Energy Misconceptions Skits

Spreading Awareness of Energy and Climate Change Through the Use of Internet Videos

By Cal Engstrom

To View the Reels, click here

Living within the height of the Digital Era, we are relying less and less on mainstream media sources and instead turning to each other to learn about our world. This form of communication leads to having a stronger sense of interconnectivity, as we embrace how similar our woes and anxieties are to each other. For our generation, squished somewhere in between Millennials and the Gen-Z, are the real fears and unknowns of Climate Change. This is not unwarranted, as films such as Merchants of Doubt show just how far businesses and major media will go in order to protect the status quo in this country (Sony, 2014). For the final project in Climate Change Communications, I wanted to address these concerns in a universal manner in order to dispel misconceptions about the future of our country. The best way I know how, is through comedy.

               Like most kids that grew up during the rise of YouTube, I loved the amateur sketch comedy that emerged from the internet that would soon define the ironic and avant-garde sense of humor that we’ve perfected. I had my fair share of trying to replicate this, as videos of myself and siblings sit dormant on YouTube, hopefully never seeing the light of day again. However, I figured now would be the right time to go back to my roots.

               To narrow my focus, I decided to put my effort into developing skits that focus on the misconceptions of energy use and efficiency in the United States and post them across social media such as Instagram and Twitter. In Chapter 9 of Per Espen Stoknes' What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming, the author discusses how powerful social media networks are due to their ability to create social norms. By focusing on the connectivity between others, short videos and other shareable media can be used to help influence others in a fun and engaging way. I decided on developing three short videos that each capture a unique fear about the emerging renewable energy market and the responsibilities we share to help protect the planet.

               These short narratives were created using Instagram reels and with assistance from my roommates, Nik, Henry, and Clay. For precautions, we are all close contacts to each other and are fully vaccinated. For simplicity, I will now turn to discussing each of them in the broader context and connecting the videos with concepts studied in CliComms.

Energy Efficiency and You

Cal (@captaincal08) Energy Efficiency and You

               This sketch was ultimately the reason why I wanted to pursue a project of this nature. At the core of the video is the general anxiety that climate change activists feel when facing their desire to mitigate their carbon footprints. It stars a Frat boy, Clay,  and his friend, me, as they work to figure out a balance between helping the planet and helping themselves. Stoknes discusses the power of individual action and the guilt that becomes associated with it. Although the Frat is a large exaggeration of this fear, he represents the climate activists that give it their all yet still feel like they haven’t done enough. We talked a lot in class about the power of individual action and the paradoxical association between modern civilization and a need to stop Climate Change, as well as the burnt-out sensation that occurs when we push too hard for this. Stoknes argues that instead of dwelling on individualistic activities for reducing our own carbon footprint, we should work more towards being social citizens, in which we upend the systematic barriers that prevent us from working towards climate goals (Stoknes, 2015. Chapter 8). It indeed is important to be aware and take action against climate change, but it needs to be in a healthy manner so not to dwell into hopelessness.

               In this manner, the Frat is not entirely incorrect in his worldview, as he appears to care for reducing his energy use in a significant way. It is his approach that causes concern. As such, it is the friend that needs to step in and help show the way to help save the planet without making as huge of a sacrifice as the Frat thought would be needed. 

Robots for Oil

Cal (@captaincal08) : Robots for Oil

               This is a shorter sketch than the previous, but it serves an important distinction and reminder about how the energy market will change within the coming years as we begin to modernize and adapt alongside new technologies. Once again, it stars my roommate Clay and I. This sketch is also much more experimental than the last, as it does not explicitly state its intentions but rather relies on the viewer to come to their own conclusions.

               The sketch centers around a man that is obsessed with listening to a robot, played by a Gonk Droid that was bought as Disney World, that is spewing misinformation about energy and Climate Change. Even as the robot shows more and more ridiculous claims, the man becomes more engrossed in what it is saying. Acting as a representation of media markets who act in denial of CC, such as Fox News, the robot shows the unethical intentions of generating news that is above all, false. In class, we discussed the power of ideology that grips onto Americans. Climate change issues have become entangled in politics and identity that it has become difficult to be able to solve issues due to the barriers we have put up around ourselves.

               The skit ends with an outsider pushing the robot away and remarking how the robot in itself will take our jobs, not renewable energies. This acts as a double entendre, as it is the media he is consuming that is dangerous as well as the larger danger to employment in the US is the increase of automation (Dautovic, 2020). As such, the man who is obsessively watching the robot can soon turn to becoming a more informed citizen as this threat is dissipated.

Renewables: The True Cost

Cal (@captaincal08) Renewables: The True Cost

               The final sketch created uses a straightforward approach to inform people on the costs of energy, the capacity of renewable energy, and the unreliability of oil in the future. It stars Henry as the man on the couch, and Clay as the skeptic. It focuses on someone who is not informed on energy generation in the United States being bewildered by someone who appears to have all the answers. In this skit, both of the characters have done wrong in some form. One of the men does not want to believe in the facts of the energy market, while the other is doing the wrong approach to educating him. The man sitting down shows he has the answers but relies on the deficit model to teach him. As discussed in class, the deficit model does not work entirely due to it relies on the learner to have no preconceived notions of what their being taught. As such, a different approach should have been done. Due to this discrepancy, the man being taught still doesn’t quite understand. 

Measurements, Issues, and Successes

               When I first posted these, the metrics were surprisingly well. I exceeded my expectations and are happy with the results, with multiple interactions from my followers and about 100 views. After the initial run, they were deleted from the page, but I will repost for the purposes of the assignment. UPDATE: After reposting them, they're currently sitting at an accumulated 2100 views from the reels, which far exceeds my goals and shows the massive potential that social media has to spread information.

     There was a multitude of issues when deciding to shoot this. For one, I am not a director nor have used Instagram Reels before. Luckily, we were all able to figure it out quickly, as my plans to use a video camera fell through. The scripts also had to go through several rewrites and props were made on the spot to account for humor and practicality (Such as a fishing pole gave Henry the last graph in Renewables and You). 

    Through all of this turbulence, I still feel this turned out to be successful. We hit a small form of virality, sort of, and had a lot fun in the meantime. Even past these cheesy and cringe short videos, the message remains the same: discussing with people about the future of energy is an incredibly important and careful task. When done right, it helps create clarity in a subject that many people are too afraid to talk about. 

References

Dautovic, G. (2020, June 30). Automation & Job Loss Statistics - 2020 Overview. Fortunly. https://fortunly.com/statistics/automation-job-loss-statistics/#gref.

Sony. (2014). Merchants of Doubt [DVD]. USA.

Stoknes, P. E. (2015). What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action. Chelsea Green Publishing.