Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.
Through his clever storytelling, Dr Seuss assumed the voice of an outspoken environmental advocate. The book tells the story of the Once-ler, who saw economic opportunity upon his first visit to an Eden-like environmental haven.
What begins as a charming tale quickly turns dark, however, as the Once-ler harvests Truffula Trees to create a product called Thneeds. Their mass production leads to the extinction of Truffula Trees, leaving the area a barren wasteland completely devoid of life.
The meaning of The Lorax couldn’t be more clear: It’s a warning about the dangers of rampant environmental exploitation. It also no-nonsense lessons about what we, as individuals, can do to help foster a more eco-friendly Green Economy.
The Once-ler, who lives a hermitic existence on the gloomy outskirts of town, fondly reminisces about “the days when the grass was still green and the pond was still wet and the clouds were still clean.”
It’s clear that he regrets the devastating impact his actions had on the area, whose once-pristine flora and fauna could be analogous for any number of bio-diverse regions of the world currently threatened by development.
Recognizing the beauty of the Truffula Trees, the Once-ler chops one down and uses it to knit his first Thneed (which looks a bit like furry pajamas).
“There’s no cause for alarm,” he reasons with the Lorax, “I chopped just one tree.”
But as demand for his product increases, he harvests more and more and more, until they are all gone. Once begun, the exploitation of nature is difficult to stop, so it’s best not to start.
“I am the Lorax,” says the creature Seuss describes as sharpish and bossy, “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”
There is no place in the world where it is considered OK to cut off a person’s nose, or skin, or limbs. Yet Elephants are being killed for their tusks, Rhinos are being killed for their horns, Seals are being killed for their skins, and Sharks are being killed for their fins.
These animals cannot stand up for themselves. And if we don’t do it, who will?
For far too long, people have trusted governments and corporations to do the right thing.
But the Once-ler is a great example of how someone with good intentions can make very bad decisions when there’s money to be made.
Only by combining our collective voices can we, the people, truly have a say in the creation of environmental policies that encourage the sustainable development of a green economy.
The Once-ler begins chopping trees and making Thneeds four times faster, never once considering the long-term effects on the planet.
First the Brown Bar-ba-loots, who fed on the Truffula Fruits, go hungry. Then, as the noxious fumes from the factory poison the water and air, the Swomee-Swans and Humming-Fish leave.
All too often, oil and natural gas companies begin drilling without understanding the long-term environmental impact. More often than not, it’s devastating both to humans and wildlife.
The Once-ler justifies his environmental destruction by arguing that he’s serving society by creating Thneeds, which he claims, “EVERYONE needs!”
But many of our “needs” are manufactured via advertising. Most of the things we are sold an “needs” are hardly necessary for our survival.
By Reducing our consumption, Reusing everything we can, and Recycling everything else, we minimize our individual and collective strain on the planet.
When the Lorax disappears from the barren wasteland, he leaves behind a small pile of rocks with one word carved into them: UNLESS.
This is his warning, just as climate change and an ever-increasing number of endangered species are Mother Nature’s warning to all of us.
We must think of ourselves as the Lorax, and we must take action on behalf of the environment. Unless we do, things have no hope of getting better.
At the end of his story, the Once-ler gives the boy to whom he is telling it the very last Truffula seed, encouraging him to plant it.
The ultimate meaning of The Lorax is that educating children about the importance of environmental stewardship is our best hope for nurturing the sustainable development of a green economy.
Somewhere in the world right now, there’s a young boy or girl who may one day develop a revolutionary form of alternative energy or an innovation in sustainable agriculture. They need our help to learn and grow!
Seems like you care,
But do you care an AWFUL LOT about what’s happening in our country ecological, politically & economically? And what’s going to be the future for our nation? The country may be drowned in the floods because of the rising sea levels? Or Cauvery river may dry up & people will die of thirst & hunger? Or maybe the country will be burned down to ashes due to ideological wars?
None of us knows what the future looks like but we need to be prepared. The current situation of the planet both ecologically and politically is like the lull before the storm. The human activities over the past century have created unwanted pressures on the planet & its resources. These pressures have been accumulating over the past few decades and brewing up the storm. The storm that will challenge the obnoxious arrogant attitude of the human species. We can’t avoid the storm, it’s too late. But maybe if we work hard enough, we might be able to reduce the amount of destruction it will cause.
So in order to be able to do something, we need to first understand the current situation is like the boy from the Dr.Seuss’s “The Lorax”. By studying the current situation, we can get a preview of what the future might have in for us.
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