoking, although she is, by our societal definition, doing nothing but sitting and listening. Throughout her book, she highlights these different aspects of the art of doing nothing, and its beneficial impact on taking oneself out of autopilot. 

Odell references many strong philosophers and authors throughout her book yet one that has stuck with me is: 

“Stupid fools are those who are never satisfied with what they possess, but only lament what they cannot have” (35).

This quote is displayed by Epicurus and spotlights the meaning of the book. He believed that people ran in circles in modern society, unaware of what made them happy, which is why he condemned cities. They prove to create corruption of one’s mind as people aim for as many opportunities as they can handle, limiting themselves to finding true happiness with what is around them.

After being released by an indie publishing house, Melville Press, this book has become an unexpected bestseller in Corona Times because of the awakening by others. During Covid, we have had relentless time to loathe and ponder our existence, especially during a worldwide pandemic and quarantine. This book is a tool in awakening oneself to understand the faults of our overconsumption. Without the busy distractions of work and school, many came to wake up out of autopilot leaving them to question their origin of happiness. Doing nothing provokes thoughts, which is why everyone began to think, rejecting the attention economy.

Jumping off of this ideology, the attention economy benefits from our social media activity and media streaming consumption because it is how our society runs. Mindless scrolling and advertising through social media promotes our consumer culture. Without thinking more, we buy things we don't need. Because our society is founded upon these beliefs, in order to resist, we have to do it intentionally due to the routine of scrolling. Consumptionism and consumerism are beneficially impacted when we benefit the attention economy. Social media consumption also affects our mental health and self esteem, leaving us to try and emulate this idea of being perfect, which is. constantly advertised by celebrities and moguls. 

Celebrity culture is about the masking of all things imperfect. Celebrities are held on pedestals, almost as icons, and Odell highlights how draining and non-productive this is considered to be. Celebrity culture goes in-hand with consumer culture. Put in simpler terms, perfect sells. People are strung about looking and acting like other celebrities, to the point they revoke into this autopilot theme of purchasing what the celebrities promote. Furthermore, celebrity culture is completely toxic. By using the method of doing nothing, we eliminate ourselves from being a ‘cog in society’s machine’. We awaken from this thought that nothing truly is as perfect as it may seem.  

PERSONAL REFLECTION:

I find myself taking detox breaks from social media due to my own self-confidence deteriorating. I mindlessly scroll for hours through apps like TikTok and Instagram until the day is over, and I begin my self-loathing process. During quarantine, the only way to stay connected to the world was through the internet so it was quite hard to take a digital detox. To be frank, I don’t think I have taken one during that era just because of the longing and attachment to keep up with my family and friends. 

Furthermore, I sleep with my phone within close proximity. I need to be able to be easily accessible due to my own anxieties of someone needing me late at night or early in the morning. My phone has become my main alarm clock so having it close allows me to turn it off multiple times as I struggle to wake up each morning. I’ve heard that having your phone next to you does affect your overall sleep quality as well as being on the phone before bed. To counteract this, I’ve tried countless times to start a habit of reading for at least ten minutes before bed, which has failed a few times thus far.

The role of nature in Odell’s book is a beautiful ode to the present. She returns to the main theme that nature is true and beautiful. Our heads are hovering over a screen for almost all of our lives that we forget to look up. Some examples of nature she refers to is a rose garden and the distraction architecture, transforming a garden in the middle of a city to an oasis, away from the toxicity of the digital world. In her main theme of birdwatching, though, Odell refers to the way birds find you. And instead of watching, it should be considered listening or noticing. Birds are always around, it isn’t until we look up that we see them. We notice them!

While walking throughout my neighborhood, I began to see how peaceful it actually is. Walking through Queens, NY, I have never noticed how loud the birds actually were. It was inspiring to hear the beauty of nature awakening and blooming after the dark cold winter. As a kid, I would always sit on this one rock by the corner and play with the bugs. I haven’t done that since I was twelve. I was relieved and amazed to see my inner child has not completely dissipated and it reminded me of all my ambitious goals as a child. When we are younger, our pureness and naiveness is a beautiful perspective that we lose when we begin autopilot mode. It was as though, by intentionally rejecting the attention economy, I was able to get back in touch. It was a beautiful thing. 

"The worst invasive species is humans." --Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall is a doctor that has dedicated her time in learning and interacting with the chimpanzees in Tanzania. Goodall’s immersion in the world of chimpanzees has allowed us to understand their behaviors and personify them. Just as we are able to recognize them, Goodall states, they are able to recognize us. These animals have souls, and keep the forest alive. One of goodall’s interactions with a chimpanzee named Gremlin is what she remembers to be fascinating. In part, she’s able to connect with people using words but with animals, it's all done through the mind and soul. 

Cher is a great example of how celebrities can use their platform to emphasize animal rights. Cher offer a great impact on empathy for animals as she is a role model for many. When fans see her name plastered across a documentary about an elephant, they’re bound to watch. This is a great example of celebrities using their platform for the greater good. Cher highlights the struggles of the Lonely Elephant and the effects of neglect on such an intelligent animal. Our human ability to feel compassion allows us to be impacted by her documentary because we understand that the elephant, for example, is suffering and is aware that of emotion. She spotlights these struggles and spreads awareness from her platform and documentary production. 

Earth has had five great extinctions thus far stemming from asteroid impacts to mass volcanic eruptions. The proposed 6th Greatest Extinction event is occuring at this very moment, and it involves invertebrates. This extinction is scientifically historic because it is caused by humans and the decreasing biodiversity and destruction of ecosystems. According to EarthSky, "2,000 bird species went extinct on the Pacific islands after human colonization began a few thousand years ago. That equals almost 1/6 of the current worldwide bird fauna.” If these numbers don’t scare you,  on Rurutu, an island of French Polynesia, 19 species of mollusks once lived there. Today, all 19 mollusks have been deemed extinct. To stress the importance of animals in our ecosystems is redundant. Not only do these animals serve a purpose much greater than equalizing the ecosystems, they also serve to clean our mess. Mollusks are known to filter pollutants out of waterways, without them, we can be seeing an increase in polluted waters as we continue to destruct the habitats of these mollusks. The Anthropocene age is the new age of human destruction on total ecosystems and it seems to be short-lived as increases in unpredictable natural disasters become more frequent due to the consequences of our own actions. 

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is an example of a critically endangered species due to human action. One of the main threats of this sea turtle is the illegal shell trade where their shells are deshucked off of their spines and traded for ancient practices. Although many regulations have been placed on hunting of this species, there has been high consumer demand in Asia which further promotes and funds the motives of illegal hunters. To preserve their habitat, we need to regulate private sector industry pollution as they feed on coral reefs utilizing their beaks. Without these regulations, the reefs will continue to die out, affecting many other species as well.

Sources

https://www.janegoodall.org/our-story/about-jane/

https://earthsky.org/earth/6th-mass-extinction-in-progress-invertebrates/

My Octopus Teacher was an amazing and beautiful take on the lifespan of an octopus. Craig Foster, a naturalist and founder of the Sea Change Project, had dived for nearly an entire year, building trust with one particular octopus. Foster documented the behaviors of this animal in an idolized focus. Some main takeaways that had shocked me was how the octopus, being an antisocial creature, was playing with schools of fish for its own amusement. Foster explains that this behavior is quite irregular for animals that keep to themselves. Another aspect that was interesting is that during the midst of a predator frenzy, the octopus he was documenting had got its’ arm bitten off by a Pyjama Shark. Within the week, Foster documents, the limb had grown into a numb from a wound. Eventually, it had grown into a fully functioning limb. Towards the end of the documentary, Foster discovers the beginning of the mating cycle for the octopus. It had dedicated whatever life it had left to care for its eggs. Almost timing the death of itself perfectly.  

I have always been particularly fascinated with the ocean. To see this beautiful life in the way Foster had documented it elaborated my view on the species. My knowledge had sufficed at only knowing that these creatures were intelligent, but I never knew HOW they were intelligent. To see that they are highly adaptive and respond well to their surroundings is extremely liberating. Foster compares their intelligence to a cat or dog, which he explains is enchanting for a mollusk. 

Getting into Foster’s relationship with the octopus, he found connections such as reaching out arm and limb. In one scene, the octopus had gained trust with Foster. In the cinematography, the octopus reaches out towards the hand of Foster. The interspecies communication is universal. What’s interesting is that reaching out towards another species can mean danger, between predator or prey. To see them reach out, in complete understanding of no harm, is a breakthrough in what we know about the intelligence of the octopus. 

In the second interaction between Foster and the octopus, towards the end of its life, it had coddled next to Foster’s chest. In an embrace, it was almost as a final goodbye. This interaction is fascinating in the fact that an embrace goodbye is a human quality that not many marine animals inhabit. To see this once in a lifetime experience is very touching in the optimal sense that it may never happen again. Foster and the octopus had a real connection. 

This idea is anthropomorphism, giving human-like qualities to non-human species. As humans, we are compelled through compassion to believe that the connections we create are reciprocated back to us. With this, we see the octopus as a fully-aware mollusk, emotionally and physically. This shifts the narrative that Foster is making through the manipulation of our human compassion. 

This film resonated with many viewers during the height of the COVID pandemic because of the octopus’ willingness to survival. The octopus is a resilient species to which they are preyed upon, yet retaliate using their intelligence. They are highly adaptable which allows them to live their full lifespan. The COVID pandemic had given us a fright, and many people were afraid of the changes with mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and stay-at-home orders. We should take away the ideals of adaptability during our hardest times, just as the octopus may do. 

Leah Thomas is an environmentalist, creative and author that works about the intersectionality of environmentalism and racism. She is also the founder of The Environmentalist Platform, a blog aimed to advocate for environmental justice and inclusivity with education and movements. Thomas discusses her experience at COP 26, a convention filled with climate activists looking for solutions to global warming.

In Thomas’ experience, COP26 was a mess. In one instance, President Barack Obama was meant to speak to the youth at the summit. In her account, there were little to no youth activists in the crowd. By being given only two tickets, the adults at the NGOs had taken the seats of what were meant to be for the youth. Thomas also describes blatant discrimination perceived during the protests. In the front of the protest line, there was a specific reservation for the Scottish youth. Reporters and photographers had swarmed the white activists while everyone else was sent behind the line.

Intersectional Environmentalism is “an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet. It identifies the ways in which injustices happening to marginalised communities and the earth are interconnected.” -London Environmental Network 

It is a nexus of what it means to live, as people, correspondingly to the Earth. Intersectional Environmentalism is about one’s race, sexuality, gender orientation, nationality, and disability in conjunction with the health of the environment. One way Leah Thomas argues this fact is the inclusivity of BIPOC in climate activism is by underrepresentation. 

This relates to the Black Lives Matter Movement by the fight to end racial injustices and systemic racism. For example, in Thomas’ example of underrepresentation of BIPOC at the COP 26 Summit, she describes how not only was there a lack of BIPOC at the convention, but they were also pushed aside to allow for their white peers to flourish in the spotlight. Instead of pushing down BIPOC, in an equitable distribution, we should be uplifting them. 

“Li co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to reclaim our inherent right to belong to the earth and have agency in the food system as Black and Brown people. Her areas of leadership at Soul Fire include farmer training, international solidarity, perennials, writing, speaking, ‘making it rain,’ and anything that involves heavy lifting, sweat, and soil”

Leah Penniman is the Co-Director, Co-Founder, and Program Manager at Soul Fire Farm, an organization devoted to uprooting racism and the intersectional environmentalism. Penniman is also an author to the book Farming While Black which is a love song to her and her people.

Soul Fire Farm is an afro-indigenous community that is centered around the teachings of sustainable farming and ending apartheid within the food system, especially due to the inequity that POC face when it comes to nutrition and food accessibility. Soul Fire Farm is rooted in different goals that stem from uprooting racism within the food system and relearning indigenous practices in food sovereignty. SFF also has goals of giving harvest back to the community and opening up even more urban farms which increases accessibility. 

SFF is important to the climate movement by harnessing sustainable farming methods. Currently, the food systems reeks of high carbon emissions and works in a multi-step process that loses the natural touch of farm to table. Furthermore, the exploitation of POC in the food system is highly common. SFF aims to eliminate the negative impacts that the industrial food system holds by improving practices of farmers and farming.

Kevin J. Patel of One Up Action. Photo: Courtesy of Raul de Lima

In Vanessa Nakate’s A Bigger Picture, she discusses her journey in climate activism and why it’s important to stand up for what you believe in. 

One thing that Nakate said that has struck out to me is:

“ Every activist has a story to tell; every story has a solution to give; and every solution has a life to change” (Nakate 96).

The impact she discusses through this quote is one in which summarizes the lifespan of a cause. Activism is driven by narrative, without it there wouldn’t be a any impact. Nakate describes her life as a normal girl that starts to understand the inequitable effects of climate change in the global south, more specifically in Africa. Although Africans are not part of the majority contributing to industry carbon emissions, they are a community that is hit hard by the geological changes in the climate. Unpredictable and extreme weather has led to many Africans experiencing drought and floods, simultaneously across the continent. Nakate questions why should Africans be hit the hardest with the lowest contributions made to this crisis?

Vanessa Nakate, the founder of Rise Up Movement and a successful activist, began her days protesting in front of Ugandan parliament and busy streets. After gaining traction on social media, Nakate was invited to a multitude of events about climate activism. One of the events is taken from the photo above, where Nakate was cropped out of the original image. During a conference in Davos, Nakate was invited to speak about African climate activism and change in a global scale alongside the familiar youth climate activist, Greta Thunberg. When taking a photo all together by the Associated Press, they had cropped out Vanessa Nakate in an attempt to erase her mark left in Davos. Nakate had confronted the AP to which the CEO had tweeted her stating that the sole purpose she was cropped out was due to the photo composition and the building in the background. This was a blatant act of racism done against Nakate, where they had not only cropped her out, but an entire continent to fit their narrative of white saviorism. Yet, this does not erase any of Nakate’s accomplishments as an activist.

On Nakate’s Twitter and in her book, she explains the project she had done with Tim Reutemann, a climate expert, in bringing more efficient stoves and solar power to local schools in Uganda. 

The act upon this Green School initiative allowed for less usage of wood and more sustainable power systems with less harmful effects on the microclimate of Uganda. Nakate mentioned in her book that she wanted to start a donation drive to provide more resources to more schools across Africa. To see this idea come to fruition is amazing, as she was able to exceed her goal of 45,000 CHF and gain about $49,000 USD in funding for this movement. Children would no longer have to worry about bringing wood to school or the power going out, and focus more on learning. 

"Nakate is conscious of the power her voice wields, and the world would benefit from listening." (Kirkus Reviews)

The power that Nakate holds is something that no one can take away from her. Her growing social media presence and knowledge on the climate crisis is what the rest of the world would benefit from listening to. Continually, her project of the Rise Up movement brings light to social inequities upon the African populus. In interest, Nakate reaches to teach girls in schools about climate activism. She is fighting against child marriages in Africa and focusing on affordable education for girls throughout many African countries. 

Seeing the Rise Up movement in its entirety and Nakate’s involvement is amazing in the developmental aspect. Nakate began the movement with a sign and a purpose in attempting to raise awareness of climate change in Uganda. Nakate realized she had been taken seriously when people began asking her what organization she is from. That is when she came up with the Rise Up movement, as a way to empower people to rise up and make a change. Through Nakate’s hardships, her endurance to racism and sexism allowed her to continue the fight as opposed to discouraging her. She explained that having people of color promoting climate justice is extremely important in representation and influence. 

In Voices of Change: Climate Change is About the People, a UN production, Vanessa Nakate explains a main theme of her book, inequity. Inequity is portrayed in the effects of the climate crisis on the people in the frontline, more specifically from the global south. Africa being one of the continents this refers to, Nakate describes heightened poverty levels due to the warmer climate. She brings a stronger sense of narrative in that, it’s not only the planet that’s dying, it’s also the people. In a quote by one her friends, she states, “money is useless on a dead planet.” The economy won’t circulate, thus the production of air pollution emitted from the fossil fuel industry is merely wasteful. We simply will have no use for it. 

Who wants to think about babies in their 20s? Well, despite your answer, we kind of have to. The celebrity baby boom of our generation is highly impactful on the climate crisis, and capitalist propaganda isn’t helping. Gen Z’ers and Millennials are producing less babies than previous years. According to Insider, since the 1950s,  the fertility rate has dropped from 4.6 children to 2.4 children. But why? The simple answer: climate change. 

Studies show that many Gen Z’ers and Millennials are afraid to bear children into this world. Drawing on that narrative, many of my own friends have discussed not having children or wanting to only have one. With the state that our planet is in, I don’t blame them. According to climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas, raising a child leaves a carbon footprint of about 58.6 metric tonne annually. To find that having one fewer child is 73 times more effective for the planet and animals than being vegan is astonishing. When looking at the bigger picture, the production of less children amongst Gen Z and Millennials may be a blessing in disguise. 

When it comes to bearing children, Pope Francis states in one of his speeches that childless adults are considered selfish. 

"Today ... we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have one, and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh, but it is a reality. [...] a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity"

Yet, the controversies behind his message fail to mention the impact bearing children might have on the climate crisis. Especially when Pope Francis considers himself a climate advocate. In another one of his speeches, he recalls:

“Future generations stand to inherit a greatly spoiled world. Our children and grandchildren should not have to pay the cost of our generation’s irresponsibility. Indeed, as is becoming increasingly clear, young people are calling for a change.”

The irony here is evident. When shaming the childless yet praising for a better world, Pope Francis needs to find the interconnectedness of the two, its negative impact. 

Talking about baby’s, Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement with rapper, A$AP Rocky shocked millions. Fans poke fun at the fact that Rihanna hasn’t dropped an album yet due to her relationship with A$AP and her new busy mom lifestyle. Kylie Jenner, now onto her second baby, Wolf Webster, was notorious for her premeditated postings on social media for her business while being pregnant in secret. Looking at celebrity impacts, Jenner’s fans were quick to pick up on her pregnancy MONTHS before she planned to announce it. To say her influence on others is immense would be an understatement. Yet, I don’t feel like celebrity births have the greatest impact of baby-making within our generation. This comment comes with the understanding that our babies would not live the luscious and luxurious lives that celebrity babies have. The common notion is simple, why put a baby on a dying planet? 

The answer is, we shouldn’t. But debates on birth control and contraceptives have been a big controversy in America. The fact of the matter still remains, bearing children poses risks to the environment. The argument about abortion should not be reliant in white collar MALE policy makers, yet it should be reliant upon the modern day woman. In coordinance, I should be allowed to decide what happens to my body, while making the conscious decision of what is going on in the world. Reproductive rights and climate restoration go hand in hand. In one of Pope Francis’ speeches, he also goes on about reproductive rights and climate change in a fallicable manner. 

“[C]oncern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion [...] How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient that may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?”

Well, Pope Francis, I am an active catholic in the faith. I’m here to say women deserve a say in what happens to them. Everyone else simply needs to stay out of it, specifically the entitled male. As an influential leader, you need to preach the caring of our women and children that HAVE been born, before caring about cells that have not.  

Speaking of influential leaders, in debate of course, Elon Musk promotes the growth of our population in a tweet about an article of economic drivers. This comes to no surprise as his whole brand commodifies his employees. Musk fails to address that the economy won’t matter when there are floods in places that should not be flooded and droughts in places that shouldn’t be droughted. Our food supply would not be able to sustain with the growing population and decrease in biodiversity. Elon Musk simply does not surprise me anymore, he is definitely a robot. 

The film Don’t Look Up directed by Adam McKay premiered on December 5, 2021 and features a hub of A-List celebrities foressing a satirical plot on the climate crisis. Taking a look at Adam Mckay, his inspirations were derived from the 2019 book, The Uninhabitable Earth where David-Wallace Wells criticizes the climate crisis. Many common themes between the two mediums are portrayed through the use of the many catastrophic effects of climate change between the plot of the movie and book. To say McKay encapsulated what it meant to live through the political controversies of today’s climate crisis is an understatement, and here’s why:

The plot of the film begins when two scientists, Kate Dibiasky and Randall Mindy, discover an enormous comet hitting Earth, with the potential of ending the human race and obliterating the planet. In a panic, they start reaching out to many asteral and federal defense organizations to try and plan different ways to protect Earth. McKay utilizes a structure of intensity and tension in the beginning of the plot to display the true horrific sense of what is to come. As the two michigan state scientists embark on an adventure to shout it to the world, they experience multiple hurdles. In a whirl of chaos, the beauty of the film creeps many hidden messages of satire and dark humor through characters and themes. To identify this as a scientific black comedy would suffice, as the ideas of morbidity of the planet drives the movie and plot. Some comedic aspects that McKay uses as relief points is the repetition of Kate Dibiasky’s, “the snacks are free” line, when her team arrives at the White House. 

To foreshadow the ridiculousness of the White House scene and characters, from Donald Trump, I mean President Orlean, to the general, he charges the scientists for snacks, otherwise deemed free. Kate Dibiasky, throughout their entire adventure, relates back to that one moment in time as comedic relief. Some say that this is a dig at the United States’ lack of free and universal healthcare as other countries see this system as a human right. The snacks symbolize our healthcare system and the general symbolizes big pharma and the government. 

Understanding the real-world connection these characters have, it’s no surprise that Peter Isherwell, one of the antagonists of the movie, is meant to represent the antagonists of real-life. Elements of Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, and Elon Musk are summarized in the character of Peter Isherwell. There was a quote, “Rockets are cool,” by Elon Musk that I think would be very fitting as a line of Peter Isherwell. His character is robot-like with a stupefied innovative mindset that many of these modern-day colonizers have. Something as simple as rockets being cool could slide as a line he would say, especially in the comedic sense. 

When digesting the characters, I come to realize that many of them are A-list celebrities, what a great budget this film had. The use of these celebrities increases the impact of the message they are sending out about climate change. To list a few, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio are the two main characters who eventually meet Meryl Streep, the president, and Jonah Hill, the president’s son and advisor. I think the reasoning behind why so many A-listers decided to make an appearance is due to the fact that this movie is not far from a wow-factor. From the morbidity to the comedic elements and the connections of real-life people to characters, the exposure these A-listers would get, both negative and positive publicity, is astounding. Unfortunately, I don’t think their impact of trying to bring about climate change awareness had much of an affect on the viewers. Others who have seen the movie had let the meaning go over their head and derived the plot to be terrible. 

When looking at the reviews, many people describe the plot of this movie as mid-tier. It’s the characters that my community seems to have a problem with. When asking around about the movie, many people stated that they didn’t really understand the goal. It was too complex for them to catch onto after only one viewing. Furthermore, they also regret the morbid ending. Viewers like happy endings yet McKay was trying to be a realist in the actuality of climate change and possibly another mass extinction, as he literally portrayed in the ending. They did, however, enjoy the brontoroc eating President Orlean at the end.