Did you know you can use Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax to teach children to live a greener life? Below there are 10 lessons that you can teach your kids using The Lorax!
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10 lessons that you can teach your kids using The Lorax!
1. UNSPOILED WILDERNESS IS A THING TO TREASURE – The Once-ler, who lives a hermitic existence on the gloomy outskirts of town, fondly reminisces about “the days when the grass was still green and the pond was still wet and the clouds were still clean.” It’s clear that he regrets the devastating impact his actions had on the area, whose once-pristine flora and fauna could be analogous for any number of bio-diverse regions of the world currently threatened by development.
2. TAKE ONLY PICTURES, LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS – Recognizing the beauty of the Truffula Trees, the Once-ler chops one down and uses it to knit his first Thneed (which looks a bit like furry pajamas). “There’s no cause for alarm,” he reasons with the Lorax, “I chopped just one tree.” But as demand for his product increases, he harvests more and more and more, until they are all gone. Once begun, the exploitation of nature is difficult to stop, so it’s best not to start.
3. WE MUST SPEAK FOR THE TREES (AND ALL OTHER LIVING THINGS) – “I am the Lorax,” says the creature Seuss describes as sharpish and bossy, “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” There is no place in the world where it is considered OK to cut off a person’s nose, or skin, or limbs. Yet at this very minute, rhinos are being killed for their horns, seals for their skins, and sharks for their fins. They cannot stand up for themselves. If we don’t do it, who will?
4. DON’T EXPECT PEOPLE IN POWER TO MAKE ECO-CONSCIOUS DECISIONS – For far too long, people have trusted governments and corporations to do the right thing. But the Once-ler is a great example of how someone with good intentions can make very bad decisions when there’s money to be made. Only by combining our collective voices can we, the people, truly have a say in the creation of environmental policies that encourage the sustainable development of a green economy.
5. IN NATURE, EVERY ACTION HAS A REACTION – The Once-ler begins chopping trees and making Thneeds four times faster, never once considering the long-term effects on the planet. First the Brown Bar-ba-loots, who fed on the Truffula Fruits, go hungry. Then, as the noxious fumes from the factory poison the water and air, the Swomee-Swans and Humming-Fish leave. All too often, oil and natural gas companies begin drilling without fully understanding the long-term environmental impact. More often than not, it’s devastating both to humans and wildlife.
6. DEVELOPMENT, IF NOT SUSTAINABLE, IS A DEAD-END ROAD – What Dr. Seuss called Truffula Trees could just as easily be the forests of Borneo, where illegal logging and oil-palm plantations are destroying critical habitat for the endangered Orangutan. This harvest may turn a quick profit, but how will the nation generate revenue once the forests are gone? Green industries such as ecotourism and renewable energy offer opportunities for long-term profits via sustainable development.
7. RAMPANT CONSUMERISM CREATES A NON-SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE – The Once-ler justifies his environmental destruction by arguing that he’s serving society by creating Thneeds, which he claims, “EVERYONE needs!” But many of our “needs” are manufactured via advertising, and hardly necessary for survival. By Reducing our consumption, Reusing everything we can and Recycling everything else, we minimize our individual and collective strain on the planet.
8. UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT, NOTHING IS GOING TO GET BETTER. IT’S NOT. – When the Lorax disappears from the barren wasteland, he leaves behind a small pile of rocks with one word carved into them: UNLESS. This is his warning, just as climate change and an increasing number of endangered species are Mother Nature’s warning, to all of us. We must think of ourselves as the Lorax, and we must take action on behalf of the environment. Unless we do, things have no hope of getting better.
9. CHILDREN ARE THE SEEDS, AND WE MUST HELP THEM GROW – At the end of his story, the Once-ler gives the boy to whom he is telling it the very last Truffula seed, encouraging him to plant it. Dr. Seuss’ message is that educating children about the importance of environmental stewardship is our best hope for nurturing the sustainable development of a green economy. Somewhere in the world, there’s a young boy or girl who may develop a revolutionary form of alternative energy, or an innovation in sustainable agriculture. They need our help to learn and grow.
10. THERE IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, AND IT IS US – “Grow a forest,” the Once-ler says. “Protect it from axes that hack. Then the Lorax and all of his friends may come back.” It’s not too late to take action. Plant a tree! Conserve water! Learn how to live more sustainably and travel more responsibly! Invest in Clean Energy! Write your Congressman and urge him/her to support pro-environmental legislation! Dr. Seuss’ timeless classic reminds us that ANYONE can make a difference, and we are all essential to creating a greater, greener world. All we have to do is speak for the trees.
If you would like to get a copy of The Lorax, you can purchase it on Amazon (affiliate link). The Kindle edition is $9.99, hardcovers are available for as low as $8.44, and paperbacks are available for as low as $2.99. There’s also a pop-up edition for only $22.37!
If you would also like the movie, you can get it with Amazon Instant Video (rent for $2.99 or buy for $9.99) or purchase the DVD ($8.97) or Blu-Ray (14.99).
