Do you remember the classic children’s story “The Lorax” by Dr. Suess?
Well if you don’t… It is tale retold by a lonely Once-ler to a boy who visits him. He tells of how he used to be an evil Once-ler who started chopping down trees in the forest of Truffula Trees to make his Thneeds, a garment that he insisted “everyone needs.” This is when he encountered the Lorax, who said that he’s there to “speak for the trees, as the trees have no tongues.” But of course, the Once-ler ignored the Lorax and because his business is grew bigger and bigger, the forest continued to become depleted, harming all the fantastical creatures that live there. At the end, the Once-ler chopped down the last Truffula tree. Unable to meet his demand anymore, his factories closed down and he saw the Lorax for the last time. The Lorax left behind a single message engraved on a pile of rocks: “UNLESS”.
Here’s the full clip of The Lorax. I watched the whole thing again, it was relaxing to kick back and watch a cartoon, but also very thought-provoking 🙂
The Lorax is clearly a fable through which Dr. Suess is trying to warn us about the harmful effects of an industrialized society if we don’t preserve the environment. The Lorax is an inspiring green enthusiast. In reality I think there is barely anyone who is truly a Once-ler nowadays, since most of us do care about the environment and are aware that it’s a finite resource if we don’t actively preserve or rebuild it. But sometimes laziness, naivety, lack of personal responsibility or a profit-driven mindset may blind us from seeing Lorax’s view. What do you think the Lorax means when he leaves the final message of “UNLESS”?
The Once-ler says that “UNLESS” is a faraway thought and tells the boy, “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better”. I think that “faraway” is now – we should take sustainability beyond just a buzz word or something you should know about, but as a personal responsibility that we have to act upon.
FYI: I came across the Lorax when I was researching movies about sustainability. Here’s the list if you guys have time to watch some of these! http://www.resourcesforlife.com/docs/item626
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