Something we have talked about a lot in class is the issue of sea levels rising. It is quite clever to use apes, a creature we are said to have evolutionary ties with, to point out a political problem such as the ignorance of climate change. President Donald Trump even pulled out of the Paris Accords, so there are many instances of conservatives “not being convinced” or supportive of issues of climate change or global warming. Historically, conservatives have been known to deny evidence of climate change, and or taken away funding from the EPA. This is a very clever way to address the constant tension of the global warming topic in politics today. The comic is an adaptation of the classic movie, Planet of the Apes, where apes have become highly evolved intellectuals fighting against mankind over domination of the world. The text shows an ape talking to a GOP representative, saying, “Man-made pollution caused global warming, which led to the destruction of the entire planet…Now the apes are in charge!” The man responds simply, “I’m still not convinced.” This is a very clever comic which uses pop culture to address a common pattern in politics regarding climate change. This is a political comic from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
