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Harpers Meltdown Political Cartoon Analysis

This cartoon is set in Canadas Arctic and depicts two polar bears looking at Prime Minister Stephen Harper who is slowly sinking into the frigid water as his small and insignificant platform melts away. The polar bears are sarcastically commenting on Harpers arguably insufficient environmental platform for addressing climate change and the impact it is having on Canadas ice caps and northern wildlife in particular. Polar bears were chosen as the main characters of the cartoon as they are a specie whose survival is directly threatened by climate change. Harper is waving good-bye with a stunned look on his face, which represents his response of shying away from the issue, addressing it too late or the fact that his inaction may be causing him to sink in the polls. This cartoon clearly communicates a strong message about a pressing Canadian and global environmental and political issue. This cartoon portrays Harpers response to climate change in a negative light by having him standing alone and sinking on a small ice floe; an appropriate metaphor for what is currently taking place in the far North. By having the polar bears sarcastically comment on the Prime Ministers response to this serious issue, the reader gets the sense that it is clear that many people feel that Harper has done too little, too late. Thus, the use of sarcasm helps to convey a negative message about the conservative governments response to climate change. I wanted to communicate my dissatisfaction with Harpers
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inaction as his government only responded to this environmental crisis upon the release of a UN report to the public, which resulted in public outcry and a change in poll standings. Harper needs to take a more proactive, rather than reactive, approach to this increasingly complex issue as it has far-reaching and severe consequences for Canada and the global community. After analyzing my cartoon, I think I could have made it more effective by exaggerating the setting. For example, I think the severity of the issue could be communicated if one polar bear was struggling to swim in the water while the other was on a thin piece of ice tanning under the sun. This would show how the bears are being affected while illustrating the environmental impact increased temperatures are having on the physical environment. Suitable titles for this particular cartoon include Harpers Sinking Ship or Harpers Meltdown. These proposed titles reinforce my viewpoint on the issue while leaving the reader to interpret the image.
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