Scientists say climate change is threatening the planet (see "Standing Up for the Earth"). It is causing the ice at the North and South poles to melt, leading to a rise in sea levels. Climate change is also making hurricanes, floods, and droughts more severe.
To prevent widespread disaster, many experts say, the world’s nations must take drastic measures to stop climate change. In the U.S., many activists argue that the government is not doing enough. They include a group of 21 young people who are suing the federal government, saying that it has a duty to protect the planet they will inherit.
These cartoons comment on climate change. The top image references an old expression: “Someday, this will all be yours.” It’s something a king might once have said to a prince about the kingdom he would inherit. The bottom cartoon uses Uncle Sam, a symbol of the U.S., to comment on America’s climate- change policy. Study the cartoons, then answer the questions.
1. In the top cartoon, what are the father and son looking at?
2. How does the father’s use of an old expression change what it once meant?
3. In the bottom cartoon, what is Uncle Sam’s attitude toward severe storms? What details in the cartoon make this clear?
4. What does the cartoonist seem to think of Uncle Sam’s comment? How can you tell?
5. How are the attitudes of the father and Uncle Sam similar?