A bizarre new video produced by WildAid China depicts a dystopia where people have adapted to air pollution by growing excessive amounts of nasal hair. The ultimate message of the public service announcement is, “Change air pollution before it changes you.”
Smog is a very serious issue in China right now, as evidenced by the “White Christmas” experienced in Beijing this past December. In a recent WildAid poll, some 90 per cent of Chinese citizens said air pollution is their greatest health and environmental concern.
To raise awareness and motivate people to action, environmental group WildAid China recently launched its GOblue program. The organisers are hoping to get Chinese citizens to start using “smart, low-carbon transportation choices in order to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions”. As part of this campaign, the new ad, titled “Hairy Nose”, depicts a future dystopia in which people have adapted to the smog by growing filter-like moustaches out of their nasal passages. Not to be taken literally, the ad is meant to convey the absurdity of air pollution — and the possible unintended consequences if nothing is done about it.
The video is currently being featured on a number of popular social media sites, national TV networks, outdoor screens and in train and taxi screens across China. It’s doubtful that this campaign will solve China’s pollution problem, but it’s good to see this conservation happening in a country with a relatively poor environmental track record.
[Guardian]