Earth Day 2022 Zine: Our Climate Story
- Medium: Print publication
- Software used: Adobe InDesign
- Project Type: Collaborative project
- Years: 2021-2022
We are tired of hearing about climate change. Its threat has been looming over us for so long, and we’ve learned every narrative: we know about the polar bears, the scientists, the corporations, the protests, the optimists proclaiming that “every little bit helps,” the pessimists saying the tipping point has already passed. The stories we hear are great at sparking terror, guilt, rage, desperation, and, ultimately, apathy.
It gets old, doesn’t it? What about solidarity? What about understanding? What about balancing the urgency of the need to act with the belief that taking action is possible and meaningful?
This is not a place for telling the usual climate story. This is the place for your climate story—our climate story.
Meghan created this publication to showcase Albertan perspectives on, relationships with, and emotions about climate change. In partnership with the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) and with support from the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG), she conceptualised the project, created the call for submissions, selected contributors from the pool of applicants, designed the physical publication (ensuring the layout served the presentation of its contributors' diverse submissions), handled copywriting and editing/proofreading, and assisted with the marketing and dissemination of the completed book.
Our Climate Story showcases a variety of creative media (e.g., essays, collage, poetry, photography) from Albertan creatives, especially highlighting post-secondary students. It shares a story about climate change that balances the urgency of the need to act with the belief that taking action is possible and meaningful. Focusing on the down-to-earth, the personal, and the emotional, it encourages community solidarity by providing the reader with a directory of organisations and resources with which to connect to take the next step in their own climate journey.
The publication was produced by Tiny Press, the SAAG's in-house bookmaking studio; it was sold, among other channels, via the SAAG Shop.