We all know the facts: the sixth greatest mass extinction in Earth's history is already underway—and this time it's all our fault. We all know about rising sea levels, epic floods and hurricanes, wildly fluctuating temperatures, and ever-more-deadly droughts. We know that bad things are happening, and we know that the people causing the mess are profiting from it immensely, while the poorest people are getting hurt most.
In the face of these facts, it's no wonder we're often paralyzed. The scale of the unfolding disaster is simply too huge to stomach. And after a hard day at work, listening to more dire warnings has about as much appeal as sliding down the proverbial razor blade, and just sends us further into bewildered hopelessness.
At the Yes Lab, we use humor to help journalists and other people talk about difficult issues that matter a lot—like "free" trade, global capitalism, and now the end of a livable planet. On that last theme, we mostly use humor to focus attention on the real criminals, the companies that are making off like the bandits they are.
At its best, humor can break through the general paralysis and get more people to join the movement for climate justice. Humor can be a Trojan horse for important, mobilizing messages that don't qualify as news in today's corrupt media environment. Jokes aren't ends in themselves, but they can be important ingredients for bigger campaigns, drawing attention to critical facts without much of the preachiness that sometimes turns people off.
Our upcoming movie focuses on our recent climate actions, and includes an inspiring personal story that is geared to get audiences acting for change. And with our soon-to-be-launched Action Switchboard, accessing tools, guidance, and partners for brand-new actions will have never been easier.
We rely on our savvy, brilliant, and generous network to keep this stuff going. So please, if you can, help keep the Yes Lab afloat!
For every dollar up to $75,000 we raise between now and Dec. 31, Kindle Project will match every dollar with a whole other one. That's two dollars for one! So if you haven't given yet, please do. And if you have (thanks!), please urge your friends to do the same.
Andy
This is reason #2 to support the Yes Lab, out of a total of 8. If you can't donate financially, you can still help us by sharing this campaign with your friends. You can email it, tweet about it with @theyesmen and we'll retweet you, and/or Facebook about it and tag the Yes Men or The Yes Men Are Revolting.