Squarzoni and His Emerging Obsession

I was surprised by how detailed and informative Climate Changed actually is. The way Squarzoni addresses the issue is unlike anything I have ever seen before and its impact is profound. Until now, the graphic novels and memoirs I have encountered have been both inherently immature and entertaining. They are typically childish; comic book panels showcasing fists next to the word (if you could even call it that) pow! As I began this book, I expected something relatively to this degree. But I was mistaken. Climate Changed is presenting global warming in a way that, yes is amusing, but still is extremely informative and thought provoking. It is the kind of artwork Bill McKibbens begged for in his article, the kind that will rally more people to fight climate change.

We have been taught that the greenhouse effect is negative. This is something most people, after gathering tidbits of information of global warming, generally assume. But Squarzoni shows his readers the history of the greenhouse effect – how it naturally occurs in nature and how life on planet Earth could not exist without it. He shows us how humans affected this naturally occurring phenomenon, exponentially increasing it, and why this is harmful to the environment. I did not know that the greenhouse effect naturally benefits Earth but Squarzoni showed his readers why this is. I found this extremely helpful in understanding climate change.

Now there is the matter of how Squarzoni represents what he writes in graphic pictures. We first see Squarzoni reading book upon book about climate change and are allowed to see how his imagination digests this information. We see glacial and interglacial periods, graphs and charts, etc. He also includes the front cover of the books as well so as that we can see where he references this information and even go out and read them for ourselves.

As Squarzoni reads, we can also see what he thinks by the expressions depicted on his face. On page 56, the lowest panel on the page, Squarzoni’s face is darkly shadowed in; his forehead is deeply creased in worry. His eyes stare intently at the page, reading, as his hand prepares to flip the page. This is important – he does not take time to pause when turning the page. He is anxious for more information and (as signified by the pen in his hand that he is reading actively) is intent on retaining this information. On page 64 there is a transition. Squarzoni no longer recounts the information on climate change as he reads. He puts on his jacket and he is still telling us about climate change. The book is closed.  This signifies that even when he is not reading about climate change, Squarzoni still thinks about it. This shows the reader his evolution in learning about climate change – from being admittedly completely ignorant to thinking about it in his free moments. Squarzoni begins to think about climate change as he goes through the motions of everyday life. As he cooks and recounts the negative effects cooking has on the environment, his shoulders are hunched, his head is downcast, and he squints down at his chore. This shows us how guilty he is becoming in his everyday life. Squarzoni cannot hide his emerging obsession from his significant other. On page 66, as he tells her what he has learned, she looks at him intently. She is holding her fork but she is neither bringing her food to her mouth nor retrieving more of it. She is still as she watches her lover become more and more tormented by this issue. Squarzoni, on the other hand, looks like he is in pain. His shoulders are hunched and his left hand is clenched into a fist. I wonder if his new obsession will bring problems to the relationship. I wonder what Squarzoni will do next.