Using language to make the world of fossil fuels strange and ugly
They weren’t getting it.
I had a room full of bright first-year university students in front of me, but confusion reigned as I tried to describe how embedded fossil fuels are in every aspect of society.
“OK, let’s try this. What do you call a car that uses both gasoline and battery power?” Relieved to be asked a question they could confidently answer, a few students piped up: “Hybrid car!”
“Right. Now, what do you call a car that you plug in?” The number of students joining the chorus grew: “Electric car!”
“Right again. So, what do you call a car that runs only on gasoline?” The response was a bit delayed this time, but some wry smiles of understanding accompanied the answer: “A car.”