Pan-dora’s Box
Acton, MA
2022, Senior, Art
Reflection
Reflection
I remembered some viral videos that involved biscuit cans popping in cars, and eggs cooking on the pavement. At first, I was inspired by those videos because I connected them to humanity's search for more and more convenience. The internet, iPhones, electric cars, and even mundane things like backpacks are all designed for human convenience. Technology and development are never bad, but how far is too far? Until we can cook eggs just by walking outside? Until the ocean is a steaming bowl of seaweed soup? I realized that my thinking was shallow because I, like many others I know, considered innovation the antithesis to conservation. But why can't those things coexist? After the research and effort of creating this piece, the answer was simple. They can. Of course, if nothing changes with our use of unclean energy, future generations might really be able to cook fried rice with nothing but ocean water, but as eco-friendly products and clean energy providers continue to be developed, everyone can make a difference by choosing what they buy. It is my hope that I can be part of the effort to stop that. I really enjoyed looking at climate change from this new point of view because it gave me hope for the future. That is why I decided to name this piece "Pan-dora's Box." In the Greek legend, most people will frown on Pandora for unleashing all those evils on to the world, but the important thing that she contributed was hope. As a society, we must also open up to those hard facts and face the difficult problem of climate change, but staying positive about it will lead us much farther.