See Through News’s allegory to explain the carbon drawdown problem

The Three-Headed Beasts

By SternWriter

1 The Beasts

Each Beast had a Government Head.

To one side, a Business Head, to the other, a Media Head.

The Government Head could control the other two, but rarely did.

Below the neck, Heads were joined by Power.

Below the belly, Beast was joined to Beast. 

2 The Mire

The Beasts all wallowed in the Money Mire.

Money fed them, kept their fangs sharp – these Beasts weren’t Fluffy.

The Beasts hogged the Money Mire.

The Rest of Us hovered at its edge.

We’d sip, alert, eyes darting. 

Should a Beast growl, we’d scuttle back.

3 The Deal

Not all of Us were quick sippers, or fast scuttlers:

the old, the young, the weak, the slow. 

Heads snapped, and gobbled them up. 

Heads snapped and bickered at other Heads

Beasts snapped and bickered at other Beasts.

Hard to see beyond the Beasts, or where the Mire ended.

4 The Problem

Then we started to Drown, Burn and Shrivel.

Beyond the Beasts, was Carbon Drawdown.

The more we draw down, the less we Drown, Burn and Shrivel.

But the Beasts block our way.

They think the Mire protects them.

But they’ll Drown, Burn and Shrivel, too, in the end .

5 The Reaction

The Beasts fear Carbon Drawdown makes them weak.

Might do – it’s up to them.

They could move, let us through.

They could lead, clear the way.

But they snap and bicker as before,

As We Drown, Burn and Shrivel more.

6 The Questions

Should we attack or slay the Beasts?

Strike them or stroke them?

Dodge them or swerve them?

Coax or cajole them?

Haggle or trade with them?

How much time do we have?

Here’s a short video version from our YouTube channel. Better animators welcome to volunteer!

More about the See Through News storytelling-based methodology here.