The Lorax Redux Deux

“The Lorax” is a much-loved children’s tale by Dr. Seuss. It is also considered by many an environmental primer, much-read in schools and at bedtimes around the world.

In the story, the forest home of the Lorax is threatened by a bustling entrepreneur named the Once-ler. The Once-ler sets up a manufacturing business to turn the forest’s fluffy Truffula Trees into knitted garments called “Thneeds.” As his business rapidly expands it becomes more and more destructive, until the last Truffula Tree is felled. The region is left abandoned, in ruins.

On the book’s final pages, the Once-ler reveals that he has one remaining Truffula Tree seed, which he deposits into the hands of a small boy. Plant this seed, the book seems to say, and save the planet.

In my environmental politics course, we wondered, is planting a tree the height of our political creativity? Or are there other actions that should also be taken by those concerned with fostering ecological wellbeing? How would the story continue if the Once-ler were to talk about the sources of REAL political change?

Here, in true Dr. Seuss fashion, is what my class came up with:

Quoth the Once-ler:

The Street of the Lifted Lorax is all that remains
From the day the Lorax cried out in vain
"I am the Lorax, I speak for the Trees"
Since trees don't have tongues you see

Yet I did not listen, I cut, cut, cut
down all the Truffulas, and now what?
The message is clear: there’s no hope unless
Your generation confronts this big mess!

You can start by planting more trees,
And disregarding those silly Thneeds!
No one needs them, they are a waste,
You must live a sustainable life, now make haste!

Some may say “But no Thneeds, what will we do?”
You must shout back “Thneeds are not for you!”
Don’t be greedy and take everything,
We need to leave something so the birds can sing

Change your light bulbs to the more efficient variety
It is time to practice some established propriety
Stop dumping your trash in our harbors and streams
Stop polluting the air and distorting the sun's beams

Reducing, reusing, recycling’s a breeze
Living green is delightful and fun, don’t you see?

But before now you get too too carried away
Take a breath, for there’s something more I must say
The fact is these small steps alone will not do
So let’s think about a green path straight and true

While individual action is good and dandy,
You have to be a citizen if you want to be handy
Riding a bike, planting some trees;
That’s a good start, but it won’t save the wallabies

I’ll go to Whole foods to help the environment.
I’ll buy bushels of organic in all their refinement.
Carrots, and cucumbers, and all the right stuff.
I’ll fill up my basket, will it be enough?
But the problem, you see, is not in organic.
It is buying food that was grown in Chile, Nepal, and all the Slovanics!
Shipping it here uses so much gas.
That at the end of the day, it would be better to fast!

So, what are we to do?

Well, it’s time to step up as citizens and act,
As consumers we are on the wrong track,
In the past I asked that you purchase those thneeds,
But the planet cannot survive without presence of trees!

What does purchasing thneeds mean anyway?
Do they make us happier, day by day?
Our value should not be determined by buying,
Let's listen to the Lorax and stop our denying

Step back from society's cycle of greed,
See all that money, that's not what you need!
The green we need, comes from the ground
So get out a shovel & give that dirt a pound!

Talk with your mouth
Talk with your hands
Talk with your actions
Don’t bury your head in the sand

Get out in the world
Go on, say your piece
You may find that you count a lot more than you think
If you have something to say, say it loud
Gather your thoughts and stir up a crowd

And so I say:

Riding your cycler
Planting a tree
Not littering and recycling
Are all well and good
But working with friends
The fun never ends
Thinking of big ideas
Writing emails and making phone calls
Attending meetings and organizing events
Affecting change
Is where the most can be gained
If we want to make the world a better place(s)
Start a movement; you and your friends need to show your faces

Because our environment
Lacks the power of speech
It's our responsibility
To learn and to teach

Ideas need fresh air
And ample room to breathe
To formulate and excogitate
Or else they'll only seethe

Take your humble thoughts
And lead them on a walk
Let them build their courage
To change our world with talk

Just get out there!

Hey you there,
My friend
Sitting at the dead end,
There's no time for rest,
Let's save the earth,
We'll do our best!

Gather your friends, start a movement,
This is the true road to improvement
Take some action, find your gumption,
Let’s steer away from consumption

Don’t wait until you’re twenty or thirty,
By then, the air will be much too dirty
Be strong and make your voice be heard;
After all, what’s wrong with getting the Earth insured?

Take a step back and look all around,
Solutions are here, they need to be found
Two heads are better than one, five better than four;
To work towards a bright future, with possibilities galore

We need to think about it.
And, we need to act.

Because the truth is, things right now are looking grim …

If the Earth could speak, what would it say?
What would it be like to walk in Earth's shoes for a day?
Is it impossible? A feat only to be imagined within our minds?
No! it's quite easy. You only need to understand Earth's language: signs

Take the ocean for instance, a liquid enigma once vibrant and alive;
It’s being over-fished, making it difficult for these ecosystems to repopulate and survive
The ocean is viewed as a profitable territory that humans believe they inherently own;
And through careless irrigation techniques, their pollution has turned it into a dead zone

Global warming it bleeds
An infectious disease
Derived from our passion
Our need and greed to be fashioned.

At the top of our class
Never happy finishing last
Our greed will bring poverty
To the world's natural harmony

Society seems at the top of its game
And carbon emission is one of the factors we've gained
We cannot wait, no we cannot hide
We are not to complain when we begin to be fried

What began as a planet of trees, birds, and fauna
Is rapidly changing into a climatic sauna
Biodiversity is lost, it's the end of the wild
What will happen to future's man, woman, and child?

If we want to assure a prosperous future
We must begin to repair our earth with a delicate suture
Mend the cracks, repair the skin
The atmosphere is not our trash bin!

There are easy solutions to this complex dilemma
Start by looking to the sun and appreciate its analemma
The oceans are drying, the deserts are wet
We need to protect our planet its not just our pet

We’ve lost so much and we think we’ve come far
But in reality we’re lost because of these polluting cars
Take a look at the dear planet’s deep scars,
Oh my! What have we done?
Like cigarette tar to a healthy lung!

So where’s the map? Where can it possibly be?
We need a leader to guide the way to be free
Free from the stuff that guides us nowhere
Dictates our ways and the products for our hair

Your government, that’s who you should ask;
So far, they haven’t been up to the task
“Please, do you have any good ideas?
The world is warming up, from here to Tanzania!”

With species extincting at a rapid speed
The earth's protection has become our number one need
Talk to your Congressmen about doing some action
It's their responsibility to facilitate your plan's traction

We must rally the congress,
Send out our letters,
For all of that action,
Can only bring better

So find your congressman,
Give him a call,
Because you're a voice for the people,
You'll help better us all!

And don’t forget Obama, our next President…

We must demand he act on the promises he made,
Sign that darn Kyoto it's time to be brave,
Lets make the U.S. a leader of sorts
Or else this planet may be up for the worst!

Remind him global warming is not a partisan topic,
It’s an issue for Washington, Beijing, and the tropics,
No longer the days of President Reagan,
President Obama, let’s get on the road to Copenhagen!

The structures of the world may perpetuate the issues,
But now is not the time to sit and sniffle in a tissue,
Together, as citizens, we can lobby the Senate!
Make the public aware, with cartoons by Clay Bennett

Your voice is powerful; don’t listen to the nay-sayers,
The skeptics, the deniers, and the delayers,
Let’s consider science carefully and not just reject,
The figures that the IPCC projects,

These challenges and pitfalls can be hard to endure,
But your clear mind and hope will fight on—I’m sure!
It’s going to be hard and long, I know
But in 2 billion years the planet will thank you so

Remember:

Only take what you need,
Leave the rest for the rest,
That is the only way the Earth will be best.
For each has a duty to give what was lost
Stop this consumption, it comes at a cost!

Weather is changing.
Weather is changed by us.
What should we do?
We should conserve.
We should think.

Ask:

Who needs giant SUVs?
Who needs wars?
Who needs poverty?
Who doesn't need clean water?
Who doesn't need a good environment?

Consider:

We must think about what we really need.
We need clean water.
We need a good environment.
We really don't need SUVs.
No one wants wars and poverty.

Make a pledge:

No longer will we do bad things unto thee
No longer will we think uncarefully
No pollution, no waste,
No more disgrace
The wonderful place
That perpetuates our race

We have much to do
And without further ado
Now's when we need to take the time to discuss
The fact that our actions can no longer be nonpluss!

The damage is in motion
Species are making commotion
There is much to get done
It's your problem, my problem, the world's problem son!

So get out there
Ride your bike, plant a tree and lobby your people
Let them know that the Earth is so feeble
We need government changes from top down to us
The Lorax would tell us that this is a must!

It is hard to ignore
Our need for a natural rapport
It is difficult to embrace
That the degradation inflicted is an awful disgrace

Don't put down your head or become defeated
You're smart and resourceful and know what's needed!
To turn off the water when brushing your teeth
To jump on the bus, or on a bike to preserve the heath!

We can set up farmers markets in our hometowns,
Support local farmers from tumbling down,
Into a market system that will make you frown,
Together we can protect our planet from the North, South, all-around!

It's your job, it's my job, it's easy to see
That we are essentially the earth's trustee
As we approach midnight on the ticking clock
It's time to look around and take stock

The polar bears need saving,
The grizzly bears are craving
For a space that's clean, green, and mild
We can help preserve and protect the wishes of the wild

This is a rhyme that strengthens with time
To continue our destruction would be an unforgivable crime
Please be kind to mother earth
For it is right, for all she's worth

Here's a rhyme that strengthens with age
Please be kind to green things like basil and sage
Let it be known to all things grown
That humanity will do everything to begin to atone

Remember the precious Earth
More precious than rubies,
Blood diamonds and uncut beauties
For once she is gone,
Life has no song.

And then, silence…

Lastly the Once-ler looked the boy in the eye
“Look sharp now, I have one more lesson in mind
Listen well to this story, and pay it great heed
You must tend it, and spread it, and use it to lead”

This is a story of a sphere of land
Where once upon a time there was no supply or demand
This place was called Earth
And this Earth gave birth
To googles of life that lived their lives with great mirth

The Earth looked so blue
Because it not only had land, there were oceans too
And the Garoos and Hifters that lived in that place
With their neighboring Barows and Nebuls did deeply embrace
Their own love of the different shapes
The land and ocean and air would take

In Barroulous caverns the Barows lived with Spekows and Kains
While Garoos and Hifters lived upon wide open plains
And the Nebuls swam among coral reefs in deep blue water
Little did any of them know
That their good friends the Humans
Were beginning to discover things about their planet
Such as how to make countertops out of granite
That one day would lead to their slaughter

Every creature
Down on Earth
Liked Earth a lot...

But the Humans,
Who owned the Earth,
Did NOT!

The Humans hated Earth! They hated each season!
Now, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason.
It could be because they ruled above all,
It could be, perhaps, that Earth was too small.
But these Humans nonetheless were careless in fashion,
And took all they could without rhyme or ration.

So
Whatever the reason,
Their heads or their hearts,
They ran around careless using all of Earth's parts,
Taking whatever from the ground and the trees;
Even polluting the air and the seas!
For what we knew every Human on Earth
Was wasting the Earth for all it was worth.

"They're killing me slowly! This sure is not fair!
I give all they need! I wish they would care!"
And then the Earth sighed, looked down with compassion,
"I MUST find a way to teach Humans some passion!"
So Earth, said a prayer...

And SO
...All Humans, All Humans, with all of their flaws
Would wake up that morning and put life on pause!
And then! To find a cause! They'd find a cause!
That's how they'd fix Earth! With a round of applause they'd each find a cause!

Then Humans, young and old, would all volunteer.
They'd engineer! Pioneer! Make smog disappear!
Persevere! Hold Earth dear! Here Here! Here Here!
They'd start from the front, and move to the rear!
They'd do all they could to save their great Sphere!

And THEN
They patched up Earth from its wearing and tearing,
And Earth was pleased Humans finally were caring!
They stood close together, with hand in one hand,
For Earth had been saved! They saved their great land!

When they tried! And they tried!
AND they TRIED! TRIED! TRIED! TRIED!
They fixed up their Earth from the out to inside!
They came together, each one, worldwide!
All because they stopped and they stared
Listened to Earth, and finally cared,
And with just a little passion
Earth was repaired

And so my friend, take heart

The words of the Lorax still echo today,
They ring true in my ears and are here to stay
Please join us now in this call for action
We can already envision positive reactions

From the birds to the bees, to your mom and dad,
They raised caring folk that aren’t half bad
You see, things can change when there’s a strong start,
It’s people like you who care with all your heart

So perk up your ears for here is what I recommend;
Mother Nature is our buddy, and it is she whom we must defend
For without her there would be no mountains or the deep blue sea,
Now start a revolution, aujourd’hui!

Working together is necessary, it’s true
It all can’t be done if we’re missing you!