WALL-E the Cautiously Optimistic Eco-Advocate

WALL-E is the first G-rated post-apocalyptic film I've ever seen. That fact makes this film both a troublesome sign of the times as well as a beacon of hope in what could otherwise seem to the eco-minded as humanity's path of self-destruction.

In case you live under a rock and haven't heard of this film, it's the latest full-length computer animated feature from Disney and Pixar. The main character is an expressive robot named WALL-E who is the sole "surviving" remnant of man's civilization on Earth. He takes the seemingly endless fields of garbage that man has left behind, crushes them into little cubes and stacks them.

The vision of the Earth in this film is grim by any standard, especially Disney's. It is a disturbing sign of the times because it signifies that the ultimate destruction of our planet is accepted, even taken for granted. It means that we are comfortable showing our children what kind of planet they or their children are likely to inherit. A company known for its colorful fairy tale lands has foregone that universe in favor of a dusty, garbage-filled, dystopian planet, completely void of human existence.

But the film remains a Disney film, and of course, there is a moral, and of course, the ending is a happy one (sorry if that's a spoiler, but come on, it's Disney). Ulimately, the message is one of hope and salvation, and the idea that even when the world is this far gone, it can still be saved if someone with an idea decides to get up and take action.

It's all-too-easy to see how we arrive at the Earth of WALL-E, but there's also a light at the end of the tunnel. Our societal excesses are obviously apparent to us, and through films like this one, they will become apparent to our children. That level of understanding could actually start to influence behavior and shift the path toward sustainability. Far from being like death and taxes, our knowledge of impending planetary destruction could allow us to avoid it. This is, or should be, the credo of the cautiously optimistic eco-advocate.

(Image from disney.go.com)