Reposted from http://abruptchange.wordpress.com/
Cue the tornado sirens. Cue the American flag. Minaj’s ‘Pound the Alarm’ becomes “Sound the Alarm”. A clever video by Blink Tank Films was released this past week and its very good. Popular culture is finally addressing climate change and its about time. From Showtime’s Years of Living Dangerously to comedy and parody to get the message out. In any movement that seeks to communicate its ideas, a diversity of tactics are often employed. Climate change deniers, whether paid for by big oil or people who see climate change as a big hoax, constantly try to ‘drown out the alarm”.
The star of the video (Lucas Grabeel) is portrayed as an oil executive who raps the lyrics of “Drown the Alarm” which refers to the multitude of warnings we are getting from science about the connection between fossil fuels and increasing temperatures. The ‘message’ is being drowned out because, as suggested by the video, money is employed to create doubt and minimize the message.
What is clever about the video is that images of storms and cities around the world being engulfed by rising sea levels , are juxtaposed with oil and gas refineries. The wealthy oil executive is portrayed as a money loving pariah on humanity while the ‘taxpayer’ has to cover the damage.
Appropriate considering tarsands company, Suncor, just posted a record profit.
Give it a look!