December 10, 2016 - 01:04
Climate Change according to Wikipedia means "a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels." But when we think of how to prevent climate change we think about how much "work" that has to be put in by every single person on this planet in order to actually reverse the damage. As humans we all know that we are the reason for global warming and all aspects of it and we fear how this is negatively affecting us but, we rarely think about how we are hurting the animals that share the Earth with us. One person can make a difference but at the same time we need big corporations to actually put in the work. Like the President in "As the World Burns" these corporations that are ultimately tied to our government do not care about the effects of climate change especially on animals and even on ourselves.
All they care about is money, which is why when the President was told that the aliens were coming to "eat" the planet he was more worried about if they were "undocumented aliens" and if they believed in Jesus Christ. I believe that the aliens that want to eat up the plant represent climate change and what it is doing to the planet. If one thinks about it the planet is deteriorating slowly only because no one wants to stop it, like the president. He does not want to stop it because it will cost too much money. He was willing to let the aliens eat the planet for blocks of gold which will ultimately mean nothing to anyone once the Earth and everyone in it is dead. "Money is the source of all evil," a phrase that I had often heard from my mother when I told her how badly I wished we were a wealthy family. But in reality money is the reason there is so much greed in this country and in the rest of this world. Money is the reason why these corporations think it is okay to continue polluting the Earth and not have a care in the world for any animals. Corporations control us. All of the products that we use from self care products to technology all come from corporations that want to make money. But when there is nothing left, what worth does that money have? Honestly, I believe that we are so trained to wait for something that will make every day life "better" and "easier" that we do not think about the lengths that are gone to create this product, and the parts of the environment that are sacrificed in order to produce them.
In "As the World Burns" the animals can talk. In real life obviously, animals cannot talk. But if they could would they say what they are saying in this book? Would they say that humans are "murderous," "disrespectful," or "a bunch of psychopaths"? Since animals cannot verbally express themselves like we can, humans have made it up in their mind that animals are inferior and we are superior. I wish that animals could verbally express their pain since physically dying doesn't get the message across. The animals in the graphic novel discussed how humans used to "sing to them" and "pray to them." Immediately, I thought about the Native Americans. These people had such a beautiful relationship with the Earth and everything that came along with it because the Earth provided them with all that they needed. The Earth provided them with food, water, shelter, medicine, and clothing. But the same people that respected and worshiped the Earth for giving them life, were the same people that were called "savages" and told that their way of life was wrong.
Towards the beginning of the book one of the characters was talking about how "they talk about how people are dying of thirst," and the crow had to remind her not to forget about "nonhuman people." I understand that people are concerned with their lives (not enough) but people are less concerned about all of the other nonhuman living things on this planet. This planet is shared but since we (specifically corporations) think that we are superior, then no one else matters. All that matters are those that are profiting from different products. The animals that they are killing do not matter, and the Earth that they are killing does not matter. Vivisection is the practice of performing operations on animals in the name of science. In other words, animals are being murdered so that we can have the products we have today, including medicine, and even the proper knowledge of certain medical operations. All of this of course equals money. So not only does it make those controlling this happy (and rich), but it makes those benefitting from the products, operations, etc. happy. Who does it not make happy, though? The animals! Which are one of the things that the little girl in the novel was trying to explain to the psychologist. He didn't understand that her caring for beings other than herself did not mean that she was mentally ill. But of course, he was too "trained" or should I say brainwashed, to believe that what she was saying was a valid concern. In that simple interaction, the reader could see the fight between animals and society reflected through the little girl and the psychologist. Society has plenty of work to do when it comes to actually preserving the Earth and figuring out what really is important and money is not one of them. Once we realize that if the animals, the plants, and the entire Earth go down we will go down with it, then we will realize that it is our duty to stop it.