Creating awareness on climate change through humour

The severity of the blow is echoed in every nook and corner around the globe. However, there seems to be no counter measures taken to abide by the oath not to pollute the environment and planet earth anymore. It is here with the uncertainty towards hacking stern preventive actions, one can expect more hazardous days ahead before man.

Of course, we do come across some awareness programmes here and there in the midst of hue and cry to protect natural resources and earth from the evils of pollution.

 “Cartoon for climate” is one such programme organised by Manipal Institute of Communication is association with British Council that delivered the message of the critical scenario of natural hazards through art. Galore of paintings and cartoons were an eye opener of the impending threat for humans.

There were as many as 30 paintings and 50 cartoons that unveiled the reality behind the disastrous death of natural wealth.

Up to certain extent, the displayed arts were able to sprout the approach of ethical reality in human minds.

In fact, the exhibits, invaded every brain with the fact questioning the role of each individual and their contributions for the disaster.   British Council Project Manager in Chennai A J Solomon informed that the British Council’s climate change and sustainability programme focuses on mitigating the effects of climate change.

The aim of the programme is to make scientists, media and young people to play the role in finding the solution for the problem. The paintings and cartoons are from the best entries received from across India for the cartoon contest on climate change and also from the entries from “Second International Ken Sprague International Cartoon Competition Earth works-2008.”

The cartoons and paintings are conceptualised under the ideas like “drought and water shortage,” “deforestation and rain forest destruction,” “melting of icecaps,” “role of industry in polluting atmosphere,” “devastation of our seas and disappearance of marine life,” “climate change in an urban environment” are some of them.

Cartoon titles like ‘the future of our nature depends on the nature of our future’ by Prashanth Sinha, ‘Life’s like an ice cream, enjoy it before it melts’ by Kunika Desai, ‘Sir we capture one more well’ by S Madhan, ‘Pani ki capsule lelo’ by Rahul Motiyar, ‘we must double our production of fans, Eskimos becoming potential customer’ by Abhilash Jose, Fish asking man ‘please give me some space in your aquarium’ by Sayan Mukherjee, ‘Stone age-Carnage’ by Neeraj Kumar left viewers spell bound. Message of danger was conveyed in between the scribbled lines of cartoon.

Paintings were no different. Here the shadowed colours imprinted the message through hues.

In deed, the expo throws before us the intricacies of the disaster in a realistic approach. However, it is up to human brains to digest the truth hidden behind each frame of art.