Do the Math

Do the Math

50 × 68 × 3 cm

Print of a pastel drawing on toned paper

2022

Mathematics is a crucial tool for analyzing climate change, and plays significant roles in the fields of environmental science and sustainability. Here we focus on the global mean surface temperature (GMST), which has risen alarmingly in recent years. Minor fluctuations notwithstanding, the change in temperature in degrees Celsius (Δ°C) relative to 1850-1900 has dramatically increased; moreover, generally it is increasing more and more rapidly as the years go by. In our piece, OctoPi has created a simplified version of the graph found in Figure 1.2 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s "Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5° Celsius"(p. 57), and drawn derivatives in the sand indicating the graph’s trends.