I was recently watching a Berenstein Bear's episode with one of my nieces, and noticed the episode was focused on the importance of conservation. Apparently, the Papa Bear had been cutting down endangered trees for his furniture hobby, and Brother and Sister Bear had a problem with that. Uh-oh.
I was a little surprised at how dogmatic the episode was; Papa Bear was clearly in the wrong and the emphatic message was that resources should be conserved, and anyone who doesn't follow that regimen is big and bad.
To what extent does sustainability and green rhetoric belong in media aimed at children? What is the line between fact and fiction? And what is the potential harm in sending out teachings that may need to be revised in the near future?
