Truthout is pleased to post short videos weekly for middle school aged kids – and everyone else – about climate change and its effects. “The Green Ninja,” a character created by a climate scientist and his team, provides an entertaining and educational way to help children grasp the intricacies of climate change and learn what they can personally do to become involved in fighting it. See additional details about the series or head straight to this week’s episode, “Karbon Kombat.”
This episode of the Green Ninja Show is about fossil fuels and it takes place in the world of the classic arcade fighter “Karbon Kombat”, a video game set in the future. In this world, everyone lives on an uber-polluted Earth that is controlled by Fossil Fiend, a nefarious villain with the ability to harness the power of fossil fuels to obliterate anything (or anyone) who gets in his way. Good thing the Green Ninja knows just how to Kombat such a foe, so he challenges Fossil Fiend to a fight!
Throughout the battle, various special moves are used by the Green Ninja and Fossil Fiend. They each have their own unique moves and they all represent something done to the planet to benefit or damage it. The three moves used by Fossil Fiend were all based on real-world problems:
-Raging Oil Spill: An oil themed move alluding to when crude or partially refined oil gets into the ocean either from an accident at an oil drilling operation or from improper handling/transportation of oil.
-Frack Attack: A highly volatile special move based on the harvesting of natural gas through Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing is where millions of gallons of a water-chemical mix are pumped into a “well” at high pressure in order to crack the shale rock formations deep underground.
-Charcoal Barrage: On rare occasions, the Fossil Fiend uses his ultimate attack: Charcoal Barrage, in which he rapidly hurls flaming, carbon-filled charcoals at his opponent. This move, just like charcoal production, threatens the climate.
Game Face On, Everyone!
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