SCMAker

Description

A parody children’s book about Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent deletion of climate change from legislation, state texts, and school textbooks.

Reflection

Living in Florida, the effects of climate change are becoming more and more evident with every passing year, and yet climate change is derided by Governor DeSantis as irrelevant left-wing ideology. His language and actions around the subject are evasive at best, and at worst, causing irrevocable damage to public understanding of climate change and to Florida itself. I felt that a children’s book would fit this topic well, as the genre invites a simple understanding of heroes and villains, right and wrong, and DeSantis is very much in the latter category.

I personified Sierra Club and NOAA in the roles of good witch and prophet, mixing genres of fairy tales and bible stories, as both of their roles in their respective genres are that of signposts and helpers, which both are doing in real life here in Florida. However, I created a shift in genre to show current projections in climate change, instead of following the usual happy-ever-after. The juxtaposition of DeSantis being overwhelmed by waves while proclaiming that climate change is not real emphasizes the ridiculousness of his refusal to take action against climate change and the devastating consequences of his willful blindness for the sake of political appeal. DeSantis portrays himself as a Christian therefore by using NOAA/Noah as a reference to a Biblical figure, I am leveraging his own beliefs to argue against his actions.

Originally, I had named the storyteller rats Ricky and Ronnie, as a nod to Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott; however, I followed a recommendation to name them after climate change advocates and whistleblowers, as they are being helpful in the story. Although this is not made explicit in the book, readers may also see the implied trope of rats leaving a sinking ship.

Works Cited

P2: Steve. Nazzaro, M. (2024, May 20). Florida Meteorologist Goes After DeSantis Over Climate Change Rollback. Www.Thehill.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4675594-florida-meteorologist-ron-desantis-climate-change-roll-back/

P2: Yoca. Yoder, K. (2024, March 26). Florida Bill Would Purge State Laws of Climate Change Mentions. Www.Motherjones.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/florida-bill-would-purge-state-laws-of-climate-change-mentions/

P4: 11 notable storms 1900-1999 Florida State University Florida Climate Center (2024, November 13). Hurricanes. Florida Climate Center. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/hurricanes

P5: Since 1950, Florida has been getting hotter. Florida State University Florida Climate Center (2024, November 13). Climate Trends in Florida. Florida Climate Center. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/climate-change#:~:text=Since%201950%2C%20Florida’s%20average%20annual,decades%20and%20especially%20since%202000.

P6: 14 notable hurricanes 2000-2024 Florida State University Florida Climate Center (2024, November 13). Hurricanes. Florida Climate Center. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://climatecenter.fsu.edu/topics/hurricanes

P6, P10: “I would say that human activity contributes to changes in the environment.” Cassels, L. (2021, December 7). Avoiding words ‘climate change,’ DeSantis says global-warming concerns involve ‘left-wing stuff’. www.floridaphonix.com Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://floridaphoenix.com/2021/12/07/avoiding-words-climate-change-desantis-says-global-warming-concerns-involve-left-wing-stuff/

P7: The good witch Sierra Club. Sierra Club (n.d.). Climate Change. Sierra Club Florida Chapter. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/climate-change

P8: Coastal FL underwater Deurig, M. (2023, October 16). New study projects sea level rise to drain Florida’s financial future. Central Florida Public News. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://www.cfpublic.org/environment/2023-10-16/sea-level-rise-drain-floridas-financial-future

P8: Coastal FL underwater Bridges, C. A. (2023, August 23). When will Florida be completely underwater? A look at the future of sea level rise. www.Palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/environment/2023/08/23/flooding-sea-level-oceans-rise-climate-change-emissions-noaa-predictions/70640635007/

P11: “DeSantis circumventing the democratic process” Levy, P. (2023, July 1). Ron DeSantis Is All In—On Creating an American Autocracy. www.Motherjones.com. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/05/ron-desantis-autocracy/

P14, P15: DeSantis deletes references to climate change. Covering Climate Now (2024, May 28). Governor DeSantis’s “Don’t Say Climate Change” Law Won’t Fly With Voters. www.coveringclimatenow.org. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/governor-desantiss-dont-say-climate-change-law-wont-fly-with-voters/

P15: Deleting climate change mentions. Nilsen, E. (2024, May 15). As sea levels rise, DeSantis signs bill deleting climate change mentions from Florida state law. Www.cnn,com. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/politics/desantis-bill-climate-change-florida/index.html