We love porn just as much as the next gal or guy — and have a particular soft spot for that which bundles a Prius and Jessica Alba. News out of Australia, however, has got a new made-for-television event being labeled as “Climate Porn”. With a review like that folks, we just had to dig deeper.

Called Scorched (which hilariously reminds me of Tugg Speedman’s Scorcher VI), the film focuses on Sydney in the year 2012 suffering through 200 days of zero rainfall. According to the synopsis, the effects of climate change have created the conditions for a ring of bushfires that surround the city, but authorities don’t have enough water to put them out.

Anyways, despite it’s hyper-realism (with fake news broadcasts, supporting websites) and all-star cast, the show is being panned — mainly because none of what it represents could really ever happen. Hence, the label of “Climate Porn” — defined as “a thrilling spectacle but ultimately distances the public from the problem”. From the article,

“Climate porn is the latest manifestation of infotainment that flourishes in the no man’s land between fiction and nonfiction: dramas loosely based on factual events and the communication of often credible and important ideas and theories sexed up with an extra dose of dramatic licence.”

Some great examples of climate porn listed include The Day After Tomorrow and Soylent Green. We’ll also throw The Happening in there — though we still don’t trust sunflowers.

Hopefully, people will understand that Scorched is more entertainment than documentary — even if the point is to get people to think about resources and how precious they are. Worse comes to worse, Tugg Speedman is only a phone call away to lend a hand…

Categories: Film/TV.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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