Joel W. Pett (born September 1, 1953) is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist that formerly worked for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

(The editorial cartoonists of two other newspapers owned by McClatchy, Jack Ohman at the Sacramento Bee and Kevin Siers at the Charlotte Observer, also received notice on that day.

The cartoon, which first appeared in USA Today in December 2009,[3] around the time of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference,[4] depicts a conference presenter listing the many advantages of curbing climate change including "energy independence, preserving rainforests, sustainability, green jobs, livable cities, renewables, clean water/air, healthy children, etc., etc.," only to have a climate change denier interject that if it were all a hoax, we'd create a "better world for nothing".

[5] Shortly after the conference was over, Pett got a request for a signed copy from then-EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who framed the comic and put it on her wall.

Pett has repeatedly gotten requests from over 40 environmental groups, in the United States, Canada and Europe to use the cartoon in campaigns.