Teagan Okutman's Blog

• Describe the cultural resource you have selected and articulate how it is a reimagined alternative to a current cultural, social, political or economic condition (i.e. current vs. new)

I chose the movie The Lorax (2012) for its themes of climate change, corporate greed, and environmental damage. The story is about a boy who is trying to win the affection of a girl whom he is in love with. He does this by trying to get her something she has dreamed about for years, a Truffula tree. They live in a society with no trees, vegetation, or clean air, and this is because of a man called the Onceler. In the past, the Onceler invented a multipurpose miracle garment that he could only produce using the Truffula trees. He grew his business so much that he eventually cut all of the trees down and drove out the wildlife that lived in the area, as their home had been destroyed. The Lorax, who is the guardian of this forest, comes to warn the Onceler that his actions are causing irreparable harm, but he is ignored and the damage is done. The Lorax is ultimately driven away as well, as he has nothing left to protect. Back in the present, the main character searches for the Truffula tree and learns of this history and how they came to live in the society that they do. He tries to argue that they should bring back the trees, but another corrupt businessman, Aloysius O’Hare, tries to shut this down, as his business, O’Hare air, makes its profits from the sale of air in a can, and this would ruin his business. In the end, the trees and wildlife are brought back and the Lorax returns.

• Is this imagined alternative something that would require technological or systemic change? How so? 

We would need systemic change to get this imagined alternative, as our society and its system is built upon these destructive and exploitative practices. Things like logging and carbon emissions from corporations and their manufacturing are a few of the many factors that are destroying our forests and poisoning our air and water. Technological change could also be required, especially with the rise of AI, as the data centers that power these computers are also polluting our water supplies and affecting communities. Technology could also be what saves us from the same fate of a tree-less future, as we may be able to save resources or create technology to lessen the effects of these industries. For example, the Baltimore Harbour was known for being one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States, but now there is a new bay cleaning robot that sails around and picks out trash. The past year the bay saw great improvement in water quality and wildlife, which shows the positives that this technology can bring.

• Are there elements of this alternative that are reflected in current conditions or is it an entirely reimagined condition?

These Ai data centers have been a big topic recently that reflects this alternative reality, and its strangles power and water supplies in towns across the United States. We also see the same deforestation in many areas across the globe, and its effects on global warming and the ozone layer have been studied for decades as it degrades our environments and ecosystems.