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Greenpeace Ocean Pollution PSA:

“The Cry of the Dead Whale” Art Installation:

Katie Zezyus

Professor Babcock

English 137H, Section 008

13 October 2020

The World’s Negligence to Ocean Pollution

Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution during the late 1700s and early 1800s,

people across the globe have been exploiting the ocean as a tool for waste disposal, regularly

pumping garbage and other pollutants into the once unadulterated waters. Currently, eight

million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year, equivalent to the weight

of about 57,000 blue whales (“Ocean Pollution: 11 Facts You Need to Know.”) This ongoing

issue of ocean pollution is a direct and damaging result of the world’s extreme environmental

negligence. Inspired by the increasing severity of pollution and its catastrophic effects on the

environment, two creators, the Greenpeace organization and Filipino artist Biboy Royong,

released artifacts to spur on the long-overdue ocean pollution discussion. In the striking art

installation “The Cry of the Dead Whale” and the equally confronting PSA from the

Greenpeace organization, both creators persuade their audiences through their use of timely

relevance, unsettling imagery, and powerful symbolism, in order to advocate for increased

environmental awareness.

The release of the Greenpeace PSA was urged on by the pressing and drastic need for

social change, effectively appealing to kairos, or the idea of “timely relevance.” Like many

of the other campaigns issued by Greenpeace, an environmental organization that works to

expose global environmental problems and promote green, eco-friendly solutions, this PSA,

revolving around ocean pollution, was created in response to an overall lack of environmental

awareness in society. Released in 2012, the artifact depicts a school of fish composed of

plastic bottles, single-use grocery store bags, metal cans, and other miscellaneous waste items
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moving together in synchrony through the water. During the time of its release, multiple

man-made environmental disasters, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the four

other large accumulations of floating ocean plastic and trash, have been afflicting the oceans

for decades. Because the condition and health of the ocean only seems to worsen as time

goes on, Greenpeace created their ocean pollution PSA to inspire social change. Their

reputation and credibility as a prevalent global organization with a mission rooted in

environmentalism also allowed Greenpeace to appeal to the world at large.

Through its exaggerated representation of how pollution affects the ocean, the

Greenpeace PSA effectively strengthens the audience’s environmental consciousness. This

shocking, embellished imagery of trash as fish evokes feelings of guilt and collective

responsibility amongst the audience, as they are forced to recognize how their everyday use

of nonbiodegradable products contributes to the global ocean pollution issue. According to a

report issued by the EPA in 2017, the average American person accumulates about 4.5

pounds of garbage everyday, with much of it being recyclable materials (“National Overview:

Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling,” 2020). By directly connecting the

public to the ongoing issue of pollution and making the topic more relevant to them, the PSA

effectively brings all people into the discussion for social change.

Additionally, the symbolism of the Greenpeace PSA further exemplifies the severity

of ocean pollution and its many detrimental effects on marine life, the environment, and the

world at large. To begin, the garbage masquerading as fish are portrayed as being an invasive

species, gravely encroaching on the surrounding habitat and ecosystem. Because there are no

other fish or marine animals visible in the water, the audience is able to see how plastics and

other pollutants completely take over and plague the ocean, providing them with a glimpse of

what the future will look like if society continues to neglect and abuse their environment.

Corresponding, there are air bubbles above each piece of garbage in the cohort shown in the
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PSA. This subtle, yet crucial, detail suggests that garbage has life, further advancing the idea

that nonbiodegradable materials continue to live on in the ocean and environment. In fact,

many types of plastics take decades, sometimes lifetimes, to breakdown. For instance,

single-use grocery store bags have a life cycle of about 20 years, while plastic water bottles

take an appalling 450 years to deteriorate (“The Lifecycle of Plastics,” 2018). Even after

breaking down, however, the plastic does not completely biodegrade like other naturally

occurring materials. Taking the form of microplastics, or miniscule plastic particles, these

pollutants often circulate through the oceans and environment indefinitely.

The installation of “The Cry of the Dead Whale” sculpture, much like that of the

Greenpeace PSA, was the result of an urgent need for social change regarding how people

view and respond to ocean pollution. Unveiled on April 25, 2019 as part of their Earth Day

celebration, the exhibit sits outside the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila Bay,

depicting a beached whale made entirely out of garbage found on the beach and in the

surrounding waters. The artist, Biboy Royong, decided to create and place the structure in

this location because the Philippines ranks third in the list of countries with the most ocean

pollution. The Manila Bay, specifically, is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the

country (“CCP's Art Installation Serves as Visual Reminder on Earth Day,” 2019). Royong,

having previously directed the creation of similar art installations across the Philippines,

intended for his colossal 78 foot long art piece to enlighten the local people on the magnitude

of pollution in the oceans and the damaging impact of plastic consumption. His ethos as an

artist and environmentalist allowed him to appeal to this audience and deliver his message.

While the Greenpeace PSA utilizes exaggeration to persuade the public, the imagery

shown in “The Cry of the Dead Whale” is not an exaggeration at all. A beached whale with

pounds of plastic filling its stomach is an all-too common site found on beaches across the

world. In fact, about a month prior to the exhibit being unveiled, a dead sperm whale washed
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up on shore with about 88 pounds of plastic densely packed and nearly bursting out of its

stomach (Borunda). Additionally, according to UNESCO, over 100,000 marine animals die

from plastic pollution every year (Naythons). Like the Greenpeace PSA, this unsettling art

installation forces the audience to contemplate their contribution to the ongoing issue of

ocean pollution. The exhibit is meant to confront the public with the perturbing and

immediate consequences of their negligent actions.

Also similar to the Greenpeace PSA, “The Cry of the Dead Whale” art installation

includes meaningful symbolism that highlights the gravity of the ongoing ocean pollution

pandemic. Slightly obscured amongst the different pieces of garbage, the sculpture includes

a smaller baby whale resting on the plastic waste in its mother’s stomach. Many interpret this

addition as representing future generations, specifically the millennials, the next group that

will inherit the oceans and be responsible for either their recovery or continued downfall.

The inclusion of the baby whale also brings up relevant discussions pertaining to the ocean.

For instance, it increases social awareness by forcing the audience to wonder what marine

animals will go extinct as a result of their current society’s blatant negligence. It also makes

the members of the public question if their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren

will be able to experience the beauty of the ocean, or will they just view it as a giant, floating

landfill.

Even though the Greenpeace PSA and “The Cry of the Dead Whale” exhibit are

successful in bringing awareness to the damaging pollution problem through their respective

use of relevance, confronting imagery, and symbolism, neither have acted as an effective

catalyst for social change. Being released about seven years apart and advocating for

essentially the same message, the lack of public action in response to these artifacts

demonstrate the ongoing, and seeming endless, nature of the ocean pollution pandemic. In

addition to being made aware and becoming properly informed about the sad reality of ocean
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pollution, individuals in communities across the globe need to work together to combat this

serious man-made issue. In coming together to change the way society as a whole operates

and handles the world’s oceans, people will help reduce and eventually eliminate ocean

pollution and its constant environmental threats.

Works Cited

Borunda, Alejandra. “This Young Whale Died with 88 Pounds of Plastic in Its Stomach.”

This Whale Had More than 88 Pounds of Plastic in Its Stomach When It Died,

National Geographic , 22 Mar. 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/03/whale-dies-88-pounds-plastic-phi

lippines/.

“CCP's Art Installation Serves as Visual Reminder on Earth Day.” The Manila Times, 27 Apr.

2019,

www.manilatimes.net/2019/04/28/weekly/the-sunday-times/arts-awake/ccps-art-instal

lation-serves-as-visual-reminder-on-earth-day/546139/546139/.

“National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling.” EPA,

Environmental Protection Agency, 13 Mar. 2020,

www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overvie

w-facts-and-figures-materials.

Naythons, Mattie. “News: In the Philippines: Artist, Biboy Royong Presents ‘The Cry of the

Dead Whale.’” News | In the Philippines: Artist, Biboy Royong Presents "The Cry of

the Dead Whale" | International Marine Mammal Project, 22 May 2019,

savedolphins.eii.org/news/entry/in-the-philippines-artist-biboy-royong-presents-the-cr

y-of-the-dead-whale.

“Ocean Pollution: 11 Facts You Need to Know.” Ocean Pollution - 11 Facts You Need to

Know, Conservation International,

www.conservation.org/stories/ocean-pollution-11-facts-you-need-to-know.
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“The Lifecycle of Plastics.” WWF, 18 June 2018,

www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-plastics.