Who are you going to be?
by Franke James
On Labor Day weekend, I visited Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine to give a keynote speech and a Green Conscience art workshop. Holly Gurney, Associate Dean of Students, was the driving (and inspired) force behind my visit, writing to me that my artwork is:
“…a perfect example of the meeting/interweaving of two themes that I seek to encourage in the incoming class: namely environmental awareness and sustainability issues, and the role of art and artistic expression in the college’s community and daily life.”
The night before my talk, a small group of faculty and students joined me for dinner. (Since we were in Maine, fresh lobster was on the menu.) It was a great way to get acclimated and gave me a chance to hear about the creative ways that Bates is putting sustainability into action — from free-use bikes, to a car-share program, to an agreement with neighboring farms to take their food waste. As you’ll see in my visual essay below, it also provided added inspiration for me!
The Roadmap
Whenever I give a talk I like to let the audience know what the roadmap is (without giving away all the twists and turns)…
Part 1: Who are you going to be?
– I’m not who I thought I’d be…
– Making a difference through activism and storytelling
Part 2: Betting on the future
– Betting on the future: An industry that wins only if it correctly predicts.
– Can Society change? James Lovelock is doubtful.
Part 3: Taking Action for 350
– Taking Action: 350 on Campus and Around the Globe
Part 1: Who are you going to be?
I think the next generation will judge us harshly for our inaction on climate change.
We dump pollution into the air like it was a bottomless sewer. How different is this from us dumping raw sewage into our lakes? (Which almost everyone knows is bad for the environment and frowned on.)
In 2007, when I was writing To My Future Grandkids in 2020, I cited a headline about the “Arctic ice cap thawing faster than forecast.” Since then the Arctic sea ice has melted to record levels. This raises the possibility of an almost ice-free Arctic sea in the summertime within a few years.
The window on reducing our emissions is closing fast. Much faster than some of our political leaders are willing to admit.
“Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.” Science Facts at 350.org
“Do the Hardest Thing First” became my mantra. I told the students about us selling our only car so that we could whack down our emissions — and feel that we were doing something. (You can read about it all here: My SUV and Me Say Goodbye.)
Continued.. Part 2: Betting on the future
The Roadmap: Who are you going to be?
Part 1: Who are you going to be?
– I’m not who I thought I’d be…
– Making a difference through activism and storytelling
Part 2: Betting on the future
– Betting on the future:An industry that wins only if it correctly predicts.
– Can Society change? James Lovelock is doubtful.
Part 3: Taking Action for 350
– Taking Action: 350 on Campus and Around the Globe
51 Responses: 24 Comments and 27 Tweets
Twitter: 31 (Showing 27)
- Franke James @frankejames
@JanetNorCal My keynote to Bates is live. Who are you going to be? http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
(about 5321 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
My Bates College keynote/visual essay: "Who are you going to be?" http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942 (many #350 references)
(about 5321 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@RonaMaynard So glad you enjoyed it! I just heard from #350 organizer. He'll be sharing it on his blog http://frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
(about 5321 days ago) - gilda green @chinesecuisine
on web: Who are you going to be?: On Labor Day weekend, I visited Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine to gi.. http://bit.ly/o4LjW
(about 5321 days ago) - Ryan E. Dean @ryanedean
WOW!! \nhttp://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
(about 5321 days ago) - Vince d'Eon @vincedeon
Client stuff out of the way, now some ME time - reading about Green Conscience http://bit.ly/1aKltj Franke\'s stuff ALWAYS worth the readthru
(about 5321 days ago) - Vince d'Eon @vincedeon
"The insurance industry is warning about climate change. Considering their track record, I think we should pay attn." http://bit.ly/1aKltj
(about 5321 days ago) - Marty Avery @martyavery
RT @frankejames: My Bates College keynote/visual essay: "Who are you going to be?" http://bit.ly/W8FhB #350 Brilliant!
(about 5321 days ago) - maldot @maldot
Franke James » Blog Archive » Who are you going to be? http://bit.ly/HgYRH
(about 5321 days ago) - Percy Monteiro @wiredal
Who are you going to be? is Franke James\' latest visual essay. Like the others she\'s written, this too is a fun read: http://is.gd/3D5KU
(about 5321 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@MartyAvery Thnx for rave on my keynote! Cdn Film Centre’s Media Lab (in 96?) helped me w/my digital storytelling http://bit.ly/W8FhB
(about 5321 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@ryanedean I think that "WOW" means you liked it... Congrats & hope your #350 Bird\'s Eye View project has wings. http://bit.ly/W8FhB
(about 5321 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@KarenHanrahan Yeah! Thnx for your wonderful comment on "Who are you going to be?" The next gen has a big task! http://bit.ly/W8FhB #350
(about 5320 days ago) - Tanja aka Mayari @mayari
a great sad story http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
(about 5320 days ago) - David Noble @davidnoble
great visual essay from @frankejames: Who are you going to be? http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
(about 5320 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@davidnoble Hey David! Thanks! Appreciate using the Bali photos too. http://bit.ly/W8FhB
(about 5320 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
Divided my visual essay / keynote: 1. Who are you going to be? 2. Betting on the future 3. Taking Action for 350 http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - Trevor Rotzien @trevorrotzien
More awesome visual essays from the singular @frankejames, starting w/ “Who are you going to be?” http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - thinkmaya @thinkmaya
RT @trevorrotzien More awesome visual essays from the singular @frankejames, starting w/ “Who are you going to be?” http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
Good use of plural! RT @trevorrotzien More awesome visual essays from @frankejames starting w/ Who are you going to be? http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - Janet Webb @janetnorcal
RT @frankejames Visual essay / keynote: 1. Who are you going to be? 2. Betting on the future 3. Taking Action for 350 http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@trevorrotzien Thank you! It is fun. I call it my "post-it note" dress. The designer must have had a sense of humor! http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
(about 5319 days ago) - public art fans @beautyist
Enjoyed http://bit.ly/1a6XDy @frankejames\'s billboard paintings and intro to http://350.org (via @thinkmaya @trevorrotzien)
(about 5319 days ago) - Bryan McNulty @bryanmcnulty
Real world artist Franke James\' latest visual essay about her trip to Bates: http://bit.ly/YYL7c
(about 5316 days ago) - Bates College @batescollege
RT @BryanMcNulty: Real world artist Franke James\' latest visual essay about her trip to Bates: http://bit.ly/YYL7c
(about 5314 days ago) - Franke James @frankejames
@moneycoach Thnx! I believe we can change. Here's my 3 part story about change, betting on the future & taking action. http://bit.ly/YYL7c
(about 5283 days ago) - mgifford @mgifford
@frankejames Thanks for both the RT & FF yesterday. This is a good blog post! http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942 Wack the PM was fun!
(about 5234 days ago)
Via Twitter
@RonaMaynard: Inspired by new visual essay by artist/writer/activist @frankejames, based on her Bates College keynote. http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
VIA TWITTER
@BobbyHertz @FrankeJames You’re an inspiration to us all! Check out Franke’s piece inspired by her visit to @BatesCollege…http://bit.ly/YYL7c
VIA TWITTER
@ryanedean: WOW!! http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?p=942
“If people will pick up dog shit”…now I’m laughing, but it is so true!
I don’t think change will come from our so-called “leaders”. It is coming from us.
We need to make the connections between the steak we eat and the emissions from the cows. Choose green energy and fight against new coal stations being built. Lobby for public transport – and use it! Fight for more efficient cars that cost us less to run – and for bike lanes that are safe, direct, and separate from car traffic.
Leaders follow from us. Corporations follow from us. It is up to us to accept the responsibility for our future, and to be willing to change. And we can do it. Because I’d much rather spend less on petrol and ride a bike than pick up dog shit anyday! :-)
VIA TWITTER:
@MartyAvery RT @frankejames: My Bates College keynote/visual essay: “Who are you going to be?” http://bit.ly/W8FhB #350 Brilliant!
VIA TWITTER:
@maldot Franke James » Blog Archive » Who are you going to be? http://bit.ly/HgYRH
VIA TWITTER:
@frankejames : @ryanedean I think that “WOW” means you liked it… Congrats & hope your #350 Bird’s Eye View project has wings.
VIA TWITTER:
@wiredal Who are you going to be? is Franke James’ latest visual essay. Like the others she’s written, this too is a fun read: http://is.gd/3D5KU
WOW. i’m inspired! gonna look into doing a flashmob in Melbourne for 350day… stay tuned…!! thanks Franke :)
Every time you “birth” another one of your remarkable essay’s I learn another layer about you. I am continually empowered and inspired. Your message because of their visual strength and passion always make my heart beat just a little bit faster with possibility – I like this idea of fostering youth into what’s their role in their future! Way to go Franke!
VIA TWITTER:
@frankejames : @KarenHanrahan Yeah! Thnx for your wonderful comment on “Who are you going to be?” The next gen has a big task! http://bit.ly/W8FhB #350
VIA TWITTER:
@mayari @frankejames I love how you tell your story! Your art says more than words can ever tell. Thanks for inspiring me!
Franke,
Wow, that’s a great keynote! Fabulous! Really interesting. I’ll share it with friends.
David
VIA TWITTER
@davidnoble Great visual essay from @frankejames: Who are you going to be? http://www.frankejames.com/…
Franke, another impressive display of your creativity– It’s great!! I love that it doesn’t just show that we all have to take action in the face of this problem… It really shows that we are totally capable of doing just that. What an inspiration!
VIA TWITTER
@trevorrotzien More awesome visual essays from the singular @frankejames, starting w/ “Who are you going to be?” http://bit.ly/1a6XDy
[…] Part 1: Who are you going to be? Part 2: Betting on the future Part 3: Taking Action for 350 […]
….after reading ‘Part I’ your latest wonderful story about taking action…..I picked up a book I started reading yesterday….I hadn’t digested the road map to understand that ‘Part II’ lay ahead…and I opened my new book…about oceans…to page 22 and this is what I read…(God’s honest truth)….
“Until very recently it hasn’t mattered what humans think or don’t think or what stories we tell. We have been inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. And what we do, or don’t do, has also been insignificant, perhaps not for individual humans, but for the planet as a whole and, certainly, for the global ocean. The planet’s resilience, its vastness, has compensated for whatever we were doing.
What we do and how we think does matter now, though, because finally the actions and belief systems of humans are damaging the ocean. Our actions are dangerous to us and to millions of other living things. We are altering not just bits of the sea with dreadful oil spills or eroding shores or vast extinctions of fish, but the whole, interconnected global system that is the ocean, the main medium of life on earth.”
This is from Sea Sick (2009) by Canadian journalist Alanna Mitchell. Earlier in the book, she makes the point that the global ocean makes up 99 percent of the living space on the planet, thanks to its immense depth, and that the narrow band of atmosphere that supports air-breathing creatures like you and me, that represents just 1 percent.
So, in case you’re reading this and (like me) missed the road map at the start (and how to move on to part II….click here….
http://www.frankejames.com/debate/?page_id=944
Michael,
Thanks for the directional tip! This visual essay is longer than my usual — so I divided it into 3 chunks! Here’s the Roadmap again…
Part 1: Who are you going to be?
– I’m not who I thought I’d be…
– Making a difference through activism and storytelling
Part 2: Betting on the future
– Betting on the future:An industry that wins only if it correctly predicts.
– Can Society change? James Lovelock is doubtful.
Part 3: Taking Action for 350
– Taking Action: 350 on Campus and Around the Globe
Best,
Franke
VIA TWITTER
@350 Take Action for 350 – Beautiful visual invitation 2 join Climate Actions on Oct. 24 – http://bit.ly/1GQkpP THANK YOU @frankejames
Featured on 350.org
350 Storyteller: Franke James
No doubt about it, we’ve got our work cut out for us with Climate Change. We’ve got a problem on our hands the size of our planet. Luckily, that planet is full of smart and dedicated people using their unique skills to make a difference. One of those people is artist and storyteller Franke James. To deal with such unprecidented problems, Franke has set about developing a new way of communication using her online Visual Stories. These wonderful tales read like the great illuminated manuscripts of the past, filling the meaning of their words with powerful images. Franke uses her skills as illustrator, writer, photographer and communicator to turn her personal experiences into a platform to address global issues….
Speaking & Events Comments
Holly Gurney, Associate Dean of Students, Bates College
September 30th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Thank you so much for the wonderful weekend you spent with us at Bates Franke. The presentation was a wonderful melding of environmental activism, artistic expression and thought provoking questions/ideas with which to begin a college career. Our first year students enjoyed it greatly; over the next four years I am sure they will come to recognize anew how powerful a message it was with which to begin undergraduate education.
Your workshop on Six Tools to Make Climate Change Art was greatly appreciated by the students who attended and they are making use of it now in preparation for Oct. 24th events. Finally, it was such a delight to have your enthusiasm, commitment and humor permeating our campus — I’m just so glad that it lives on in some sense through your blog about the trip to Bates College.
Speaking & Events Comments
Ryan Dean,The Bird’s Eye View
October 1st, 2009 at 12:37 pm e
Franke,
What can I say? Attending your talk really put things into perspective for me. I can honestly say that your visit to Bates really made all of the lofty possibilities a tangible reality. I am so impressed because you not only recognize that you must take up this social responsibility yourself, but you are actually compelling enough to get others to do the same. Students here came away from your talk both with a greener conscience AND ways in which they could create activist art themselves. It’s brilliant.
I find your combination of activism and art completely inspiring and it has sparked an energy in me that has only grown in the days since! My head is buzzing with the number of new ideas that I am determined to see come to fruition. Thanks for everything.
Ryan
[…] It may surprise you to know that I love billboards: my first big show was on a 48 foot billboard. About twenty years ago, I looked up at the billboards (hand-painted back then) and wondered why they didn’t put art on them. With that dream, I set about finding a sponsor. Manufacturer’s Life sponsored the travelling show as their 100th birthday gift to the Canadian public. The billboard artshow was a fabulous success. It featured artists from coast-to-coast, including Jack Shadbolt, Mary Pratt, Yves Gaucher, Louis de Niverville — and me. (For info see my Bates College talk: Who are you going be?) […]