Friday, March 23, 2018

Burning Worlds is Amy Brady’s monthly column dedicated to examining trends in climate fiction, or “cli-fi”

Burning Worlds is Amy Brady’s monthly column dedicated to examining trends in climate fiction, or “cli-fi,” in partnership with Yale Climate Connections.
Across the country, and indeed around the world, college instructors are adding works of climate fiction to their syllabi. See AP article in 2016 headlined: "Colleges add cli-fi to their classroom curriculums."



To discover more about which books are being taught, and what kinds of questions they’re inspiring in the classroom, Dr. Brady reached out to Elizabeth Rush, a visiting lecturer in English at Brown University — where she recently taught a climate fiction class. 

The works that Rush teaches in her climate fiction course vary widely in style and content. That’s because the world they represent is so wide-ranging:Cli-Fi is undoubtedly tied to a set of contemporary anxieties about human beings and their relationship with the environment and technology,” Rush wrote in her syllabus.
Her syllabus also outlined a set of fascinating questions that frame her course: “What…does it mean that [''cli-fi''] has one foot firmly placed in the present tense? How can we distinguish [''cli-fi''] from its predecessors? And in what ways does fiction create an imagined world that gives voice to resistance now?”
This focus on not only climate fiction’s reflection on–but its influence of–the present moment suggests that the genre has a social purpose that goes beyond mere entertainment. That’s an inspiring—if robust—view of what literature can do, and one that Dr Brady hopes to continue investigating in her future Cli-Fi Trends columns.
Dr Brady asked Rush to recommend some of her favorite works of ''cli-fi'' (novels and short stories) to both read and teach—and to explain why she chose them. Her responses are in this link below:

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Aubrey Coats is a correspondent and activist for science and science education. An exhibit designer by day and grad student by night, Aubrey is always looking for the next excuse to talk about anything from; tips on how to survive in a real Jurassic Park to the ever-controversial planetary status of Pluto. Be it an authority on dark matter, or a TV scientist, she is tenacious in her search for what’s under the surface. No authority is to academic for her pursuit, she seeks to help scientists take what they have worked on for painstaking hours (and have spent painstaking hours trying to explain to their loved ones) and turn it into something palatable for even the bluest of collars. Give her a topic and a large coffee and let the discussions begin! Her passion for science STEMed from an early age but was always propelled by Michael Crichton. This led her to pursuing her two biggest passions in life; science and sarcasm. Aubrey pursued a bachelor's in Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. She has had gone on different field schools that specialized in both terrestrial and underwater archaeology. Aubrey’s passion for science has led her to exploring several different fields of study including: Astronomy, Archaeology, Chemistry, Paleontology, and Anthropology. Currently, she is pursuing a Master's in New Media Journalism at Full Sail University with a focus on developing material for a series of blogs/journals that bring science from academia and into publicly accessible mediums such as: social media, news articles, blogposts, and YouTube. Aubrey enjoys writing about new and interesting topics in science, she likes to look for new ways of disseminating complex scientific papers for the layman. Storytelling is one area where Aubrey is extremely passionate. Aubrey devours books (intellectually, of course!) at a rapid rate and is just as likely to quote the latest quips from Bill Nye’s argument on global warming as she is to describe the importance of each Harry Potter house. She likes nothing more than to talk about why scientific discoveries are important and how important it is to support studies that move humans closer to a future that is better, brighter, and more sustainable.


Is Hollywood ‘Cli-Fi’ doing more harm than good?




Hollywood has created a new villain- climate change. An increasing number blockbuster flicks featuring an environmental apocalypse has culminated in a new genre known as ‘Cli-Fi’. Movies such as Geostorm,Annihilation, and They Day After Tomorrow are set around the dire consequences of extreme weather phenomena. It’s said there’s no such thing as bad press, but is Cli-Fi raising awareness or fear mongering?
Climate change has made its way to the forefront of American news and politics following the current administration’s negative stance on the subject. This has caused to activists, scientists, and now Hollywood to step forward and take a stand. Films such as Dean Devlin’s “Geostorm” are created with the intent to show the potential danger of global warming. While some applaud the efforts of Hollywood to create awareness of the problem, many researchers criticize this tactic.
The premise for this argument is that doom-and-gloom apocalyptic movies are guilty of fear mongering and are actually causing more harm than good. In Andrew Hoffman’s book, “How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate” the University of Michigan Professors breaks down the effects that Cli-Fi really has on public opinion. Hoffman argues that too many of these stories leave audiences with a sense of hopelessness as opposed to motivation, leaving people to ask, “What’s the point?” He goes on to discuss that accepting climate change as a villain can be a hard pill to swallow. If climate change is the result of humans, as most environmental scientists would argue, that makes the viewers the villains; and who really wants to believe they are responsible for the apocalypse?
A little Hollywood magic is to be expected in any blockbuster flick, butresearchers observed that audiences are more likely to blindly trust science fiction movies than any other genre. This makes audiences and less likely research the facts, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Climate change is not the first, and certainty won’t be last problem that Hollywood has had an influence on.
reel hollywood problems.pngWhen it comes to accepting climate change, there is a deep divide in public opinion. According to Yale’s Climate Opinion Study, a majority of Americans admit global warming is happening, yet fewer than 30% believe that it will harm them personally. Further discussed in United We Stand, Divided We Sink: Why are Floridians So Divided on Global Warming? this opinion is most often formed because people instinctually believe that they see. In many Cli-Fi movies, such as “Geostorm” or Roland Emmerich’s “The Day After Tomorrow,” global warming is seen as a sudden catastrophic instance. In reality, climate change is a very gradual process that can’t be observed by looking outside a window.
Cli-fi isn’t the only one guilty of using fear tactics to get audience attention. Al Gore’s 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” shocked audiences its dramatic, and eye-opening footage of a crumbling environment. While the movie won an Oscar and received much public acclaims, it also received much criticism. In an interview with the New York Times, director for the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, Ed Maibach, accused the movie of being “100 percent about fear.” He argues that most prominent part of the movie should have been what audiences can do to reverse the damage, not just show it. Maibach goes on to praise Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing;” a comedic flick about literally decreasing one’s carbon footprint. Maibach believes that positive reinforcement of opportunity and motivation for change is more effective than fear tactics.
Hollywood has the means and influence to make a potentially positive impact on rather dismal subject, but with great power comes great responsibility. Now more than ever, is the time for pop culture to use its influence for good.
Advertisements
Report this ad
Report this ad

Author: Aubrey Coats

Aubrey Coats is a correspondent and activist for science and science education. An exhibit designer by day and grad student by night, Aubrey is always looking for the next excuse to talk about anything from; tips on how to survive in a real Jurassic Park to the ever-controversial planetary status of Pluto. Be it an authority on dark matter, or a TV scientist, she is tenacious in her search for what’s under the surface. No authority is to academic for her pursuit, she seeks to help scientists take what they have worked on for painstaking hours (and have spent painstaking hours trying to explain to their loved ones) and turn it into something palatable for even the bluest of collars. Give her a topic and a large coffee and let the discussions begin!  Her passion for science STEMed from an early age but was always propelled by Michael Crichton. This led her to pursuing her two biggest passions in life; science and sarcasm. Aubrey pursued a bachelor's in Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. She has had gone on different field schools that specialized in both terrestrial and underwater archaeology. Aubrey’s passion for science has led her to exploring several different fields of study including: Astronomy, Archaeology, Chemistry, Paleontology, and Anthropology. Currently, she is pursuing a Master's in New Media Journalism at Full Sail University with a focus on developing material for a series of blogs/journals that bring science from academia and into publicly accessible mediums such as: social media, news articles, blogposts, and YouTube. Aubrey enjoys writing about new and interesting topics in science, she likes to look for new ways of disseminating complex scientific papers for the layman. Storytelling is one area where Aubrey is extremely passionate. Aubrey devours books (intellectually, of course!) at a rapid rate and is just as likely to quote the latest quips from Bill Nye’s argument on global warming as she is to describe the importance of each Harry Potter house. She likes nothing more than to talk about why scientific discoveries are important and how important it is to support studies that move humans closer to a future that is better, brighter, and more sustainable. 

Leave a Reply

Monday, March 19, 2018

This time, however, Kristof is not writing from the Manhattan offices of the “old grey lady” because he’s in the middle of a New York Times-sponsored around-the-world private jet tour that costs $135,000 per person.

POLITICS

New York Times Columnist Warns Of Climate Change While On Company’s Global Private Jet Tour

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is warning, yet again, about the perils of climate change and the need to be good stewards of the environment.
This time, however, Kristof is not writing from the Manhattan offices of the “old grey lady” because he’s in the middle of a New York Times-sponsored around-the-world private jet tour that costs $135,000 per person.
Kristof’s column, entitled, “A Parable of Self-Destruction,” was written on Easter Island off the coast of South America. It tells the story of how the island became uninhabited due to deforestation and unsustainable practices by the natives.
“That brings us to climate change, to the chemical processes we are now triggering whose outcomes we cant fully predict,” Kristof wrote after recounting what is alleged to have happened to the natives. “The consequences may be a transformed planet with rising waters and hotter weather, dying coral reefs and more acidic oceans. We fear for the ocean food chain and worry about feedback loops that will irreversibly accelerate this process, yet still we act like Easter Islanders hacking down their trees.”
Kristof was on the island as part of an around-the-world tour organized by the New York Times. Limited to only 50 people at a cost of $135,000 per person, “based on double occupancy,” the tour offers the chance to “circle the globe on an inspiring and informative journey by private jet, created by The New York Times in collaboration with luxury travel pioneers Abercrombie & Kent. This 26-day itinerary takes you beneath the surface of some of the world’s most compelling destinations, illuminating them through the expertise of veteran Times journalists.”

The tour, if it sold out, would bring in $6.75 million.
In 2013, the Times ran a “news analysis” piece entitled, “Your Biggest Carbon Sin May Be Air Travel,” which reported, “For many people reading this, air travel is their most serious environmental sin. One round-trip flight from New York to Europe or to San Francisco creates a warming effect equivalent to 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per person.”
The size of the “carbon footprint” for the Times tour is not known, but some estimates place private jet flights at 10 times that of a commercial flight.
As for the Times trip, Kristof will not be making the entire journey with the group. He is only going to Easter Island, Samoa and Australia. Other Times writers are taking different legs of the 26-day journey. That, presumably, means each will be meeting the group on their appointed leg of the tour and flying back to wherever they call home, adding to the carbon footprint of the tour.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

''This is why the most interesting literary work that addresses the Anthrocene and its attendant crises is emerging from speculative (rather than realistic) genres: cli-fi and sci-fi.

''This is why the most interesting literary work that addresses the Anthrocene and its attendant crises is emerging from speculative (rather than realistic) genres: cli-fi and sci-fi. 

''Speculative genres provide a means to think beyond the constraints of what we have inherited as “reasonable” — they reveal the fragility and contingency of such reasonableness, gesturing instead toward seemingly unreasonable alternatives that we desperately need.''

Thursday, March 8, 2018

13 Female "Cli-Fi" Writers Who Are Inspiring a Better Future .........In the emerging genre of cli-fi, ladies take the helm!

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/13-female-cli-fi-writers-who-are-inspiring-better-future-science-fiction-climate-change?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=sierramag&utm_medium=sierra_social 


13 Female "Cli-Fi" Writers Who Are Inspiring a Better Future

 In the emerging genre of climate fiction, ladies take the helm

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/13-female-cli-fi-writers-who-are-inspiring-better-future-science-fiction-climate-change?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=sierramag&utm_medium=sierra_social 


A Conversation Series in NYC in 2018:

''The Art and Activism of the Anthrocene''

Climate change is already happening. Around the world, scientists, novelists, film directors and activists are addressing it in media from cli-fi novels and movies to live theater. This series brings together novelists, writers, journalists, and theater artists in robust discussions on how they address climate change - and why their work is important in the Anthrocene.

Don't Shoot the Messenger: The Challenging Narratives of Climate Change

with William T. Vollman, Chantal Bilodeau, and David Wallace-Wells
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 6:30 pm
These panelists approach climate-change dialogues through different mediums - book-length and magazine journalism, and through theater. They'll discuss their approach to gathering stories, their thoughts on why these stories matter, and the challenges they've faced when shaping issues of climate change into digestible narratives for the public.

Strange Realities: Art and Activism in Transitional Environments

with Jeff VanderMeer, Zaria Forman, Gleb Raygorodetsky, and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 6:30 PM
Jeff VanderMeer, author of the Southern Reach trilogy, speaks with visual artist Zaria Forman, conservation biologist Gleb Raygorodetsky, and Indigenous leader Victoria Tauli-Corpuz about "transitional environments" - regions of land undergoing change so dramatic they're barely recognizable. They will discuss how art and activism can bring greater awareness to the communities and environs most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Imagining the Impossible: The Role of Feature Films and Novels in Understanding Climate Change

with Amitav Ghosh, Helen Phillips, and Nathan Kensinger
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 6:30 PM
Authors Amitav Ghosh and Helen Phillips talks with photographer and filmmaker Nathan Kensinger about the role novelists and artists play in helping others to better imagine the effects of climate change.



All events take place at the New York Society Library, 53 East 79th Street

These events are open to the public and free of charge, but registration is required. To register, contact the Library's Events Office at events@nysoclib.org or 212.288.6900 x230. Library members may also register online.

https://ny.curbed.com/2017/5/18/15655518/new-york-2140-climate-fiction-photo-essay

cli-fi in the news this week -- March 15, 2018

https://www.ecowatch.com/female-book-authors-cli-fi-2544429954.html

13 Female 'Cli-Fi' Writers 
Who Are Inspiring A Better Future

For International Women's Day

by Carly Nairn for the Sierra Club

搜尋結果

關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:EcoWatch)

13 Female 'Cli-Fi' Writers Who Are Inspiring A Better Future

EcoWatch-14 小時前
In fact, the burgeoning genre of cli-fi has already sparked new avenues. Take solarpunk, a sub-genre that ultimately conveys an optimistic view of the future, often by envisioning how present political and cultural movements might realize their missions—such as Black Lives Matter, #TimesUp, #NODAPL and the end of ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Bainbridge Island Review)

'Cli-fi' author tests the waters of tomorrow in Alaska-set novel

Bainbridge Island Review-2018年2月20日
Crafting her own take of a cli-fi-type crisis, Alaska-based author Nancy Lord has penned an examination of ocean acidification in her new novel “pH.” When marine biologist Ray Berringer and his student crew embark on an oceanographic cruise in the Gulf of Alaska, the waters are troubled in more ways ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Village Voice)

“Extreme Whether” Falls Short at Turning Climate-Change ...

Village Voice-2018年3月7日
That makes artists, novelists, and playwrights crucial to the climate discussion: They can shape numbers and charts into narratives starring relatable, real world–adjacent characters that experience just how devastating climate change can be. A new genre — called climate fiction, or “cli-fi” — has emerged in ...

Climate Conflicts: Myth or Reality?


ReliefWeb-2018年3月5日
Are climate wars on the horizon, or do they largely lie in the realm of cli-fi fantasy? History can be a guide to the future, so what do past experiences tell us about the relationship between environmental change and conflict? In the case of water, we see a mismatch between assumptions and evidence.
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:BLOUIN ARTINFO)

Margaret Atwood to Headline “Under Her Eye: Women and Climate ...

BLOUIN ARTINFO-2018年3月7日
Atwood has given birth to a whole new genre inspiring a generation of 'Cli-Fi' writers and her contribution has recently been much popularized by the adaptation of her novel “The Handmaid's Tale” for the television series of a same title which recently swept her fans winning awards at the Golden Globes ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Yale Climate Connections)

Downsizing: Matt Damon's funny-ish climate change film

Yale Climate Connections-2018年3月1日
There are several reasons climate communicators and activists, and not just cli-fiaficionados, could benefit by seeing Downsizing, the end-of-2017 movie starring Matt Damon and directed by Alexander Payne – to be released March 20 on disk. 1) It is one of the few films that addresses climate change ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:BLOUIN ARTINFO)

Margaret Atwood to Headline International Summit and Arts Festival ...

BLOUIN ARTINFO-2018年3月6日
Atwood has given birth to a whole new genre inspiring a generation of 'Cli-Fi' writers and her contribution has recently been much popularized by the adaptation of her novel “The Handmaid's Tale” for the television series of a same title which recently swept her fans winning awards at the Golden Globes ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Sydsvenskan)

Kjell Vowles: Ett flyktigt liv

Sydsvenskan-2018年3月5日
Som i mycket annan så kallad cli-fi-litteratur accelererar klimatförändringarna snabbare än vad de flesta forskare varnar för, men jag har svårt att inte gripas av föräldraperspektivet. Framtidens generationer, som det så vackert brukar heta, är redan här. Många av dagens bebisar kommer att vara vid liv vid ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Neue Zürcher Zeitung)

Irgendwann schlägt die Natur zurück

Neue Zürcher Zeitung-2018年3月2日
Seit längerem setzt sich auch die Literatur mit dieser Problematik auseinander. Die Climate-Fiction, kurz Cli-Fi genannt, bespielt dabei unterschiedlichste Register: Mal droht sie im Geist rabiater Zivilisationskritik mit Weltuntergängen wie etwa bei Margaret Atwood, mal zeigt sie sich visionär wie bei Dietmar ...
關於「cli-fi」的報導圖片 (來源:Yale Climate Connections)

Scientist's take: 'Cli-fi' can make a difference

Yale Climate Connections-2017年11月8日
Recently, I participated as a scientist in a forum with Screen Australia, looking at how cli-fi might communicate the issues around climate change in new ways. I'm a heatwave scientist and I'd love to see a cli-fi story bringing the experience of heatwaves to light. After the forum, Screen Australia put out a call ...