We see and set timers every single day. Whether it be on your alarm clock to wake you up in the morning, on your microwave to warm up a cup of coffee, or on Canvas for a timed test, time is ticking whether we’re paying attention or not.
Like the countdown of everyday alarm clocks and microwave timers, the Earth has a deadline too, and it’s sooner than you may think.
Projecting out into the bustling streets of Union Square in New York City is a new public art project known as the Climate Clock by artists Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd. Until September 27 the Climate Clock is replacing the iconic Metronome — a 62-foot-wide clock that has measured 24-hour cycles for more than 20 years. Spelling it out for everyone to see, the Climate Clock suggests there are just over seven years left before the effects of global warming become irreversible. But what does that really mean?
According to studies and calculations by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), the idea of the effects of climate change becoming permanent is defined by our “‘carbon budget’ — the amount of CO2 that can still be released into the atmosphere while limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
According to the MCC, we have until 2028 until the Earth is 1.5°C warmer, and until 2045 until the Earth is 2°C warmer. The MCC expresses that political decision-makers need to take decisive action to keep warming under the 1.5°C threshold; otherwise, the permanent damages to the environment will be observed.
These damages that could possibly change how we see the world include “loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves,” according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Additionally, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations predicts a temperature rise of 2.5°F to 10°F over the next century. NASA explains that these figures will result in environmental changes such as precipitation patterns, an increase in droughts, and stronger and more intense hurricanes.
Arguably, NASA’s most shocking statistics relate to sea level rise: while global sea level has risen about 8 inches since 1880, it is projected to rise another 1-8 feet by 2100. NASA explains that rise in sea levels are due to “added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms.” Rising sea levels could also combine with more intense storms and high tides and result in an increase in flooding for certain regions. By mid-century, NASA predicts the Arctic Ocean to become essentially ice free, as “arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 12.85 percent per decade.” But why does sea level matter?
Globally, eight of the ten largest cities in the world are highly-populated coastal areas. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), rising sea levels threaten the infrastructure of these coastal cities, including roads, bridges, subways, water supplies, power plants, and more. Hurricanes have the potential to push farther inland than ever before, posing threats not just to coastal cities. While the amount of sea level rise in inches is important, so is the pace in which sea levels are rising. According to the NOAA, “The pace of global sea level rise more than doubled from 1.4 mm per year throughout most of the twentieth century to 3.6 mm per year from 2006–2015.”
As global temperatures continue to rise, so will global sea levels. Both of these pose a threat to the environment in terms of weather patterns and the operation of major cities. The Climate Clock in New York City is a nudge to the public that reminds us how little time we have left, virtually only seven years, to take action against climate change.
The Climate Clock will be on display in Union Square through September 27 and then displayed elsewhere. More information on the project and the science can be found on https://climateclock.world/.
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