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Over the last 20 years, you’ve probably noticed the massive astronomical digital clock that tells time for passersby in Union Square.
Metronome, the public art project that was constructed in 1999, typically counts the hours, minutes and seconds in a day, but as of this weekend, two artists and climate activists, Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd, repurposed Metronome into something far greater— a Climate Clock.
Now, the clock is counting down to something crucial: the time left to decrease carbon emissions, before the planet reaches a devastating and irreversible tipping point.
What would that tipping point look like? Mass heat waves, raging fires, droughts and limited water supply.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Climate Clock read: "7 years, 100 days, 17 hours, 29 minutes and 22 seconds." That was the time left until Earth’s carbon budget is depleted (based on our current emission rates) and before those catastrophic effects became irreversible.
"A monumental challenge needs a monument, and the Climate Clock could serve as this constant, public reminder in the media and cultural capital of the globe of that shared deadline," says Daniel Zarrilli, New York City's chief climate policy advisor.
The clock’s second purpose, displayed in green, is a live tracker of the percentage of available energy being supplied from renewable sources.
“Simply put, we need to get our lifeline to 100% before our deadline reaches 0,” the clock’s official website states.
The New York Climate Clock will only be on display until September 27 in Union Square, but the artists are also calling on people to create their own clocks at home. They are also aiming to get similar clocks to pop up in other large cities around the world with the same strong message.
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