Green Patriot Posters - Stevie Morrison

Green Patriot Poster

Illustration & Design

Green Patriot Posters is a public intervention centered on posters that encourage all U.S. citizens to take part in building a sustainable economy. The overriding message is that our individual actions do matter, that we can all be part of the sustainability movement, and that this can become a defining value of 21st Century patriotism. This poster was created in collaboration with the project, to spark discussion about local issues in the Breckenridge community. Read more about the project at greenpatriotposters.org

Between 2001 and 2011, Summit County, Colorado lost over 9,000 acres of forest due to the growing mountain pine beetle epidemic. As winters grow milder and summers grow warmer, the infestation continues to expand. The trees in our forests continue to die which limits the amount of CO2 emissions they can capture. The droughts further weaken the trees’ ability to fight back. Once dead, the trees release stored carbon back into the atmosphere–and provide brilliant tinder for forest fires.

The party responsible for this expansive damage measures 5mm (about the size of a grain of rice). Next time you choose to throw away your soda can instead of recycle it, or drive your car two blocks to the grocery because you think it won’t matter in the long run, think of the mountain pine beetle. Small things make a big difference.