The Climate Clock
What will happen when the timer runs out?
April 24, 2023
Six years and about 89 days, making a total of 2,278 days. This may seem like an ordinary number displayed on an ordinary clock with no meaning to it whatsoever. However, it is actually the most important number and clock we have and will ever encounter in our lives. The Climate Clock, located in New York’s Union Square, built in 2015, and created by several climate activists, displays the time of a little over six years. But what will happen once the time runs out?
We have just six years left until we reach the “point of no return,” as scientists like to call it. If we don’t take action to stop climate change, our Earth and all its inhabitants will experience devastating disasters like frequent wildfires, further melting of ice sheets, longer periods of drought, an increase of tropical storms, rise in global heating, severe weather changes, and so much more. Billions of ecosystems will be destroyed and most of the wildlife we know of will be gone. Agricultural production will drop, leading to famine. The risk of us facing serious health crises will greatly increase. We are on the verge of mass extinction and yet many people are unaware or ignorant of the situation we’re in and if we don’t take action now, we and the generations that are to come after us will inevitably face the consequences.
The Climate Clock was built in order to spread awareness about the current situation of our Earth. The number displayed on the clock is how much time we have left to reach zero emissions and to keep warming under 1.5°C. The Climate Clock stands as a constant reminder of the problems we are facing right now and will continue to face. It encourages us to take action and fight against climate change. Every second that goes by on that clock is precious, so let’s not take that for granted.
Click this link for some interactives that will give you a better insight into how climate change is affecting our Earth: Interactives | Explore – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet
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