Hippo Inspires Army of Little Eco-Warriors

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Ecolutionist
May 5th, 2011

It is never too early to educate and empower future environmentalists — and writer, educator, cartoonist, Denis Thomopoulos, is leading the way with his latest creation, Simon Says, “Let’s Stop Climate Change!” His work is attracting attention from the likes of author Mark Herstgaard and he has been featured at the Green Festival as it travels around the country.

Originally trained in English Literature at Oxford, Thomopoulos had ambitions of becoming a college professor and a movie producer. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, working with filmmakers like David Putnam, Irwin Winkler, and Costa-Gavras by day, and then drawing cartoons at night. Eventually, he switched gears when his cartoonlets were distributed to classrooms across the nation through the education company Lightspan. A following grew because teachers appreciated his work, which provided them with affective tools to teach environmental awareness to young children. It was not long before his cartoonlet, “It’s a Jungle Out There!” was picked up by AOL’s Kids Channel and National Geographic Kids. The release of his DVD prompted an interview with Elance.com and a starred review in Scholl Library Journal. By combining his passion for education and entertainment, Thomopoulos became what some call an “edutainer”.

Simon Says, “Let’s Stop Climate Change!” is Thomopoulos’ most comprehensive work to date and is inspiring children across the country. It is an impressive toolbox for the eco-minded teacher. The DVD includes a short movie, additional short episodes from “It’s a Jungle Out There!” along with flashcards, an interactive quiz, and a poster.

But it is the movie itself that is the real gem. Aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 12, it effectively simplifies and explains complex issues at the root of climate change, like the global warming effect, the food chain, carbon footprint, and carbon off-sets. The movie features a cast of adorable characters in the African jungle who are worried about climate change and are eager to learn how they can help stop it. Ultimately, it is a story about educating yourself and cooperating in order to empower yourself and your community around climate change. The animals discover that it is easy to reduce your carbon footprint with every day choices to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Thomopoulos took on the very difficult task of simplifying very complex issues, and he was very successful. One of the most effective ways that he explains the causes of climate change is his use of the Carbon Dioxide and Methane characters. Effectively the villains of the story, it is the visualization of an invisible real-life threat that makes these concepts so accessible to children. (Actually, it is so effective that I would like to force Congress to watch this movie. Perhaps we will get some support from our lawmakers, then.) Likewise, he includes a climate change doubter – Bob the rat – who is the embodiment of environmental skepticism and apathy. But what makes Bob so great is that he provides a teachable moment in which the other characters can address scientific questions and cultural apathy. Essentially, Simon Says provides children with accurate information about important scientific concepts, while also demonstrating what a healthy dialogue about serious issues looks like – even among friends.

Children are left feeling empowered, armed with some simple solutions and foundational information. They have learned a few songs – my favorite is “The Power of Poop” – and understand how human actions impact the entire planet. But most importantly, they now understand that with cooperation, this global threat can be faced head on, and even the smallest efforts make a big difference.

The movement to fight climate change is based in science, but it can only thrive if there are empowered activists to fuel it. Today, perhaps more than ever, children need a sense of purpose, and reconnecting them with the planet and their place in the natural world is a terrific way to do that. We need to show the youngest generations that this is their planet, and it is their future at stake.

Many thanks to Denis Thomopoulos for his good work and the opportunity to speak with him. To learn more about his green business model, check out his interview with Elance.

This story originally appeared at Ecolutionist.