Photograph: www.climatepics.org/pictures
Is it okay to use humour to get across the risks of climate change? Or does this risk pandering to those who declare "global warming - I'm all for it! Save me money on going abroad!"
Jason Elliott is the latest artist to take a tongue-in-cheek approach with an exhibition of his photo-montages showing a possible future UK with a tropical climate.
The images show Calder Valley in west Yorkshire with its typical British streets, canals and houses, surrounded by blue skies, palm trees and waterfalls, with the odd zebra, flamingo or leopard wandering about. In one scene, a family of monkeys wait by the train station, while in another a giraffe pauses in front of the local newspaper office.
Elliott makes no apologies for his comic approach: "I wanted to draw attention to the fact that climate change is happening, but to get the message across in a more light-hearted way than we are used to. It's an extremely serious issue, particularly in areas like ours that can be prone to flooding, but it's good to engage people in a way that doesn't make them feel they are being preached to."
His approach isn't new: fashion brand Diesel launched a marketing campaign called Global Warming Ready earlier this year depicting New York underwater, Paris covered in lush jungle vegetation and St Mark's Square in Venice invaded by parrots.
Those interested in the serious debate about climate change may roll their eyes - but maybe this kind of thing does no harm in informing people who may have otherwise closed their minds to the subject. What do you think?
Elliott's works are on display at the Alternative Technology Centre in Hebden Bridge until January 31 2008.
