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TheEnvironmentalMessageBehindTheLorax
ByKyleAyers

April9,20122:18PM
FiledUnder:Dr.Seuss,EarthDay,KyleAyers,TheLorax

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(PhotoCredit:Thinkstock)

TherecentmovieadaptationofTheLoraxwasasmashhitat
theaters,drawingviewersintoa3DversionoftheworldDr.Seuss
createdover40yearsago.Hollywoodexpandsupontheclassic
environmentaltalebutlosesthesimplicityofthemessageinupdating
thestoryforamodernaudience.Butthemessagethatthe
environmentmustbeprotectedagainstthosewhowouldprofitfromit
isimportant.WithEarthDaynearlyuponus,itsworthtakinga
closerlookatthechildrensbookthatspawnedthemovie.
InTheLorax,aboyventuresofftothefarendoftownwherethe
Gricklegrassgrows,andthewindsmellsslowandsourwhenit
blowsHefindstheoldhouseoftheevilOncelerandhearsthe
storyofhowhisworldcametobesograyandpolluted.
AstheOncelertellsit,hediscoveredthiscolorfulplacelongago,
teemingwithBrownBarbaloots,HummingFishandluscious,
beautifulTruffulaTrees.Thetreeswereofparticularinterest,since
theycouldbemadeintoagarmentcalledaThneed.AThneedsA

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Lorax,whospeaksforthetrees,
protests.Butnoonelistens.
TheOncelercranksupThneed
production,buildingafactoryand
expandingcapacitytomeettheneeds
ofconsumers.TheLoraxpleadswith
himtokeepthetreesalive,butthe
Onceler,drivenbymoney,paysno
attention.SoontheBarbalootsand
thenthefisharedrivenoff,because
theycantsurviveinahabitatwithso
(PhotoCredit:RandomHouseBooksfor
YoungReaders)
fewtrees.WiththelastTruffulatree
choppeddown,Thneedproductionstops,workersleave,thefactory
closesupandtheOncelerisleftinagrim,desolateworldofhisown
creation.EventheLorax,whosepersistentwarningswentunheeded,
takesoffinsearchofsomeplacebetter.Thebookends,backinthe
present,withtheOncelergivingtheboythelastremainingTruffula
Treeseed,inthehopethathecanbringbackthebeautifultrees.

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Thefableisntsubtle,norshoulditbe.Seusspersonifiesindustryas
awholewiththeOnceler,todrawinterestandattentionto
uncheckedcorporategreedasathreattonature.TheLoraxsounds
thewarningsiren,butisignored,asenvironmentalgroupsoftenare,
untilitstoolate.Butindustryisntthesoleculpritinthiscautionary
tale.Industrywillonlyproducewhatitthinksconsumerswillbuy.So
onacertainlevel,wereallresponsibleforthefateofthe
environment.Dr.Seussgoeseasyonusinhisstory,butour
complicityisheavilyimplied.Ifwe,asconsumers,aresoeasily
swayedbythenextbigthing,withoutregardforhowitsmade,then
thisistheworldwellendupwith.
TheLoraxisafairlygrimtale
comparedtoGreenEggsandHamor
TheCatintheHat,forsure.Butit
reflectstheerainwhichitwaswritten.
In1971,whenthebookwasreleased,
theUnitedStateswasembroiledin
environmentalissuesleftoverfrom
the1960s.Thedeforestationofthe
PacificNorthwestwaschiefamong
themloggingcompanieswerecutting
downtreesatalarmingrates.
Needlesstosay,theloggingindustry
Dr.Seuss(PhotoCredit:Libraryof
CongressPrintsandPhotographsDivision) wasnothappyaboutTheLorax.The
bookwasbannedfrommanyschoolsandlibrariesnearthriving
timbercommunities.Timberindustrygroupsevensponsoreda
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TheEnvironmentalMessageBehindTheLoraxCBSNewYork

rebuttalbook,calledTheTruax,whichhelpedkidsunderstandthe
necessityofharvestingtimber.

LearnaboutthehistoryofEarthDay.
AtnopointdoesTheLoraxsaydontcutdowntreesaworld
withoutindustryisnobetteranoptionthanaworldwithouttrees.The
booksimplyattemptstoincreaseawarenessofthepossibleextreme
shouldindustrygounchecked.Seussthinkssocietyneedstostrikea
balance.Letsnotforgetthatthebookshesoldmillionsofthem
Buy Ti c k e ts
O r de r Food
Mor e
FO LLO W US

LO G I N
wereallprintedonpaperfrom,youguessedit,trees.AstheLorax
putsit,theysayImoldfashioned,andliveinthepast,but
sometimesIthinkprogressprogressestoofast!

RE G I S TE R

Search

TheLoraxremainsastapleofchildrensreadinglistsforitswhimsical
charactersandwonderful,Seussicalwordplay.Butitscautionary
messageisasimportanttodayasiteverwas.Respectforthe
environmentandalllivingcreatureswillhelpuspreservetheplanet
forourselvesandfuturegenerations.Andthatrespectcanlivein
harmonywitheconomicprogress.Thefableringstrue,asweprepare
tocelebrateanotherEarthDay.
VisittheEarthDaysectionatCBSLocal.
KyleAyersisawriterforCBSLocalandKorkedBats.com,aswellas
astandupcomedianlivinginNewYork,Earth.FollowKyleonTwitter
@kyleayers.

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