Wachstumshormone

Jun

2

Dying is Easy: Comedy in Environmental Education

Filed Under Perspectives, Uncategorized 

by Eric J. Fitch, Ph.D.

Abstract: In the contest of ideas, environmental educators put themselves at disadvantage  by not availing themselves of the tools of humor. From satire to ridicule to comedy, the  ability to connect through humor shouldn’t be overlooked. Humor has often been looked  down upon by environmental professionals. Many environmental scientists, advocates,  and educators view “Environment” so seriously that “having fun” with it would be  “inappropriate”. This puts educators of all stripes at a disadvantage. Opponents of  environmental education regularly use ridicule and satire to degrade the message and  demean the messengers. Environmental professionals are often portrayed as purveyors of  “gloom and doom” and their pronouncements the ranting of Cassandras. These comments  often come clothed in mean spirited jest. Willingness to take up the tools of humor  simply means leveling the playing field. This paper addresses how humor can inform;  approach serious subjects humorously, and can be incorporated into different  environmental education forums.

There’s a story that goes back at least until the early 1980s. It is a take off on the  biblical story of Creation. It is usually titled something like “God and the EPA” or “God  and the Environmentalists”. Instead of God being able to create the known universe at  will and on His timetable, He finds himself stymied at every turn by the requirements and  concerns of various Heavenly bureaucratic agencies and angelic environmental interest groups. When it becomes apparent that impact assessment, public comment and review,  and many of the other things we take for granted as normal in the environmental  community are going to stand in His way, God creates Hell. Although it is a funny piece  and sure to draw a laugh from a great range of audiences, environmental audiences often  miss the underlying message: that processes and protocols that lie near and dear to our  heart and are looked at as good, right, just and even dare I say Holy, are infuriating to  others in society. In subtle ways, environmental angelic surrogates in the Heavenly Host  are subtly mocked and presented as a bit “fuzzy”. The story brings to light a very  important point that is often overlooked; those who control the discourse most often  control the outcomes.

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