Climate change is directly linked to economic inequality: it is a crisis that is driven by the actions of the ‘haves’ that hits the ‘have-nots’ the hardest. This project takes a deep dive into the data that illustrates this extreme inequality.
THE EARTH'S VITALS
Human activities have greatly impacted the balance of the earth's natural systems, resulting in climate change. The emission of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and overconsumption of resources have caused global temperatures to rise, resulting in melting glaciers, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. Unfortunately, it is the poor and most vulnerable who bear the brunt of these changes, with decreased access to clean water, food insecurity, and increased health risks.
Natural increases in carbon dioxide concentrations have periodically warmed Earth’s temperature during ice age cycles over the past million years or more. Carbon dioxide levels today are higher than at any point in human history.
A visual representation of the data in the form of a graph highlights the deviation of global surface temperature from the long-term average between 1951 to 1980.
This rise in sea level has the potential to displace millions of people living in coastal areas and cause significant ecological damage.
Developing countries, including many in Africa, contributed only a fraction of the global CO2 emissions. However, the impact of climate change is being felt disproportionately in these regions, with devastating consequences on their economy, health, and ecosystems.
ANIMATED EXPLAINER VIDEO & WEBSITE
The final outcome of this project was an animated explainer video that compiles all the data visualisations in a narrative that is engaging, impactful and easy to understand.
The visualisations were also compiled to a website here.