Earth Day - Poster of the Week
- politicalgraphics
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Climate Change
John August Swanson
Digital Print, 2016
Los Angeles, CA
48059
Poster text:
Climate Change Is One Of The Principal Challenges Facing Humanity In Our Day.
Our goal is to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it.
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si', Ch. 1, Par. 30, 2015
This Earth Day, we choose to highlight a poster about climate change quoting Pope Francis, who died yesterday, April 21st. In “Laudato Si”, released before the 2015 Paris Climate Accords, the pope criticized the destruction of our environment and called for action against climate change. A spiritual leader to over 1 billion people, Pope Francis inspired many Catholics to organize for a healthier planet.
John August Swanson, studied lettering and printmaking at Immaculate Heart College, under Corita Kent. He created impressive posters and prints about some of the most important issues of our time, including immigrant rights, capital punishment, prisons, labor rights, and the environment. He said of his artwork:
“The images I make are not for “art’s sake,” nor are they for pure self expression. I want to speak to you in everyday terms as if you were sitting here beside me…I try to make accessible and reaffirm certain values—caring for each other, acting as peacemakers, or something as simple as listening to someone who needs to be heard.”
April 22, Earth Day, marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was outraged by the devastation he witnessed during a trip to Santa Barbara shortly after the massive 1969 oil spill. He proposed that every university campus in the U.S. hold a teach-in on the environment on April 22, 1970. His idea was modeled on the highly effective Viet Nam War teach-ins of the time, during which massive educational forums were held on university campuses to give the public a chance to learn about and discuss complicated political issues.
Thousands of schools responded to Nelson’s call with organized protests, and on April 22, 1970, 20 million people took to the streets and attended teach-ins throughout the U.S. to learn about how human actions—and the corporate drive for profits—were destroying the environment. The Earth Day movement proved to be autonomous with no central governing body—not unlike the Occupy movement of the 2010s.
Without climate activists organizing to protect the environment, legislation such as the Clean Air Act (1970) and Clean Water Act (1972), would never have been passed. President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate accords and is eliminating many environmental protections. Universities are under attack. We must again take to the streets and organize teach-ins.
Our lives depend upon it. Join one of the many protests taking place around the country on and around May 1, 2025. In every state, and not just in the places you expect them, but including Palm Springs, Iowa City, Dallas, and New Orleans! See you there!
References:
May 1st Demonstration Resources:
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