Cien Aguas GWE Playwrights
The Cien Aguas GWE Club has been doubling as a theater troupe recently. In collaboration with their facilitator, they have created a play featuring the conversion of a Tar Sands oil executive to the renewable cause.
Here is the Cien Aguas crew taking the Railrunner to Santa Fe to perform at the GWE Benefit Party at Tomasita’s. Graciela is in costume as “Mr. Charles, Corporate Executive” – minus a soon-to-be-applied mustache…
The play started when the Cien Aguas GWE watched a short documentary about the Alberta Tar Sands. In their indignation afterwards, they wanted to do something. They have performed three times: at the GWE Party in Santa Fe, at a school assembly, and for their PTA.
Keep it up, stars of the stage!
Read the script of the play below:
“THINK,” A PLAY IN ONE ACT
by the Cien Aguas chapter of the Global Warming Express
(Son enters)
Son: Hmm. I’ve been researching the many dangers of global warming. (Reading from a sheet) Approximately 150 thousand people die each year because of disasters related to global warming. In 25 years that rate is expected to double, making it 300 thousand deaths per year. That’s a lot of bodies.
Melting polar ice caps will flood many coastal cities and expected to cost the US government 50 billion dollars in repairs.
There is also the possibility that a runaway effect will amplify global warming uncontrollably. The most likely source of this is the Arctic tundra.
There is a colossal amount of carbon stored in the tundra which will emit an enormous amount of greenhouse gases if the tundra continues to melt.
This could increase climate related deaths and coastal flooding even more. Who knows how bad it could get?
(Looking up) Meanwhile. . . . .
(He steps to the side. The Naturalist and the Tar Sands Executive enter.)
Naturalist: Excuse me, I’ve been following the sandhill cranes all the way up from New Mexico to their summer habitat up here in Canada. I’m worried about their habitat up here. What is all this mess?
Tar Sands Executive: This “mess” is called producing more oil for the whole world.
Naturalist: Can I take you outside and show you what I mean, Mr. . . .
Tar Sands Executive: Mr. Charles, Corporate Executive, and NO! I am busy! I need to sign the final papers today to open a new part of the tar sands for mining.
Naturalist: That’s terrible! That’s going to hurt all the animals. How are you going to fix it? What if it pollutes all their water? Did you think about that?
T.S.E: This mining site will benefit the whole world by giving everyone oil. I give people what they want and I get what I want – money.
Naturalist: But this isn’t what I want! I want for all the animals to be safe so we can keep studying their natural behavior. Burning the tar sands is going to cause so much carbon pollution in the air that all the animals including humans will be in danger.
T.S.E. I’m healthy, my family’s healthy, the animals look healthy to me, and I think you’re overreacting.
Naturalist: What about the future? Have you thought about how global warming might affect you in the future? What about kids? Do you have any kids?
T.S.E. Yes I have a kid and I don’t need to worry about him He’s healthy now and if anything happens to him I’m rich, I can definitely afford to help him. And that stuff about global warming, forget it, global warming isn’t real. Right buddy?
Son: Look, dad. For a while I’ve wanted to tell you that global warming is real. There is scientific evidence that temperatures have been rising, it is affecting the environment drastically, and fossil fuels are the main cause. Please, dad. If you really care about me, could you listen to the naturalist? There are also jobs using green energy. . . . you could become part of the solution.
TSE Really? Wow. (Looks from son, to naturalist, to money, to contract. Reads aloud from contract in his hand.) “This mining will take place on the eastern boundary and will open Crane Lake and the surrounding areas for drilling. Please sign here.” (Hands the naturalist his money bag. ) Use it for good. Can you show me Crane Lake?
Naturalist: Let’s go.
TSE, on the way out, crumples contract and throws it over his shoulder.
Son (to audience): Why are we in a burning world? What is the purpose of destroying Earth when that is our home? THINK.