Max - Final Project

Prezi Link: https://prezi.com/hzekabcstzmd/edit/#39_95982358

My final activist media hits on a few class topics in particular. First off,
mimicry can be seen through my comics that mimic the humans’ actions. It portrays
their neglect and ignorance they have towards the effects their actions have.
Rhetoric is very evident in my dialogue that is arguing for humans to consider their
impact on coral bleaching by causing climate change and messing with coral. As with
any argument there are various sides to the topic and demands discussion. Lastly,
Scopophilia is very relevant as people go diving and snorkeling because they enjoy
see fish and beautiful coral. My activist media project not only relates to topics
discussed in class but clearly extracts from the overall concept of the class as seen
by portraying the significance of coral bleaching (communication) through various
media platforms such as the news, articles, pictures, videos and social media (pop
culture as we know it). Weather and climate plays a vital role in the world, as we know it and the
livelihood of all of Earth’s organisms. It categorizes areas by their environment type,
produce, and often times their industries, recreational activities and economy as a
whole. Our history reminds us of the power weather has over all species on earth.
This power is is evident through weather patterns such as drought, floods, tsunamis,
earthquakes, ice ages, and perhaps most importantly climate change.

Climate change is a topic that is relatively new (last few decades) that has
been heavily researched, debated and analyzed. Data and increases in volume and
severity of many of the weather formations mentioned above clearly show that
climate change is occurring. One clear example of climate change is the overall
average increase in the global oceanic water temperatures. The increase in
temperature is causing coral bleaching. The coral expels algae that give them their
nutrients and color, which causes them to turn white. When this happens the coral
becomes more susceptible bacterial diseases. This is very problematic as reefs are
home to twenty five percent of all oceanic life (NOAA video). The loss of reefs can
have huge impacts on fishing and tourism industries and thus large, which causes
both unemployment and financial loss. Additionally, the decrease in the supply of
fish will leave a hole in the food market that needs to be fulfilled with the increase in
production of other foods. This can also cause some people to starve and die as they
rely on the ocean for their food. The long term effects of coral bleaching and reef die
off could be much more severe.

It is important that humans work together and devote time, money and
energy towards the prevention of coral bleaching and saving the world’s reefs. We
need to act now and engage more people in the cause by educating them on the
issue at hand. As climate change is at the heart of the issue, it is crucial that humans
try to reduce their overall carbon footprint. This involves reducing both carbon
emissions and green house gases. While long-term solutions are not yet available, I
encourage each person to try and reduce their carbon footprint. Simply and common sense actions such as not touching coral when diving, driving less, and
changing the lights in your home to energy saving lights can make a difference.
Climate change is the biggest contributor to coral bleaching and thus figuring out a way
to combat it is going to be the best chance humans have in terms of saving our coral reefs.
Preservation and sustainability are the most important aspects of a resource or species. It
would be great if the issue went viral because then there would be a better chance of the
discovery of more permanent solutions that would have a bigger impact on the prevention
of coral bleaching. In conclusion, hopefully the issue continues to spread across the world
through various media platforms and people become educated on the topic and the
collaboration of ideas causes the discovery of a permanent solution.

Works Cited
NOAA warns of global “coral bleaching” (You Tube). (2015). CBS Evening News.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxzsG4W8IAU>.