According to a Gallup survey taken in March of this year, 41% of Americans believe that the warnings about climate change are exaggerated. That’s not to say that all of those people believe climate change is a myth, but it does mean that making climate data easy to relate to is quite a task. This exhibition attempts to bridge that gap between data and an real understanding of the problem through artwork, while movies, newspapers, and politicians all employ different tactics to communicate the issue. Which kind of messaging has worked (or not worked) in your own life? 

Just yesterday, the House approved a measure to allow people to cash in on their gas-guzzling vehicles. Provided your car is inefficient enough (18 miles to a gallon or less), you can get a check from the government to retire your clunker and get something new and zippier, with more miles to the gallon. The check you get is determined, in part, by just how many more miles a gallon you get. Stimulating the car industry with a nod to environmental concerns. It isn’t public transit overhaul or mandatory bike lanes, but it’s certainly a start. 

After a winter as cold as the last, it is hard to imagine global warming. That’s why the distinction between climate and weather is so important. Climate describes the average weather over years, while weather refers to the condition at a particular time. One beautiful, sunny, seventy degree day in January won’t make you throw away your winter coat because you know the glorious day is an anomaly, not the norm. In order to tell when the overall climate is changing, climatologists analyze data going back as long as people were collecting that information, and even longer. They can see trends in things like the number of rainy days, the temperature, how long the snow stays, and give us a greater overarching picture of how the climate is changing.