Once upon a time on a planet called Earth, there lived an oddball species called the Carbon Weevils.
It seems the Carbon Weevil served one outstanding role in Evolution: to extract the Earth’s Carbon deposits and convert them at high speed into carbon dioxide.
And so the Carbon Weevils sing:
Now…let’s observe our evolution:
The Turning Point
But we Weevils have finally begun to realise the madness of burning so much coal and oil and gas. For sure, it’s produced amazing stuff over the years but now it’s creating a global crisis.
It’s causing the oceans to warm, ice caps to melt, sea levels to rise and the climate to become more and more unstable, threatening the natural world and our own Weevil Civilization into the bargain. It’s hard to face up to. It’s the Elephant in the Room.
Making the Invisible visible
Happily we’ve never been able to see the gases and particles we pump out …and breathe in. If we could we’d probably stay indoors.
But now clever Carbon Accountants can work it out exactly…and make the Invisible visible.
Each one of us is responsible for about 15kg of CO2 per Weevil per day. Placed in a sphere its volume would translate as this.
Mind you, some of us are more ‘responsible’ than others.
Now showing at Screen One
“The Carbon Footprint of New York City”
The GREAT UNWEEVILING
The good news is changes are afoot
Anger is mounting.
Young Weevils are rightly furious that their futures, and the futures of their children are looking bad. They want change, and they want it fast.
More and more Weevils are in Remission, recovering from Fossil Fuel addiction.
And then finding they’re making big savings.
A lot of it’s down to politicians. There’s still too much hot air being talked, weak targets set and then not met….
…they need to create science-based targets and incentives for business and individuals, for sustainable energy solutions, changes to farming, transport etc.
Change will take years - but there’s not a lot of time.
Downtown at The Drive-In...
A short film showing the rate at which we were releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2017.
A longer version of this film (without the Weevils Cinema) showing the reductions we need to make according to the Global Carbon Budget can be seen here.
It’s not just fossil fuels. Farming releases millions of tons of carbon emissions daily. We’re clearing 27 soccer fields of forest every minute.
But there are mouths to feed.
And so much stuff gets packaged in plastic, all made from oil too, tons of it ending up in the oceans.
Now screening at The Drive-In
A film about plastic in the seas
A version of this film (without the Weevils Cinema) can be seen here.
The Plasticene Era’s well and truly here to stay, laying itself down as we read.
It’s not PERSONAL
Let’s face it, we have to get around.
Some Weevils still aren’t a bit worried. It’s been quite a party.
But more and more one-time hard-core Gas Guzzlers are going into remission.
we’re walking more, cycling, going by bus…
It’s odd to think pre-industrial Weevils mostly travelled on horses powered by grass alone.
This is the actual volume of carbon dioxide emitted for two people to fly to/from London to the Costa Del Sol, Spain. The sphere has a diameter of 11 metres (36 ft).
We need to fly less and air fuel needs taxing. Another elephant in the room.
Individual choices do make an impact. In big enough numbers and all across the World. Then things will get better. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
Join CARBON WEEVILS in Remission
It’s a HUGE subject and we’re just touching on it here. The Carbon Weevils want to help change minds. They think humour is worth a try. As we develop the site we’ll include more issues and more changes we can all make.
This is just a start.
If you’d like to find out more, talk about collaborating and especially helping to get this site out there, contact Antony Turner: antony@realworldvisuals.com
Finally, down at The Weevil Multiplex
Our full story told in this 6 min cartoon
The Carbon Weevils want to help change minds. They think humour is worth a try. As we develop this site we’ll include more issues and more changes we can all make... Join us in Remission!
A version of this film (without the Weevils Cinema) can be seen here.