This is going to be fun. We’re using storytelling to find out more about climate change. I’m going to talk about my son for a minute before I introduce my guest. My son grew up with a huge love of trees. He just absolutely loves trees. He loves walking in the forest. He knows that trees are somehow very important and that they’re living beings. He said to me the other day that, “Mom, I don’t understand how people can not realize that trees are alive. They’re really important for the world that we’re living into. Can you write some stories about it or can you write some comic books or something so people can really understand climate change?”

So luckily, I got to meet Alan Hesse who’s going to be our guest today. And he goes into all of this from a very scientific perspective but he goes into this. I think my son William will be very happy. Our entire family believes in the value of education through storytelling.

And so this episode is about bringing awareness into climate change. We need to do this, all of us need to do this. So when we’re struggling with difficult subjects, I think sometimes the best thing to do is just tell a fairy tale about it, or write a comic book, or bring some humor into it, or something so that we can deal with complex subjects in a way that’s quite simple. And actually, I believe when we’re working with our true nature, truth, it’s often quite simple really. We make things way too complex.

But anyway my guest today, Alan Hesse, writes comic books and children’s stories to help both parents and children grapple with the complex issues we’re facing today regarding climate change. So one of his primary characters is a bear and we’re going to talk about him in a little bit, but I really liked his wisdom quote from the climate change book… or one of them. He has several… and it’s from the Dalai Lama and he’s chatting to the polar bear and he says, “Good luck, my friend. Use your strength wisely and be compassionate with us poor misguided humans.” So I thought that was a good way to begin.

So allow me to introduce Alan Hesse. Alan Hesse cares deeply about nature and his mind is constantly occupied about what we are doing to it and ourselves. Having forged a career in conservation, he now draws cartoons to educate people. He feels that those who have important knowledge that could benefit nature and people should also be speaking to a wider audience which is what we’re doing today. He believes that art can help science be more appealing to children and the general public. He states that cartoons, comics, or graphic novels are considered to be the ninth art. Now, I’d like to know about that, the ninth art. That’s interesting.

So let me just bring the superhero for the earth onboard here. Let’s have a discussion about climate change. Welcome, Alan.

Hi, Ayn, thank you so much. That was a great introduction.