This Photo Friday, we have several cartoons referencing COP24, or the 24th meeting of the “Conference of Parties,” brought together by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP24 recently took place in Katowice, Poland, from 2-14 December.
This particular cartoon, created by French illustrator Faro Dessinateur, points to ongoing tensions in climate change policy. In it the man in the suit says, “Soon the end of the world,” whereas the man in the yellow vest, representing the demonstrations over economic issues currently occurring in France, says, “Soon the end of the month.” In France, a new gasoline tax designed to bring down France’s emissions did not include any social or economic justice positions. Faro captions this cartoon with “Retour de #COP24 … retour de #manifestation #peur !!!” or “Return of #COP24…return of #demonstration #fear !!!”

This next cartoon, created by “stephff cartoonist,” who is a “full-time professional political cartoonist living in Bangkok,” references the tensions at COP24 between the throngs of youth activists, including one particularly moving speech by a young activist, and the implied message to them by world leaders.

Next is New York Times’ cartoonist Patrick Chappette, who integrated human inaction directly into the human activity causing climate change.

Lastly, here is a cartoon from Brandan E. Reynolds, showing us his perspective on the futility and lack of progress he witnessed at COP24 by representing Earth as a bomb with its’ fuse lit, relying on a gas mask to breathe.
