Educational? or a Ticking Clock of Doom?

What do you all think about the world’s first real-time greenhouse gas emissions counter? It’s a giant billboard in New York, with the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted around the world displayed in glowing numbers for all to see. There’s talk of one being put up in Sydney too.

If you want to see the numbers flicking away for yourself, check out the Know The Number website. The statistics are provided by the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based on data collected from around the world. They’ve put quite a lot of work into getting the numbers right, accounting for aerosol effects, seasonal changes and regular patterns like El Nino.

Their goal is to raise awareness of climate change, which is great. But I’m not quite convinced a billboard with a Ticking Clock of Doom™ is the way to get any real action on the subject.

On the upside, it’s a constant reminder of a global threat that often gets forgotten in our busy, everyday lives. It provides a concrete set of numbers so people will be more informed. It’ll be seen by approximately 500,000 people every day, which increases the chances of it having an effect on the policy makers in our political and business worlds. It might even raise public awareness to the point where political action is unavoidable.

On the downside, having a constant reminder of a threat you can’t personally fix right this instant can be paralysing. The numbers themselves don’t suggest any solutions, simply serving as a reminder that you’re probably contributing to the problem right now just by breathing. Will people tune it out, as part of the standard flashing lights of advertising? Or will they become hostile to hearing about a problem that seems too large for them to solve alone?

If information was all it took to fix climate change, we’d have done it just after Al Gore’s roadshow. But knowledge is just the first step. Information alone doesn’t lead us to action; emotions do.

I think a steadily-increasing number representing the amount of horrible crap in our atmosphere is likely to create a sense of fear or dread in people who see it. Fear is a powerful motivator - but it often drives us to lash out, to make rash decisions, or (in the other half of “fight or flight”) hide under the bed until the nasties go away.

Hope is a better motivator than fear, any day. It makes us feel like if we were to do something, it might succeed - that we have at least a chance to improve the situation. I’d like to see a section on the billboard with suggestions like “switch to GreenPower” or “write to your elected representative to show your support for a climate bill” or “leave your car at home”. Or (to go back to the question of information) some statistics about the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Something to tell people that yes, there’s a serious problem we need to sort out, but there’s already a way to make it happen.

Either way, can we get one installed in Canberra?