While world leaders debate a twenty-year solution for global warming, China comes up with its own

Go Calf

This week as world leaders thrash out emissions reduction plans in Copenhagen, the Chinese government released “Go Calf,” a new cartoon series emphasizing environmentalism with a nationalist twist. CCTV 1 has spared no trouble on this project, producing 52 beautiful episodes and featuring top PLA singer and Olympic opening ceremony performer Tan Ping. It is one of the highest-quality productions to come out of CCTV for a long time, and in its first week is already rating higher than Jolly Sheep.

This cartoon chronicles the adventures of “Calf,” a young water buffalo desperately defending his Chinese paradise valley against the incursions of evil, polluting invaders. These foreigners cut down the trees, dirty the water, and steal valuable resources, forcing our heroes to unite the spirits of the forest and resist encroachment upon their land. Chinese media law strongly prohibits depicting “superstitious” scenes in children’s media, and so this reliance on wood spirits to portray the message of environmental protection is remarkable. 

What makes this cartoon so interesting from a cultural perspective is the ardent nationalism tied to an environmental message. The theme song lyrics state, “Nothing will stand in the way of attaining our dream”. The government’s official publicity claims, “The explicit intent of this series is to teach children values,” and that “The point of these episodes is to show the main character growing up to resist foreign influences and becoming a courageous young cow.” “To his death, this little cow will not surrender, so this film shows the unity and determination of the Chinese people” (Baike).

The “bad guys” in the series come from far-away lands, bringing their pollution and destruction with them. As they start cutting down trees one by one, the hero calls upon the spirit of the woods to unite them and join hands, creating a power that saves their forest and environment. The unmistakeable message is that environmental destruction is a uniquely foreign activity that the Chinese people must withstand in unity. 

The release of “Go Calf” during the Copenhagen conference gives an interesting insight into China’s perspective on the whole global warming debate. By the time any Copenhagen initiatives are up for re-negotiation in twenty years, China will be ready with an entire generation of young adults passionately committed to the environment. The question is, who will they blame?