Events in the Arctic deserve all the attention they can get. One original way of doing so is regularly being undertaken by commenter scarlet p, also known as the Freewayblogger. He puts up signs on the freeways of California and the western United States to increase awareness of several issues, AGW being one of them. As the subtitle of his blog says: "Because when you put a sign up next to a freeway, people will read it until somebody takes it down."
I have a hunch this sign for instance was inspired by last summer's blog post
on the consequences of disappearing sea ice:
Two weeks ago Freewayblogger started a slogan contest. From his blog:
Second Annual Slogan Contest
I just bought a couple hundred large posters of the earth from space that I'll be putting up on overpasses for the next couple of months. It'll be like all those flags that went up after 9/11, only going up during the tragedy instead of after.
Some I'll post with messages, others will go up alone. In the meantime I'll be looking for slogans and messages that go well with pictures of Planet Earth over freeways. Send me your ideas and if I like them, I'll use them. The three best ones will win cash prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 and have their words read by literally hundreds of thousands of people.
Your message can be anything you like, but the issue I'm most concerned with is global warming, particularly what is happening in the Arctic. Messages should be short, smart, fit well into a rectangle and look good over traffic. They can be meant to go either with the earth posters or without, so long as they make people think.
Original ideas are preferred but not required and, apart from the right to post them publicly, I make no claim to any entries as intellectual property.
Send entries to freewayblogger - at - yahoo- dot - com. Deadline is March 15th.
That sounds like a worthy endeavour (with worthy recompensation to boot)!
I can say from personal experience that signs do raise awareness, or can be a sign of something. When I was checking out this region in Austria where I now live with my wife and daughter, we walked through a little town and on the wall of the post office it said: There is no Planet B. I figured that the town must have something to offer if it can produce or attract inhabitants capable of spraying such a slogan on a wall.
Soon after we moved to the little town, another sign reflected my thoughts:
But back to the slogan contest. Here are some examples to get you inspired:
Many of those slogans are too "intellectual" sounding for your typical Joe and Jane Doe. They also give the impression of being private jokes.
We also have to be careful and not project a '2012' doomsday message. Since it will be impossible to soundbite a complex issue like this we can give teases with a website url for those who wish to tune in. I recommend Joe Romm's Climate Progress as the most people friendly.
Here are my contributions:
1. When the Arctic loses its ice we lose our crops.
2. Ice free Arctic in 2020. What does that mean? www.climateprogress.com
You can also make bumperstickers.
Posted by: Villabolo | January 24, 2013 at 03:29
If you think it's hot now just wait for the Arctic to melt.
Posted by: Jim Williams | January 24, 2013 at 03:36
The Arctic is our air conditioner. Don't let it melt away.
Posted by: Donald | January 24, 2013 at 03:53
A "GREENER" Greenland....
.....Courtesy of the Fossil Fuel Industry!!
Posted by: OldLeatherneck | January 24, 2013 at 04:06
By way of friendly and constructive criticism we have to be careful what we say. :-)
For example:
@OldLeatherneck: "A "GREENER" Greenland.........Courtesy of the Fossil Fuel Industry!!"
Unfortuantely the public has no idea as to why a greener Greenland would be bad for us. Quite the contrary, the public will imagine that a greener Greenland would be good. They could easily get confused.
@freewayblogger
"Reflect on an Arctic that doesn't reflect"
People without information on the arctic will simply say why should I reflect?
Posted by: Villabolo | January 24, 2013 at 04:32
most of the cars on this road will survive longer than the remaining arctic sea ice.
Posted by: stan | January 24, 2013 at 05:02
Healthy planet: Priceless
Dying planet: Iceless
Posted by: james cobban | January 24, 2013 at 07:00
Dad...what did polar bears look like?
Mum...where did all the penguins go?
Granddad...was there really ice in the Arctic?
Posted by: Kate | January 24, 2013 at 07:02
Yeah, I know there are penguins down south, but people should know both ends are melting.
Posted by: Kate | January 24, 2013 at 07:03
"Cool, not Coal."
and
"Coal, not Cool."
Best of Luck with the contest.
Lodger
Posted by: Artful Dodger | January 24, 2013 at 07:21
Dad/mom - why did Santa drown?
There is nothing quite so blue as a blue Arctic Ocean.
Bummer! So this is what it feels like to start an extinction.
Bummer! Too bad we killed the world.
No arctic ice? Bad human!
Oh we'll. It was a nice world, while it lasted.
Recipe for extinction: Roast the world with carbon until the ice is gone.
Too bad. So sad. We melted the ice and boiled the world.
No ice, no problem. Welcome to Manitoba, the new Miami!
Posted by: Sam | January 24, 2013 at 09:02
No arctic ice means no bread basket.
Posted by: Sam | January 24, 2013 at 09:04
'Recipe for extinction: Roast the world with carbon until the ice is gone' is a bit of a mouthful, but
'Recipe for extinction: melt the Arctic'
might work
Posted by: sofouuk | January 24, 2013 at 10:30
Ok, here is mine:
"When Arctic is ice FREE, no one of us is free."
- or any variation of it...
cheers,
Alex
Posted by: Ac A | January 24, 2013 at 11:35
Here’s mine. A variation on ‘money, dignity, courage’ …
“Money lost, nothing much lost…
“Health lost, a lot lost…”
“Arctic sea ice lost, everything lost…”
Posted by: Werther | January 24, 2013 at 12:33
What a great effort Scarlet P!
My contributions:
"Where do you think the ice in your cocktail comes from?"
"Will your third DVD player make you happier?"
"Coming Soon: Arctic Cruise - With Water-Skiing Across the North Pole"
John C
Posted by: John Christensen | January 24, 2013 at 12:45
"Cancer is an unlimited growth of cells.
Does earth has cancer?"
"Cancer is an unlimited growth of cells starting with just one cell.
Does earth has cancer?"
Posted by: Stefan Becker | January 24, 2013 at 13:02
Apologies if this seems like personal promotion - but that was not my intent with this idea.
I chose my online name for a reason:
Arctic ice lost? Apocalypse for real!
Posted by: Apocalypse4Real | January 24, 2013 at 13:35
The arctic is about to fart.
7 billion are in the seat behind it.
Posted by: Nightvid Cole | January 24, 2013 at 15:08
"No Ice" is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Posted by: Jeffrey Davis | January 24, 2013 at 15:28
I really like the first one :
What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic
It is non-judgmental, and inspires curiousity.
What IS happening in the Arctic, and how does it affect us ?
Posted by: Rob Dekker | January 24, 2013 at 20:06
Arctic meltdown
Beat the rush
Panic now
Posted by: johnm33 | January 24, 2013 at 20:38
When they came for the polar bears, I did not speak out. I'm going to bitch like hell when it's my turn.
Posted by: Djprice537 | January 24, 2013 at 20:38
CH4NGE NOW OR
CH4NGE FOREVER
Posted by: johnm33 | January 24, 2013 at 21:57
Playing on the comment on the blog.
For Sale, Fixer Upper, 4 billion years old, slightly damaged, only two former tenants.
One extinct, the other working hard on it.
Posted by: NeilT | January 24, 2013 at 22:19
Donald wrote: "The Arctic is our air conditioner."
I thought up a similar one: "The Arctic sea ice is our air conditioner." It's simple, but stimulates the imagination.
I think this one will make an impact in the US: Arctic sea ice going Galt. :-P
Posted by: Neven | January 24, 2013 at 22:51
This probably only works for people who watched UK childrens' TV a few decades ago...
Bye bye Sooty,
Bye bye Sweep,
Bye bye children,
Bye bye polar bears,
Bye bye everybody,
Everywhere
Posted by: Agric | January 25, 2013 at 00:04
No Ice, Ain't Nice
Posted by: David Sanger | January 25, 2013 at 00:39
Arctic sea ice going AWOL, is the climate we're used to next?
Posted by: crandles | January 25, 2013 at 00:43
First Arctic sea ice goes,
Then most of the world's ice goes,
Then most of the world's cropland goes,
Then 80% of our great-great-grandchildren go -- if we're lucky.
What else in your life is more important than stopping using carbon?
Posted by: Wayne Kernochan | January 25, 2013 at 01:01
Permafrost or melted-frost?
Methane emissions will kill us all.
Posted by: Protege Cuajimalpa | January 25, 2013 at 01:59
I used to think that I was cool
Running around on fossil fuel
Until I saw what I was doing
Was driving down the road to ruin
Traffic Jam Song - James Taylor
Posted by: Protege Cuajimalpa | January 25, 2013 at 04:37
Nice sentiments folks, but really how many words can you read when scanning road signs at 70 mph?
Let's try some more 3 to 5 word slogans!
Cheers,
Lodger
Posted by: Artful Dodger | January 25, 2013 at 05:57
Arctic sea ice corks the
Weather genie in its bottle
Posted by: james cobban | January 25, 2013 at 06:30
High Arctic, Low Ice.
80% of sea ice gone.
Posted by: james cobban | January 25, 2013 at 07:37
I'd suggest relating the message to recent "once in a lifetime" events in the local vicinity. For example, over here in not so sunny South West England such a "Motorway blog" might read:
Less Arctic Sea Ice?
More SW Floods!
Elsewhere you might try inverting the Q&A:
Less Iowa Corn?
Less Arctic Sea Ice!
Trying hard to satisfy "Lodger's Criterion":
Vanishing Mississippi?
Vanishing Arctic Sea Ice!
(Too many characters?)
Depending on how far you felt like pushing the science:
Less Arctic Sea Ice?
More Moscow Snow!
(Anyone here speak Russian / write Cyrillic?)
New York Floods?
Arctic Sea Ice!
etc. etc. ad infinitum
USA Post Kyoto?
Obama Delivers?
Posted by: Jim Hunt | January 25, 2013 at 09:12
Fuck the Planet, North Pole first
or variations:
Fuck the Planet in its ice hole
Sorry, for the crudity but visceral and readable, I think, at 70 mph
Posted by: Fufufunknknk | January 25, 2013 at 10:53
Warming the Arctic is not Cool.
Posted by: John Goddard | January 25, 2013 at 13:58
Make that giant leap for mankind and STOP DRIVING
Posted by: Hans Verbeek | January 25, 2013 at 16:15
"Listen, kid, we're all in it together" - Harry Tuttle
Posted by: no1der | January 25, 2013 at 16:37
Arctic Sea Ice
Keeps your cool.
Arctic Sea Ice
Keeps you cool.
Arctic Hot = Miami Not
What if arctic ice
No longer recycled?
Coming Soon:
An Ice-Free Arctic
Apt. for rent -
Landlord absent
Attic on Fire
Arctic Melt = People Melt
Recalculating.
Would you give up your car
To save the planet?
The Stone Age did not end
Because we ran out of stones.
The Oil Age will not end
Because we ran out of oil.
In .5 century, exit planet.
Posted by: sigmetnow | January 25, 2013 at 18:20
As a youngster I was always fascinated by the Burma Shave road signs. They were small with one line per sign & everyone would try and guess the upcoming rhyming line.
While probably not great for Freeway signage, PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), old Route 66 or any of the other heavily traveled byways might be an appropriate venue & it's not impossible that some might be noticed by the media in a nostalgia piece.
My skills as a writer of doggerel are lacking but I threw out a few to demonstrate
Now ice is white
And water's blue
The Arctic's melting
What can you do
Articulate!
When ice is gone
In Santa's realm
The coastal tides
Will overwhelm
Articulate!
The Arctic ice
Will melt away
It won't come back
For many a day
Articulate!
We're almost out
Of Arctic ice
Don't take the chance
Don't roll the dice
Articulate!
With sea ice gone
Our future's clear
Things won't go well
On this small sphere
Articulate!
Our future's clear
When ice is gone
We'll cook ourselves
And blame Chevron
Articulate!
The Arctic once
was full of ice
When Burma Shave
made driving nice
Those day are gone
The ice is too
The Arctic Ocean
Will soon turn blue
Articulate!
Terry
Posted by: Twemoran | January 25, 2013 at 21:07
Dar Williams' song 'Blue Light of the Flame' has many allusions to climate change. Paraphrasing one couplet:
As the Earth melts at the Poles,
Will we race to mend the controls?
Posted by: no1der | January 25, 2013 at 23:03
Dude, Where'd all the ice go?
What the hell did we do to the arctic?
Watch out for polar bears. They are pissed off AND hungry.
Ding. Game over. No more lives. 8-(
Anybody got another Earth to burn?
Uh Oh. We blew it man. No more ice.
Is this how Venus ended?
Is this how Venus roasted?
Gnarly dude, surfing the Arctic! Woo hoo!
Why is the Arctic Ocean bubbling like that?
No Arctic Ice?! Oh crap, that can't be good.
Svalbard, the new Miami.
Posted by: Sam | January 26, 2013 at 01:21
Climate Change: Bringing the coast--and its people--closer to you!
Posted by: Sartoir | January 26, 2013 at 01:23
"Arctic Sea Ice?
Fuck You".
or more simply...
"Fuck You".
How about some simple factage?
"Ice in the Arctic?
Down 50%!"
"Running on empty?
Please check your Arctic Sea Ice Levels Now Thank you"
"New! Arctic Oil,,Next Offramp!"
God Bless
Posted by: Curranstef | January 26, 2013 at 01:23
Welcome to sunny Iowa - the new Sahara!
New sport. Sand surfing the midwest desert.
Corn? Oh yeah, didn't they grow that in Iowa before it turned desert?
Posted by: Sam | January 26, 2013 at 01:24
The Arctic is melting.
You're next........
Posted by: dabize | January 26, 2013 at 03:09
Freewayblogger,
within the context of Californian motorists, I have the following proposal for a week-long campaign - one new sign each day with questions like these:
What will you do, when 25,000 polar bears come ashore?
Will you mince the meat and try to sell 100 mio. Polar Burgers?
Will you turn vegetarian and survive on seaweed all summer?
Will you strip the skin off the beasts and insulate 250 luxury homes?
Will you pour 25,000 tons of carcasses into the nearest biogas plant?
Will you take a cruise to the Arctic and watch the carnage?
Will you take the best teeth and try to sell 100,000 amulets?
Will you take the rest of the teeth and create perfect smiles in Hollywood?
Followed by a tiny poem to advertise this site:
Stop the car and get off the hook.
Stop for a moment and take a look
- at Neven's Arctic sea ice site.
Watch the ice go - bite by bite.
Posted by: P-maker | January 26, 2013 at 13:42
Terry,
I remember seeing Burma Shave signs. Long time ago, but clearly they made a lasting impression.
I attempted a few new ones to bring it home:
We skated ponds
And taught our child
But now our winter’s
Much too mild
Climate Change
Summer picnic
Lemonade
Record heat wave
Medic aid!
Climate Change
River rushing
Clear blue sky
Months without rain
River dry
Climate change
House in mountains
Seasons turning
Beetle damage
Trees are burning
Climate Change
Posted by: sigmetnow | January 26, 2013 at 20:00
Save the arctic, Save ourselves!
Posted by: nyc-tornado-10 | January 27, 2013 at 06:49
"The Arctic. See Ice?"
Posted by: Artful Dodger | January 27, 2013 at 16:34
Way to write, Terry and sigmetnow!
Here are some scriptural possibilities:
You must provide for the redemption of the earth. (Lev. 25:24)
The earth withers, ...for they have transgressed (Isaiah 24:4-5)
You cannot serve both God and mammon. (Luke 16:13)
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. (Exodus 23:2)
Posted by: Tor Bejnar | January 27, 2013 at 22:47
@tor Bejnar:
Here's another Bible verse on the apocalyptic side of things:
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come....
for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Revelation 11:18, New International Version
Posted by: Villabolo | January 28, 2013 at 00:02
I got a few...
"Santa: Client change refugee no. 10.000.000?"
"Got Ice?"
"What now?"
"Your move"
"Wasn't this supposed to happen to our grandchildren?"
"Welcome to the future!"
Posted by: Frank Johannessen | January 28, 2013 at 15:11
"welcome to the 21st century"
- used when people express shock with weather that used to never happen, or extreme catastrophe that has global warming written all over it, such as hurricane sandy or recent tornadoes in new york city.
Posted by: nyc-tornado-10 | January 29, 2013 at 05:33
One swallow doesn't make a summer, so a million swallows means Ice Age.
Posted by: Remko Kampen | January 29, 2013 at 16:46
Anthropogenecene, the new age started by humans
Posted by: Lillybrown | January 29, 2013 at 18:54
Borrowing it from my favorite coffee.
Arctic Sea Ice - Good to the last drip
Posted by: Ggelsrinc | January 30, 2013 at 06:00
Arctic Drilling,
Climate Killing.
Posted by: Artful Dodger | January 31, 2013 at 19:22
Big Oil,
Little Ice.
Climate Change.
Posted by: Artful Dodger | February 02, 2013 at 01:26
When there's a huge solar energy spill,
it's just called a "nice day"
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/74145_10151397751414509_1345608781_n.jpg
Posted by: Donald | February 02, 2013 at 13:41
When Arctic Ice Melts
Well oil beef hooked...
Ok so not entirely original, but maybe somewhat cryptic humorous edgy angle has some cut-through?
Posted by: Brenthoare | February 12, 2013 at 16:44
brent, I'm thinking that that's a bit cryptic for most folks. (The second line phonetically 'transforms' into a slangy expression of amazement & dismay, as expressed in Canadian 'Down East' dialect, for those who may be among the puzzled.)
Posted by: Kevin McKinney | February 12, 2013 at 17:31
"Drill, dummy, drill".
Posted by: Artful Dodger | February 28, 2013 at 22:02
Remember:
Send entries to freewayblogger - at - yahoo- dot - com
Deadline is March 15th, 2013.
Posted by: Artful Dodger | February 28, 2013 at 22:04
"Imagine 7 Billion Hot-heads..."
Posted by: Artful Dodger | March 12, 2013 at 06:55
How much Arctic sea ice has been lost?
50% extent or 80% volume?
Posted by: Protege Cuajimalpa | March 14, 2013 at 07:55