Squarzoni’s Memories (Intro-pg 37)

Phillipe Squarzoni spends the intro of Climate Changed contemplating how to begin the story so as to affect the reader in the same way that he was affected by movies from his childhood. Beginnings and first impressions are vitally important to capturing someone’s imagination and forming a memory that person can go back to in order to orient themselves in a sequence of events. I thought it was a clever concept for Sqaurzoni to do this because getting people to think about climate change requires them to see the condition of the past  through a memory and then compare that to the condition of things now. Squarzoni remembers fondly his carefree childhood of running through the fields of long grass and swimming in the streams of his small french village in the 70s. He acknowledges that that life has ended and he has to face the political/environmental issues of the world through his writing but says that his memories endure.  Memories will be a vital component to the public’s involvement with the issue as they see rapid environmental changes and compare them to the past.

I thought pages 28 to 31 revealed the point made by Bill McKibben in “A Call to Arms” about “leaders” not really being leaders when it comes to the issue. Even when President Chirac of France advocated for more environmental measures other leaders prevented him from instituting them. There was also the case given of the quotas being manipulated by countries in the EU.

Overall I am very much enjoying the book so far. I think it is interesting that there are multiple scenarios being presented at once in this opening section. There is him in the movie  theater, him in his various childhood experiences, the discussion of the political issues of climate change, and him as an adult writing the book. I think it is fulfilling its title as a “personal journey” as it is as much about Phillipe Squarzoni’s journey as it is our own.