green patriots posters

According to the editors, "the inspiration came first from WPA (Works Progress Administration) and World War II posters. During the war the United States was able to mobilize industry and its citizens with breathtaking speed. Factories were overhauled and consumption habits were transformed. Conservation (in the form of rationing) became a patriotic act. Strong, graphically compelling posters played a crucial role in the success of this campaign. In these posters, taking action was presented as vital for the good of the nation, and those who were willing to sacrifice were portrayed as dynamic American heroes. This is just what we need today." The images immediately struck me as Americana, so of course I fell in love.

I love the images created for this book, though strongly disagree with statements that seem to have no backing in reality, such as "Younger people, who are the real stakeholders given that they will inherit an environment on the verge of collapse, are weirdly apathetic, hedonistic, and cynical. Less affluent people, who are the most likely to feel the impacts of climate change—crashing economies and starvation—can’t find enough head-space for these concerns in a world overcrowded with anxieties."

It seems the authors believe this to be true because that's what they feel they've experienced, but there is little to actually show that either young people are apathetic or that those most impacted don't understand what they are faced with.

There is, however, a need for us to redefine both the struggle and threat of climate change, and to offer positive imagery for our future and appreciate that the editors "generally sought posters that convey urgency and/or optimism (in a word: strength.)"




Originally found at ReNest. Information and images at Artbook.com.