“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
–The Lorax (2012)
Film is a powerful medium that has the ability to unite humanity. With subject matter ranging from comedy to horror to documentaries, there are no limits as to what film can be and what stories can be told on the silver screen. Film is more than just a source of entertainment; with the right planning and resources, films have the power to educate an audience about past and current events and also create an image of what our future society could become. I spent a good chunk of reading week viewing several documentaries, movies and TV series that discussed a variety of ecological issues and when it came time to submit my nomination for the #BIOL4095 film festival, I struggled to choose which film I wanted our class and members of the York University community to view. Ultimately, I chose Trouble in the Forest (1988), a David Suzuki documentary about acid deposition and its effects on plants and forests. However, I felt it was necessary to draw attention to another one of my top contenders, The Lorax (2012).
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the brilliant and imaginative works of Dr. Seuss and have probably read The Lorax at least once in your lifetime. Published in 1971 and adapted into film in 2012, The Lorax is a timeless story that should be heard now more than ever. Society is constantly developing to meet the demands of our burgeoning population and we often exploit the environment and take creation for granted. The Lorax touches on multiple lecture themes including sustainable forestry, habitat loss and loss of biodiversity. The story follows Mr. Onceler, a greedy businessman that clear-cuts multiple forests to produce “Thneeds” for consumers. The Lorax (the tiny orange guy with the huge yellow moustache) acts as a steward of the Earth and warns Mr. Onceler that the industrial clear-cutting is destroying the forests and causing biodiversity loss, but the greedy businessman ignores him. Eventually all the trees get chopped down, destroying the ecosystem and causing Mr. Onceler to go bankrupt. The story finishes with Mr. Onceler encouraging others to plant new trees to try and restore the environment back to its original state.
I believe The Lorax is a great demonstration of applied plant ecology that is easy for audiences of varying ages and scientific backgrounds to follow. It manages to be a light-hearted film packed with likeable characters and vibrant colours while still being a cautionary tale that takes environmental issues seriously. It shows that if we do not make our voices heard by policy makers and encourage sustainable forestry, our environment will suffer as a result. The film diverges a bit from the original story by adding in a romantic sub-plot, but the ecological message remains. Deforestation is a huge issue threatening the world as we know it and films like The Lorax stress the importance of sustainable forestry while still keeping your interest. Sustainable forestry doesn’t mean stop logging altogether, it simply encourages a balance between meeting societal needs while also maintaining the biodiversity and health of forests. Without proper regulation, these cumulative effects will cause irreversible damage to our ecosystems. The Lorax demonstrates all of this and although it wasn’t my final choice for the film festival nominations, it’s a film with a lot of heart and it supports a crucial environmental cause that requires urgent action from all of us.
Can’t wait to sit down with a nice bowl of popcorn and see everyone else’s nominations!
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 