Melting

Global warming is a dense and difficult topic to grasp, but I wanted to take a stab at it, especially after I heard that the Ward Ice Shelf in Greenland has split into two pieces. I began this print with a closeup satellite view of icebergs on Greenland's western coast and used stencils to create the particles floating in the air.

A Time Magaizine article I read while I was working on the print prompted the inclusion of the airplane and its contrails. In the article I discovered that my favorite overseas flight, New York to Tokyo, produces 5,200 pounds of carbon per passenger. Just to illustrate how complex this matter is, though, a scientist friend then pointed out to me that although, yes indeed, carbon released higher in the atmosphere has a more polluting effect than the same amount of carbon released on the ground, jet contrails also reflect sunlight and help reduce warming during the day.

In spite of the complexity, I don't think there's any denying that climate change is real and I'm happy to see it getting so much attention lately, especially from large corporations.