Know the number-Greenhouse Gases Counter

The Deutsche Bank in New York has put up a huge signboard to display a counter for the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. It was using a calculation method developed by the MIT. This was all over the news yesterday and I just want to put it up here just in case some people miss this. More explanation available on their website. The even have a java widget that can run on your website or just on your desktop. This is definitely a great way to promote awareness. A good reminder for the people who walk pass the place everyday. Go and read something about climate change today!

Climate change as experience

I haven’t taken sunset pictures for a long time. So it goes, the curse of the beautiful sunset. Almost like a disease that most decent photographer would avoid. The weather has been so hot lately that I thought I just take a few snaps to see what I can get. This is a stitch of three images. The sunset during this time is almost exactly in front of my door step. The sun is just outside of the picture in the center. This is of course a very cheap interpretation of climate change. But with the local weather so hot, I can feel the heat haze in the picture. The highrise apartments in the center should be around the Kinrara area. Further away, there are several cranes working on new apartments on the left. More highrise apartments further away in the background. The high tension wires and tower stretched across from one side to the other. The traffic of the Kesas highway at the bottom of the picture.

I recently found a paper by Julien Knebusch entitled:”art and climate(change) perception: outline of a phenomenology of climate. This is a very interesting subject. Phenomenology, of course is not a scientific discipline. Even in the world of sociology, it has its fair share of criticism. It is a methodological approach first developed by Edmund Husserl. Husserl himself was a mathematician comtemplating on the limitation of science in understanding the world. Alfred Schutz later incorporated this qualitative approach into sociology using Max Weber’s theory of action. It is a way of criticising the sociological discipline that inherently putting too much emphasis on positivist approach. I remember somewhere, somebody used the term ‘human science’ to describe this approach. In contrast to scientific research, phenomenology does not make deduction about hypothesis that can be empirically tested. Instead, the analysis is purely descriptive and situational. It describes how a phenomenon is being experienced. It is an attempt to understanding the subjective meaning of someone else’s lived experience.

The paper was written with the intention to give some credits to potential of the artworld to providing perhaps some new perspective to the issue of climate change. Although I believe (in a very limiting way) the capacity of art to influence people and raise consciousness, but I’m not convinced of the effectiveness and the distribution of the effect can be of any significance in the long run. It is by no mean to suggest that they should stop. Everyone has their own place and purpose in this world. We can only do what we can and willingly.

The paper first asked a very relevant question: what is climate? A very simple yet difficult to answer question for the ‘uninitiated’. The majority of us cannot explain it scientifically. The author cited several ways in which we can experience climate change other than the normal climate model and scientific data.

And this is one of those things that most of us don’t want to spend time understanding. Of course, it takes quite some basic knowledge to understand the entirety of it. The scientists work with physical observable data, adhering to proper method of collecting and analysing them and then present the conclusion in the manner befitting with the findings. The problem is always the intermediaries. The people who translate the conclusion to the public. Most public will never have a chance to read the actual conclusion of the scientists in their journal papers. What we read are interpreted conclusions of the authors of whatever magazines or newspaper who aren’t scientists themselves. But that’s the basic problem. Because what most people need is to understand the concept of it and not so much the details.

David Buckland in the website of his ‘capefarewell‘ project proudly stated:”one salient image, sculpture or event can speak louder than volumes of scientific data and engage the public’s imagination in an immediate way.”

This is a paradox here. first, the public cannot or (personally I think more) unwilling to engage themselves with scientific data being presented because I think most would agree that scientific data speak very softly to the public. But are the arts speak any louder? I always wanted to see some measurable feedbacks on whether arts really have changed someone, some visitors, or some politicians to change their ways, or some corporate leaders to initiate environmental programs. I feel that artworks anchored so much at the subliminal and emotional level that they are pulling the minds away from rasional and logical thinking. We always try to compare how an artistic process is so much similar to scientific process. The creative process of doing background research and idea development are pretty much similar. But the similarity ends there. The end results are totally different. Scientists have to be responsible for the outcome and results and have to answer to the rest of the scientific community and the world. It is not self-expressive conclusion, there is nothing personal in the data nor the conclusion. Artists do not carry that obligation. Art can help people to believe in non-factual things like supernatural beings such as the many religious art in history and there is nothing wrong with that. But scientists cannot. Here is the issue with art. If artists like to act as the interpreter for the scientific data, they better damn well make sure they know what they are doing.

The art sort of relieve us from having to deal with the mundane reality of scientific facts and understanding. We get affirmation that as long as we feel the right way, it is ok. Eventually, all of us will have to sit down and start opening science books and start reading. To me, being able to appreciate and experience the real scientific knowledge as it is, IS the highest level of art one can experience.

Earth Hour 2009

Earth hour is happening this saturday 28 march from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. I won’t go into the details of this event. It is all available on the website. Beware of the repulsive flash intro. Somebody seems to have a lot of left over money from the economy crisis that our country’s own renowned Yasmin Ahmad is heading the advert campaign for this event. This one I downloaded here from the website is one of a series of photographs taken for the advert in print media. All of them taken in black and white. Here is Yasmin, on the right, playfully faking the action of flipping off a light switch. On the left, well, who knows who this celebrity is, trying to be cool. Wait, what’s happening here? I suddenly realise that the light is still on. I wonder if there is something wrong with the switch. That’s the interesting paradox here. The switch is obviously off but the light is still on. May be we all need a pair of cool sun glasses also to pretend that we can’t see the light.

Yasmin has done some great work in her time, and perhaps more to come. For this campaign, I just feel that she just messed up this one. Putting some celebrities in front of a blank wall with a fake switch is something that a fresh graduate would come up with. She has the opportunity to make something of this campaign. This could have been a photograph that can change the world(malaysian at least) and for the people to remember it as a great event. Instead we have this unattractive picture with basically no idea put into it.

When I think of advert for energy saving campaign, this billboard always come to mind.

It is a brilliant concept that make perfect use of the medium of the billboard. Simple yet powerful in the message. This is one message that will certainly stick to your mind.

Light switch also reminded me of the work of a British artist Ceal Floyer. There is one installation work where she uses a projector to project an ordinary light switch on to a blank wall. The paradox of her work is this: We can obviously see that there is a switch on the wall and we also know that it is not real. A light switch is the thing we normally look for when we enter a dark room and the idea is to flip the switch to lit up the room. So here is an aparatus that can bring us light, but now itself is made up of light.  The ’cause’ is represented by the ‘effect’. Is that confusing or what? Now then, what is the relation between the light from the strobe above the two celebrity’s heads has to do with the light switch at Yasmin’s finger tip? Obviously nothing because there’s nothing to relate about the photograph. That’s an empty picture.

We shouldn’t care too much about a bad advert. Earth hour is a good thing. Obviously if you’re a sound minded person, you should know that turning off your light for one hour isn’t going to help the environment much. This is merely symbolic. It is a reminder. There is no need to wait for 8:30 on saturday. Let earth hour be the reminder for you to switch off any unnecessary light today. Or may be just consider tonight is not that hot that you need to turn on that air conditioning. Ya, there’s no need to purposely come home so that you can switch off your light on saturday. I’ll say, go out and have fun on your saturday night and just leave the light off at your home the whole night. I’m sure it will be a sight to see at KL city center without the lights. Or perhaps not? Can’t wait to see.

Science in action

Ok. That is not exactly a pretty sight. This is at the Singapore Science Centre. A great place to enjoy science, even for a middle age man like me. The displays are amazing. There are just so many things to do that I think you need at least a few visits to enjoy everything. I am very happy to see one section dedicated to climate change and global warming with many explanations on alternative energy, the climate change models and the controversies. Although I do not like the video explaining the controversy in part of the display.

Here’s the reason. The video showed a conversation between, yes obviously, the same person wearing two different attire. Here’s a perfect example of the popular stereotyping of people when it comes to environment. Environmentalist or those supporting the environment are obviously lay back, friendly, humble, amiable. And the t-shirt says it all, these are the people who want some changes from bad to good. And look at the the one on the right. He looks like a typical self centered, pretentious and unreasonable chinese business man who only care about profit and just want to tell you what you should do and what to believe. And moreover, he got no sense of style as well. He looks stress and unhappy. It is clear who’s the winner here. Of course real life is not that straight forward. Wearing a white t-shirt with slogan doesn’t really help save the environment. In a way, using the same person is perhaps a good idea. It is just representing the two opposing ideals in all of us. It is how we prioritise the issues that matter. The only negative effect from this stereotyping is that it creates an illusion that businessmen in suits are bad for the environment. In fact, most major changes in environment, good and bad, are made by businessmen in suits. I must admit, it is a pretty difficult video to pull off properly.

Anyway, the singapore science center has my vote. A must visit. Now, I ‘ll have to find time to visit our own petronas’s petrosains discovery center and make a comparison.