Tuesday, November 28, 2006
EMISSIONS REDUCED
Who said environmentalists were sexless and prudish?
Greenhouse gas may not be very sexy, but a group of self-proclaimed “ecobabes” in Sonoma County found a unique way to bring out global warming’s naughty side—posing for a pinup calendar.
HOT! Er, I mean, warm. Er, climate changed.
The 12 female environmentalists were photographed—fully clothed, for the most part—in an effort to raise money for the Climate Protection Campaign of Sonoma County and seduce the public into reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Oh, it’ll reduce emissions. No question of that.
The pictures are not nearly as racy as Playboy or even Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit issue. The models are seen reclining amid flowers, prancing around in hot [climate change—ed] pants, lounging pensively on a pier or, in the case of the cover girl, showing her body in silhouette behind a shroud.
Aside from a few thighs and a vague hint of cleavage, there is precious little skin in the 2007 ecobabes calendar.
Thank God for that. Yet sister environmentaloids are offended:
Titillating as it is, the calendar has turned off some environmentalists. The Northcoast Environmental Center, based in the Humboldt County town of Arcata, refused to display the calendars in its popular eco-boutique.
"I felt it was objectifying women and using their bodies to make money,” said Alisha Clompus, 26, an artist and anthropologist who is office manager for the Northcoast center. “It’s like making money off another form of oppression."
The day I invent a name so splendidly, drearily evocative as “Alisha Clompus”, I’m outta here. It simply can’t be beat. Let’s see what these fully-clothed ecobabes have to say for themselves:
• Karen:
I eat chocolate almost everyday, and that’s not grown in my bioregion, so I suppose that could be considered a serious eco-confession.
Hit nonbioregiondietconfessions.com for further sassy online choc-chat.
• Monika:
When I look at a bird, I reflect on its role in the ecosystem. If we lose that bird we lose not only its beauty, but also the services it provides to the world and therefore to us all.
Birds as service providers. Hadn’t previously thought of them in that role, which is possibly only because they don’t actually provide any services.
• Eydie:
We’re here where we are. I feel I am here because I’m supposed to be here. Whatever the circumstance is, I’m supposed to be.
Should be an interesting court case if Eydie ever presses charges against someone who assaults her.
UPDATE from Mike D: “First we have the ecobabes. Then we have the right wing babes. Like you thought there’d be a contest?”