My site’s frog character is courtesy of the graphic arts wizardry of CJ Holton at cjholtondesigns.com. Check out her great work!
FAQ
Why a frog?
The frog character is inspired by an analogy that has been used to describe our behavior in the face of global climate change. If you throw a frog in a pot of boiling water, it jumps out. But if instead you throw a frog in a pot of lukewarm water and slowly bring it to a boil, it may not sense the danger until it’s too late (unless it’s rescued!) We are behaving the same way with respect to climate change. And we must learn to perceive the danger, implement solutions, and rescue ourselves.
Why is he waving a flag?
It’s not a flag for any particular nation. It’s a flag for the Earth and all its inhabitants. That’s because it will take all of us, working together, to avert catastrophe and transcend the climate crisis. It’s an existential challenge and an awesome opportunity. When we have succeeded, imagine the ongoing dividends in terms of global human relations!
The flag shows the Earth heating up, specifically in the polar regions which are warming much faster than the Earth as a whole. The colors are meant to evoke this NASA animation of the warming of the Earth since 1880.
What’s up with the space helmet?
The frog is wearing a space helmet because, as you’ll see on this site, much of what we know about climate change is thanks to our observations from space. I’ve often heard, and can understand, the sentiment that we shouldn’t spend so much money on space exploration while we have problems here at home. But it’s worth understanding to what great extent our space exploration efforts have given us important knowledge about, and a vital perspective of, our Earth, our beautiful island in space. This understanding may well prove crucial to our success in tackling our most difficult problems here at home.
The space helmet is also meant to evoke a sense of hope. After all, how do we see our future as a species? Will it be a future of continued progress, learning, children growing up and having children, each generation discovering and exploring further? Or will it be something else? A future of missed opportunities, degrading living standards, increased destructive competition with one another for dwindling resources? The space helmet is meant to encourage the more hopeful future, because it’s what I believe we deserve and have all the tools to achieve.
Why does the frog look worried?
He’s worried that those of us with the power to choose our future could fail to summon the will to do so. The worry applies to the other species we share our Earth with, as well as our fellow human beings. Of course, frogs are in no position of power to influence climate change; I have yet to see a frog burning coal. But many of our fellow humans, who might be working multiple jobs to put food on the table, similarly lack the luxury of being able to worry about climate change.
Those of us who have that luxury need to act. And influence the others’ votes.
In an out-of-control warming world, frogs just might evolve into a new animal well adapted to the changing conditions. Our complex civilization would not. Read my Brief History of Climate Science, and you’ll come to appreciate just how much our progress to date has relied on a relatively consistent climate, and just how far away from that consistency we are headed without urgent action.
This site is mainly about science, but it’s also about morality. How do we see our future? Are we willing to fight for it? What do we owe future humans, starting with our own children?
Those are the questions the frog is worried about.
