In the pursuit of justice, Superman leaps tall buildings in a single bound. Ironman invents and deploys inconceivable technology to defeat evil forces. And Batman outfits himself with everything a flying-vigilante-mammal needs to battle the corrupt underbelly of Gotham City. In their own way, superheroes try to make the planet a better place for us mere mortals. But given the global environmental crisis underway, shouldn’t we examine superheroes more thoroughly? As fellow inhabitants of Earth, don’t we owe it to ourselves to question how many pounds of carbon dioxide the Batmobile releases into the atmosphere? Or how much Ironman and his rocket boots contributes to global warming? In other words, shouldn’t we know what superpowers are really saving the planet, and which might actually be hurting it? Of course we’re still grateful that our superheroes are protecting us from terrifying threats. But when it comes to climate change, we’re all in this together, and you don’t have to be a superhero to help save humanity. Continue reading The Carbon Footprint of Superheroes
