forest in fire
Sep
10
2017
The cartoon depicts a yellow canary inside a birdcage labeled implicitly as a coal mine, surrounded by symbols of extreme weather and disasters such as a tornado, hurricane swirl, lightning, flames, and flood waters covering a house. Published on September 10, 2017, it responds to active hurricane season and ongoing debates over climate change. The image places the bird in distress amid these events to illustrate the warning role of the canary metaphor applied to global warming. The right side text explicitly titles the scene as the canary in the global warming coal mine. This visual ties the traditional safety signal of canaries in mines to contemporary environmental threats.
Aug
18
2016
The cartoon shows a plane releasing a red and orange trail resembling fire or smoke across a landscape of burning trees. Text identifies the scene as the new state bird for California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and others. Published August 18, 2016, the image responds to active wildfire seasons in the western United States driven by drought conditions. The visual equates the plane's action with the spread of fires across multiple states.
