Reversible Climate Crisis Poems
Patagonia Debuts a Clever, Though-Provoking Climate Poem
Grace Mahas — November 30, 2020
In an effort to bring awareness about climate change and the immediate need for action, sustainable activewear brand Patagonia launched a thought-provoking and exceedingly clever poem about the climate crisis. The poem was printed in the New York Times and begins with the attention-grabbing words "we're all screwed."
The poem paints a bleak future for readers, suggesting its too late to fix the planet now; however, when readers reach the end, in small print, the poem asks them to read it backward. The once-gloomy poem changes its tune when reversed, telling us that "we can imagine a healthy future, so don't tell us that we're all screwed." The shift in tone helps encourage readers to 'demand more' for the plant and is part of Patagonia's wider 'Buy Less, Demand More' anti-Black Friday campaign.
