Via Cashewman I ran across this rather striking ad by Christian Aid about the ramifications of climate change for the developing world:
It's a magnificent-looking poster, but does it make much sense? Does the waterline represent the poverty line, or just the line for sub-saharan Africa? If the latter, wouldn't being under-water protect them from being melted? Or is being under water being in poverty? And shouldn't the iceberg be melting, not just sinking?
I'm inspired. I think we need more ocean-themed Africa imagery, but the above ad makes Africa too much of a passive figure. In a moment of pure genius I altered the cover a of a heavy-metal album (can you guess which one?) to come up with this more positive, empowering image, with a heavy slice of Herman Melville thrown in for good measure:
What do you think? Too much?
5 Comments
My interpretation is that it's saying that environmental changes are 'just the tip of the iceberg'... that climate change has larger effects lurking under the water that we just can't see yet... like sending millions more into poverty.
That being said, your alternative is pretty amazing.
Well certainly your version is the one I'd rather get tattooed on my back, or airbrushed on my 84 Thunderbird!
It's true that CA's version is less in your face. But once I started to think about the connected symbolism in it, I found it quite gripping.
Cheers, B
Too much? Never. I look forward to the Africa-as-a-Tyrannysaurus demolishing hunger-as-a-diplodocus adverts.
I think the CA ad is a bit odd, though. The implication is 'our activities contributing to climate change are also impoverishing Africa'. Not sure how true this is.
Perhaps a bit. But I needed a morning laugh, so cheers!
@#3 Ranil Hi, 'our activities contributing to climate change are also impoverishing Africa' is true because for much of Africa, climate change will likely mean higher temperatures and longer periods of drought, hence more problems growing food, getting water etc.
That's why I find this ad a bit odd - the main problem will be drought but the poster makes it look rather as if it will be flooding. My take on it is simply that CA is trying to capitalise on the fact that melting icebergs is one thing people strongly associate with climate change, thus they're presenting Africa as if it were an iceberg (not sinking, btw Matt - most of an iceberg is underwater, tho' perhaps not quite this much).
Interesting blog, thanks