When Professor Bazely requested that we nominate one film for the Applied Plant Ecology film festival, I was torn. There are so many incredible movies out there that do a fantastic job of illustrating such important topics in plant ecology while still remaining enjoyable to watch. Personally, I find that movies regarding these heavy topics but are catered to younger audiences are the most powerful. After all, the younger generations are going to be the future of our ecosystem and so I find it most fitting that they would be the target audiences for the ecological issues our world faces. Although I ultimately nominated the 2008 Disney Pixar film WALL-E, my runner up equally demonstrates the severity that issues such as pollution, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, etc., can have on our planet if we continue on the path we are on.
The Lorax was released in 2012 and was originally based on a Dr. Seuss book from 1971. The story is set in Thneedville, a place that has no natural flora but is instead built on artificial plants and vegetation. It follows a boy named Ted on a quest to find a real tree where he meets the Once-ler, the man responsible for cutting down all the trees in order to use their fibers for profit. The once lush planet had now gone through ecological destruction and become a barren wasteland due to the Once-ler’s greed but in an effort to make amends, he gives Ted the last real tree seed. It is now up to Ted and the community to restore the biodiversity and save their planet.
This film gives us a lighthearted preview into what a future could look like if we keep exploiting the Earth’s resources and destroying the natural flora for selfish gain. The Lorax demonstrates that it is possible to live sustainably but it needs to be a unanimous decision and requires consistent effort by those on this planet.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 