Space Race and Diverse Representations
Think of a global issue that we are facing today that causes fear or concern. What would be the plot of a television show that depicted a utopian and optimistic vision of the future of that issue? While there are (unfortunately) many issues facing humanity today that cause fear and concern, global climate change is the most urgent. Every other issue we face, from inequality to COVID-19, has ties to climate change and other human impacts on the environment. While Star Trek has had many episodes with environmental themes, my favorite (and therefore the one I always call to mind), is the fourth feature film, Star Trek: The Voyage Home . The movie's theme of humanity's shortsightedness, ignorance, and greed coming back to threaten us in unexpected ways reflects our current behavior and attitude around climate change to a chilling degree (pun, sadly, intended--I'm looking at you, "The Day After Tomorrow."). The entire message can be summed up perfectly in two q