Let’s Do Better

+ UConn BFA Senior Thesis

The Millennial generation and those behind are beginning to face a disaster that the world is unprepared for. Reduce, reuse, and recycle has been instilled into our minds — but how many of us live by it? As a generation that is heavily influenced by meme culture, we connect through parody, satire, and humor. While studying and living abroad in London this semester I stumbled upon the book, “How Bad Are Bananas” by Mike Berners-Lee which explains the carbon footprint of almost everything from the perspective of someone living in the UK. This project is meant to share humorous situations in which two seemingly unrelated things are joined together based on their environmental footprint, while inspiring others to become more aware of their actions. It is an approach to having a conversation about climate change, not through lecturing viewers of what they’re doing wrong, but offer a different perspective to show small ways our actions can make an impact. Focusing on consumerism, transportation, and consumption, these stop-motion animations speak to unsustainable carbon emissions that comment on the realities of perceived climate friendly alternatives and the ways we make and ship our food.

In addition to animation, the installation includes upcycled laser-cut cardboard cut-outs from snack boxes with an excerpt from a Greta Thunberg speech in 2018, as well as buttons that viewers may take to remind themselves and others to Do Better.

2019