Now you may be shocked by this question. I was. I mean, if you can’t see the fun in trying to save the world from global warming and mass species extinction you, er… and then I started to see her point.

You may notice that not a lot of people consider environmental issues a laughing matter. Crack a joke too close to hot environmental issues and you’ll receive stern glances from all corners of the room, as Jon Stewart can attest. In an interview with Bill Moyers, he laments hearing back from viewers, "your show is so funny, until you made a joke about global warming, which is a serious issue, and I can’t believe you did that!"

On the one hand, environmental issues are serious and they require a concerted effort to address. But the environmental movement also risks alienating people with its stern demeanor. Think PETA and the EPA are cuddly? Historically, PETA, with its dour streams of abused animal images, has about as much popular sex appeal as a horny toad (nothing against the Phrynosomatidae family). Sure, the nude vegan ad campaign and the glam vegan celeb videos help to soften the organization’s edge a little. Still, not too many of us would associate the organization with a sense of mirth. The EPA as well—aside from its starring role as the unlikely villain in this summer’s Simpsons Movie—doesn’t yet have what it takes to make people smile.

People respond well to a good-humored attitude. In a decidedly un-environmental example, the box store corporation, Target, benefited from a popular laugh at its own image as a purveyor of cheap goods with the tongue-in-cheek French pronunciation, Targé. The environmental movement could use a similar sense of good humor.

So how do we as environmentalists stop and smell the flowers that we’re trying to save? On Tuesday, we’ll start with a look at ways to save the planet while at the same time not missing the chance to cut loose, laugh, dance, joke and live it up!

References and Resources:

EPA Home

PETA Home

Bill Moyers talks with Jon Stewart | PBS

Photo Source:

Laugh Out Loud | Flickr