Creative Action for a Greener Tomorrow
In January 2025, devastating wildfires swept through California, destroying over 18,000 homes and buildings and forcing more than 200,000 residents to evacuate.
It has also left many children displaced and in need of support. Our students responded with creativity and compassion—expressing their hopes for a better planet through artwork and writing. This fundraising project will donate all proceeds to Save the Children, supporting children affected by the California wildfires. Join us in turning creativity into action, and art into hope.
2025년 1월, 캘리포니아 남부를 덮친 대형 산불로 18,000채 이상의 가옥과 건물이 파괴되고 20만 명 이상의 주민이 대피해야 했습니다.
그중에는 지금도 도움을 필요로 하는 수많은 어린이들이 있습니다.
우리 학생들은 그 소식을 듣고 지구를 위한 마음을 예술로 표현하여 펀드레이징 이벤트를 진행하였습니다.
그림과 글 속에 담긴 아이들의 따뜻한 메시지는, 자연을 사랑하고 함께 공존하고자 하는 진심이 담겨져 있습니다.
본 펀드레이징 프로젝트의 수익은 전액 Save the Children을 통해 산불 피해를 입은 아동들의 복구 지원에 사용될 예정입니다.
아이들의 창의적인 행동이 희망이 될 수 있도록 함께해 주세요.
Video by Cortney Greer
Video by Grace Bae
Video by Yuchan Kim
Cortney Greer
In this piece, a child in a vibrant, flower-covered skirt quietly witnesses a burning town. The skirt, full of life and nature, contrasts starkly with the destruction ahead—symbolizing the fragile boundary between innocence and a collapsing world. Framed by golden-painted trash and everyday waste, the artwork confronts viewers with the consequences of overconsumption and environmental neglect. It asks: what future are we leaving for the next generation?
But what exactly is she looking at? Is it a distant nightmare—or is it our present reality seen through innocent eyes?
Through a mix of traditional painting and found-object assemblage, I explore themes of memory, responsibility, and the surreal coexistence of beauty and ruin.
Purity's Weight - Hayeon Rah
In this painting, I conveyed the contrast between purity and impurity in the context of environmental pollution and climate change. The girl dressed in a white gown symbolizes purity, innocence, and cleanliness itself. She holds on to a heavy pearl, an object that is often seen as a symbol of purity and beauty. The act of her embracing the pearls is what transforms them into pure bubbles. Although they may look aesthetically pleasing, here, the pearls represent the filth and uncleanliness polluting the planet. Their artificialness connects to how we as humans destroy the environment and make ourselves seem not responsible for its effects. Its opaqueness conceals its tarnished state within. Surrounding her are translucent bubbles, short-lived, and light, representing “purity.” They depict the natural, fading state of the world. The bubbles are fragile and easily destroyed, much like our ecosystems. This is contrasted with the pearls that last a lifetime and are difficult to dispose of.
Nayeon Park
Global warming is no longer a distant problem but a current and urgent crisis. Scientists warn that if the temperature rises more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, extreme climate changes will be unavoidable and will lead to severe impacts on human society and the natural environment. Extreme heat waves, floods, droughts, and rising sea levels are already occurring in various parts of the world, with the damage being especially prominent in developing countries. To address this issue, global cooperation is necessary to drastically reduce carbon emissions. Governments and businesses must work together to increase the proportion of renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and build sustainable transportation systems and urban environments. Additionally, individuals must make changes to their lifestyles, reduce consumption, and minimize their environmental impact. Ultimately, to solve the problem of global warming, we must all act together, and through collective efforts, we can create a better future.
Lungs of the Earth -
Yeonjung Ro
This piece blends human anatomy with nature to show how deeply connected we are to the environment. The heart and lung-like roots represent Earth’s life giving systems, while the fiery background reflects deforestation and the climate crisis. Floating bubbles hold fragments of green, symbolizing the fragile pockets of biodiversity we still have. I created this to remind people that the destruction of nature is also the destruction of ourselves. Just like we need our lungs to breathe, we need the Earth to survive. This painting is a call to protect what keeps us alive.
Claire Jung
We are living in a time of unprecedented environmental change. From biodiversity loss to plastic pollution and climate disruption, the natural world is under increasing pressure, largely due to human activity. Yet, even amid this crisis, nature continues to adapt, regenerate, and offer lessons in resilience. Now more than ever, we are being called to rethink our relationship with the environment; not as something separate from us, but as something we are inherently part of.
To me, coexistence means living in true harmony with nature, recognizing that we are not separate from it, but a part of it. It’s about respecting even the smallest creatures and understanding our interconnected roles within the larger ecosystem. In my artwork, I’ve chosen the mushroom as a central symbol. Mushrooms are agents of renewal, quietly breaking down what’s old to nourish new growth. They remind us that regeneration is a natural part of life and that even decay holds purpose.
Surrounding the mushroom are bugs sculpted from recycled plastic materials that would otherwise contribute to pollution, now reimagined into forms of life. These bugs represent both the resilience of nature and the reality of human impact. They are not just visual elements, but reminders of how much beauty and meaning can come from what we discard. Through their presence, I want to draw attention to the duality of fragility and strength in the natural world, and how we, too, can choose to transform instead of destroy.
By giving waste a new purpose, I want to explore how art can help shift our mindset, from consuming and discarding to creating and preserving. Art becomes a bridge between awareness and action, and a way to invite others into the conversation without blame, but with curiosity and hope. Through this work, I hope to spark reflection on how we coexist with the natural world and how even small changes can lead to greater balance.
Personally, I’m taking steps to live more sustainably: reducing my plastic use, being more mindful of my environmental footprint, supporting local and ethical practices, and continuing to use my art as a platform to advocate for change and awareness. Coexistence is not a passive state, it’s an active choice, a continual process of learning, unlearning, and reimagining a better way forward.
1.5 Celcius - Dain Kim
Inhaling a final breath of salty air, you dive into the ocean, and the refreshing, ice cold water immediately wraps around your body. Sea creatures brush past your fingers and their fluorescent colors glow vibrantly under the sunlight, gleaming through the water. You try to swim around when you are met with dry, parched land, which carry remains of innocent fish that can no longer swim freely. It’s the future of our seas, which are currently being destroyed with desertification. Pollution contributes to desertification by degrading soil quality and increasing vulnerability to erosion, ultimately accelerating the process of land becoming desert. And the cause is us people who don’t understand how to give back to the waters that contribute to keeping us alive.
Our oceans are the heart of our earth, feeding us, entertaining us, and connecting us with other living creatures. However, landfills overfill, trash drifts into the oceans, and the temperature of our planet increases as the amounts of waste we produce increase every year. People carelessly throw cans onto sidewalks in neighborhoods and consume too many materials just for them to be disposed with hardly any usage. While it’s easy to agree to voices of others speaking for preserving our earth, it may be difficult to step out. To ensure that global warming does not exceed over 1.5 Celsius, we need to save energy and reduce more than ever. Start by walking an extra few miles instead of driving to your plans or reducing electricity at home. We often think that our individual selves won’t make a difference, and it’s not that big of a deal to use one more plastic straw. The near future, incredibly harmful for human health, may feel like centuries away, and it won’t affect us. But the reality is
In my artwork, I portrayed teens jumping into the sea with their hands full of plastic drinks.
Dear 1.5°C - Kevin Shin
I was inspired to create my art piece by the urgency that the 1.5°C movement presents. I created my painting because I want to positively impact the global fight against climate change in any way I can. The fight to limit global warming is about the protection of humans, present and future generations, but most importantly our planet and the beauty of nature from the impacts of a rapidly heating Earth. Through my art, I wanted to show that humans and nature are intertwined together, and that healing our planet requires urgent human collaboration and coexistence with nature. People and nature are mutually dependent and it is now our time to return the care that nature has given to us. Art has always been more than just drawings, it’s a way to express societal challenges and I hope that my art can inspire at least the tiniest amount of people to take action and to be part of the change that humanity urgently needs.
Hoeyeon (Amy) Kim
"Coexistence" and 1.5°C are two concepts deeply linked on a scale, yet tilted and out of sync.
Coexistence should mean harmony living alongside nature without harm. But we’ve disrupted that peace. Through our actions, emissions, and choices we've pushed the Earth toward instability. The 1.5°C isn’t just a number; it's a warning. Go past it, and the damage escalates: to more floods, more heat, and more loss. My artwork captures this unbalanced scale we have weighed down with hope, a kind of vision we can hope to see in the future. After ages, a call from an old friend(nature) breathing freely, with splashes of joy, and a leap of excitement. Humanity and nature, peacefully connecting with one another. As if saying, “You did it.” This artwork is a call for awareness, a visual reminder that the scale between human life and the natural world has been tipping for long that some forgot the balance. However, there’s still a chance to restore the balance, to live connected, to coexist.
Dylan Cho
My piece of artwork references the recent wildfires that have burned through California. In the artwork it depicts a fire burning the flower and butterflies flying away. This directly represents how humans have impacted the environment and how our coexistence with nature impacts the environment and its inhabitants. My art portrays the damage humans cause through our interactions with the Earth. Human's coexistence with nature ultimately results in harmful outcomes, both to the earth itself and the relationships already established, shown through the butterflies flying away from the flower.
In the beginning, brainstorming how to accurately represent the recent examples of the human and nature relationship became the main focus and eventually ended up with the decision to include characteristics of the California wildfires. While creating this piece of artwork, much thought was put into effectively displaying the natural beauty of the flower and how it was still being burnt. Resulting in showing how even the most beautiful aspects of nature can still be destroyed by humans, exemplified through the wildfires that occurred not too long ago.
Coexistence - Adria Lee
Co-exsistence has been a constant staple in human life. Since ancient times we have been living with other species. However as time goes on, how far does coexistence go? How much longer till only one species remains alive? In the modern age there are many advantages however these come with a price. With pollution becoming an even worse issue than ever and world leaders caring less about the issue, animals and humans coexistence has become harder. The theme of coexistence in dictionary form is the state or fact of living or existing at the same time or in the same place. However I believe that it is more than simply living together. Coexistence means more of living in harmony together, without harming each other. I wanted to talk specifically about coexistence between sea and land creatures because of how jarringly different the environments are, and yet they could still coexist. However now it has become more difficult due to the mass amounts of trash and other harmful material going into the sea from the land. One of the main trash materials going into the sea is plastic. Plastic is a special kind of trash in a bad way. Plastic is almost impossible to break down completely. Most of the time it can only break down into very very tiny pieces called micro plastic. When this is in the sea, it releases chemicals into the water. These chemicals come from making them colorful. Plastic and other trash in the sea are also a problem for the animals. Animals often mistake trash for food because of the similar shape or color. For example they mistake plastic pellets as little fish. After they consume the plastic they cannot digest it. It leads to a loss of nutrition, internal injuries, intestinal blockage and could lead to death. That is not the only problem that plastic and trash can cause in the sea. Many animals get caught in plastic bags causing them to suffocate. Trash also threatens their habitats. Microplastics roam around the sea, spreading chemicals into the sea animal’s homes, often forcing them to relocate. However as the plastic continues spreading, animals eventually have no home to go to. In my opinion pollution in the sea should be an issue more focused on. It is hurting our environment that provides us with so much and also affects humans. Microplastic in the sea floats around till a fish or other marine animal eats it. The animal then gets sold in human markets and humans consume it, which means we are also eating microplastic. In my painting it shows an oil ship releasing shiny oil that mixes into the beautiful blue color of the sea. In the other part of the ship, there is a mother whale and a baby whale and several jellyfish up at the surface. Jellyfish usually do not go up to the surface unless there is a change in the water. One could be the water temperature. With global warming being caused due to pollution, mass amounts of jellyfish come up to shore, drying up and dying. The mother whale and the baby whale were drawn to represent the whale population that is slowly dwindling. Whales are one of the species that eat the most plastic due to them eating mostly krill, which looks similar to plastic. Due to them eating plastic whales have internal damage and eventually die. Pollution should be taken more seriously and if not, the future for the environment is looking bleak. If people collaborate together to support this cause, then we could save countless animals and save the dying environment.
Foreign Utopia - Khloe Ro
Dear 1.5°C,
You represent a small change in temperature. However, the smallest change can make a big difference. Your rise in temperature signifies the damage and destruction that we have caused the world. Not only are you a reminder to humanity of how destructive we have been, but you are also a warning that if we do not take actions for our dangerous threshold, you will only increase further.
Our desperacy to maintain a healthy world, to achieve a utopia, is a false hope. How we yearn for a perfect world is quickly put to reality as we see our world being torn apart by factories who participate in burning fossil fuels. We are the bystanders and the destroyers of Earth. We portray with our imagination, how beautiful the world really is, however if we continue to disrupt ecosystems, and life overall, the world we know will soon crumble. We still have time to act, and we must put action into putting a stop to climate change. The world will not clean itself up, and we are responsible for it’s dirtiness.
Chloe Chang
Our 1.5° Celcius Project is to raise awareness about global warming. 1.5° Celsius is the highest limit for how much the earth's average temperature should rise. If the earth's average temperature increases greater than 1.5 ° Celsius, our ecosystem will start to collapse. Climate crises will affect both the ocean and the land, where sea levels will rise once the Arctic ice caps melt and the land will become more severe and unpredictable due to climate change. I hope that through our project, we can encourage people to notice what's happening to the environment and feel inspired to make changes. We must care for our planet, its ecosystems, and all organisms, as we coexist and share responsibility to protect another. Today, more people have been aware and making changes to protect our planet, but we still need more improvements to sustain our world from our way of life. To emphasize this, my drawing is to show the damage that is already being done to the ocean. Piles of trash are everywhere and water is polluted with waste without concern for the environment. The clear and radiant ocean we used to see and imagine, could now be only seen through the television if we keep harming the sea. However, if we start raising more awareness and support, we might be able to see the ocean we remember, not just on television, but in reality again.
Echoes of Action Beneath the Waves - Jenny (Sion) Kim
Among the countless elements that allow life on Earth possible, nature remains the most vital, an irreplaceable force that people cannot live without. It is the breath in our lungs, and the rhythm that we dwell in. Therefore, it is essential for us to recognize the significance of our environment and be mindful of its value. As much impact as nature contributes to our society, it is the duty of the people to pour out all the efforts to save the world that we live in. However, since our world is changing more rapidly than ever, the clear water that people used to dive in, the thick forests that were once filled with trees, and many other natures are getting destroyed and polluted.
When others see the polluted ocean, I see the deaths of the innocent animals resulting from the trash. When others see the forest that is now almost empty, I see those trees that got cut off and now are no more than a pile of dust. And though it is easy to recognize the scars of the damage, what truly matters is whether I choose to take the first step to make a change, instead of waiting in the shadows for someone else to start it. I can start by doing the small things at first, like recycling and conserving energy and water. However, the most important thing is to raise awareness, using my own voice to talk about the environmental issue to others and encourage them to preserve our nature. One might not have a dramatic effect for people to notice the change, but if we take the first step as a community, we can preserve the beauty of nature.
Furthermore, in my drawing, I portrayed a scene of a little girl swimming with a sea turtle whose body is slowly dying because of the plastic bags that now drift like ghosts, often getting stuck on the turtles’ heads and robbing them of death. I wanted to spread awareness of the pollution of the water on top of the fact that we are harming innocent animals and taking away their lives in return for our convenience. And the net and the trash inside that is hanging on the turtle’s body is a symbol of how carelessly humans throw the trash away in the ocean. The boat next to the net, which is filled with trash instead of living fish, can be represented as the reality of the earth while it connects to the net by a string, symbolizing the link between our actions and the harm they cause to the animals’ ocean home. Ocean is the animals’ home, and they have the right to get their homes protected. And by sharing this piece of art, I hope to echo a message to the world that climate change and water pollution are not distant problems but an urgent reality. The boat that was once filled with trash will ultimately turn into a boat full of animals, plants, and life through our effort. The harmony between nature and humanity will forever be protected by our love for nature not only for this generation but for the countless generations yet to come.
Jason Lee
The central figure in this artwork is me.
Beneath a sky burning red—not with beauty, but as a warning of climate crisis—I hold the Earth tightly in my hands, even as the waves rise around me.
The red sky reflects the heat of global warming and the urgency of our time.
Between the blackened, dying waters and the vibrant, living waves, I stand in the middle and say:
"I may be just one person, but I can still be hope."
This piece speaks to the belief that even a single individual can make a difference—if we choose coexistence, if we choose to care.
Rachel Lee
My artwork shows the idea of coexistence,
which means different things living or existing together in the same space.
In this piece, I drew a baby in the center, surrounded by many different textures, colors, and parts of nature.
The baby’s face looks calm and curious, like she’s trying to understand the world around her. Around her, I included soft blue blankets, colorful flowers, green forests, animal fur, and other materials that all look very different. Even though they don’t match, they are all drawn together, showing how nature and people can live side by side.
This drawing also shows how emotions and experiences can exist together. The baby looks peaceful, even though the things around her are full of bright colors and strong textures. It shows that even when life feels loud or busy, there can still be peace and comfort in the middle of it.
Yuna Shim
In 2024, global average temperatures were 1.6 degrees Celsius; thus, the Paris Agreement was created, a landmark international treaty that intends to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. This intimation is an injunction of the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which I believe is overdue.
Since the late 1980s, global warming has emerged as a serious issue, with climate change already underway by the 1970s. This became the catalyst for multiple catastrophic events, such as our most recent LA wildfires, a result of a confluence of factors, including drought, strong winds, and a percentage of dry vegetation, originating from climate change. Because of the melting iceberg’s famous islands, for example, Hawaii, the Maldives, parts of the Solomon Islands, and even low-lying areas such as New York are disappearing beneath the waves.
In more ways than one, my artwork highlights some of the wants and desires, then the truth of our society. In my illustration, a child shields life—symbolized by water, lotuses, and water hyacinths. These elements carry layered meanings: while water hyacinths can represent jealousy and sorrow—reflecting the harshness of the outside world—they also symbolize forgiveness, purity, and renewal in Hindu culture. Within the protected water, the reflection of the child’s younger self represents a past where the Earth suffered fewer droughts and destructive floods. Beyond the child’s shelter, however, lies the truth of our present: cracked earth, scorched by relentless heat, where even grass can no longer grow.
Today, even if we are late, we can protect our earth by doing simple things such as Small actions—such as reducing meat and dairy consumption, cutting back on flying and fossil-fueled transportation, lowering energy use, and respecting and protecting green spaces—can collectively make a difference.
Hayul Jeung
Coexistence means the state of existing together at the same time or place. This idea relates to humans, animals, and even nature. My artwork portrays an ocean full of trash and garbage yet, in one piece of trash, a bird has used the waste as its home. This image shows a possibility of our future where animals may have to adapt to our waste produced by us. My drawing relates to the idea of ‘Dear 1.5 Degrees’ which is a goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This goal is crucial in order for our world to avoid serious impacts of climate change, pollution, and much more. My artwork aims to demonstrate awareness to people and to encourage others to make a difference in our world, starting today. In order to coexist peacefully, we must protect and take care of our Earth, not just ourselves, but every living form.
Siyool Lee
Coexistence has come to our attention since we are coming closer to reaching 1.5 degrees. The 1.5 degrees Celsius was part of the Paris agreement aiming to limit the global warming temperature below 1.5 degrees. This could be the most irreversible, and catastrophic change for the environment with severe impacts around the world. This includes an increase of heat, higher sea levels, and more severe storms. This is all based on scientific evidence as scientists are trying to highlight the risks associated with higher levels of warming and the urgency of this situation. Currently, the temperature is slowly rising and scientists and politicians believe it’s highly likely to pass the 1.5 degrees Celsius.
To stay within the 1.5 degrees Celsius, individuals, government officials, scientists, and businesses need to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach net-zero emissions by at least 2050. We need to come together and prevent this from happening. Such as, transitioning to renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing methane emissions, ending deforestation and promoting reforestation, electric transportations, and so much more. As some of these lists aren’t immediately possible, we could start off with the little things like riding a bike, or walking instead of using a gas car. We could reduce, reuse, and recycle, as more wastes are piling up causing pollution, and major decrease in the animal population. There are more such as eating a sustainable diet which means consuming less meat based products and instead consuming more natural local foods like fruits and vegetables. All of these actions could help make the world a better place and reduce temperature rise. You could help the world by starting today. It seems small but if everyone does it, it’ll have a huge impact on the world.
Towards a Greener Future - Eileen Cho
Coexistence is more important than ever in a world facing the growing threat of climate change. Coexistence means people, animals, and nature living together in balance—sharing the planet with care and respect. Right now, countries are working toward the 1.5°C goal, which means keeping the Earth's temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above where it was before factories, cars, and pollution changed our atmosphere. If we pass that limit, the damage could be permanent. This goal is more than a number—it's a chance for all of us to come together and protect the only home we have. It takes teamwork, responsibility, and smart choices to make that future possible.
We are already seeing the effects of global warming all around us—melting ice, rising oceans, stronger storms, wildfires, and animals losing their habitats. In some places, people are running out of clean water and food, or being forced to leave their homes. That’s why we need action, not just from governments, but from everyone. Even small choices—like saving energy, recycling, walking or biking instead of driving, planting trees, and spreading awareness—can create big changes when we do them together. This piece of art is my way of showing what a better future could look like—a world where people and nature exist side by side in peace. I hope it makes you think, and I hope it inspires you to help make that future real.
Yebin Kim
My painting is about the spread of wildfires led from global warming. Global warming is the main reason that resources and materials are disappearing. For example, icebergs and glaciers in Antarctica are melting and impacting the animals living there. My drawing is about the wildfires happening all over the world. There are many things that are affected by these wildfires including animals.While there are some that can evacuate , there are animals that cannot. My drawing represents a firefighter trying to rescue a wild coyote playing as the fire burns. On the left corner there are the coyotes' family members evacuating to save their lives. Surrounding them is there forest habitat. The leaves represent the nature that is getting burned down and will never come back. Humans are causing this to happen and this is why global warming and climate change has such a big impact on not just humans but animals as well.
Instead of caring about animals and our environment they are more concerned about irrelevant things. Forest fires cause loss of property, crops, animal resources and more. On a source called Wildfires and Climate change, it states “Climate change has been a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the Western United States. Wildfire risk depends on a number of factors, including temperature, soil moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs, and other potential fuel. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change. Climate change enhances the drying of organic matter in forests (the material that burns and spreads wildfire), and has doubled the number of large fires between 1984 and 2015 in the western United States.”. In conclusion, wildfires are also not just dangerous but harming and destroying our environment by causing fires and melting glaciers.
Spectrum of Survival -
Minji Kim
In this artwork, a chameleon clings to a bamboo branch, its body shifting through the colors of the rainbow—blue, red, yellow, and green. Each color section merges into a background of foliage and forest creatures fading in and out, as if vanishing. The vivid hues represent the beauty and diversity of life on Earth, while the sketched, disappearing animals remind us of what is at risk if we do not act. The chameleon, known for adapting to its surroundings, becomes a symbol of our own need to change—before the environment changes beyond recognition.
This piece is a visual letter to our warming planet, a plea to remain under the 1.5°C threshold. The mixing colors aren’t just beautiful—they hint at imbalance, at ecosystems bleeding into each other, boundaries blurring as climate change reshapes the natural world. The branches bursting into paint are like veins—showing how nature is alive, interconnected, and fragile. Coexistence, here, means not just living side by side but responding with care and urgency. If we don’t protect this balance now, even the most adaptable creatures may not survive what comes next.
Seoyeon Park
The Earth’s temperature has already risen a lot, and if it reaches 1.5°C, we will experience more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and severe environmental damage. Because of global warming, many of the animals and habitats are negatively affected, including us. Even though the effects of global warming are already visible,
there’s still time to make a difference. We can help slow it down and prevent more serious damage. Taking action now is important for keeping the planet healthy and safe. One of the most harmed ecosystems by climate change are the coral reefs. When the water gets too warm from the rising ocean temperature, the corals expel the algae living inside them. These algae provide the corals with food through photosynthesis and give them their vibrant colors. Without them, the corals turn white, a process called coral bleaching. While bleached corals can survive for a while, they are much weaker and more prone to disease. If the water temperature stays high for too long, the corals can die. When corals bleach and die, the entire ecosystem begins to collapse. The loss of corals means that fish and other marine organisms lose their primary source of shelter and food. As ocean temperatures rise, some shark species migrate to warmer waters, including areas with coral reefs. Since coral reefs are home to many marine species, sharks rely on them for food. However, as coral reefs suffer from bleaching and other climate change impacts, the biodiversity that these sharks
depend on begins to decrease. With less food available for the smaller fish and marine creatures, the sharks themselves also face challenges in finding enough to survive. So it is important to stop global warming for not only the coral reefs, but all the other
ecosystems too.
A Sea Story Bloomed from Trash - by Deanna Shepherd
The oceans cover more than 70% of our planet—it's Earth’s lifeblood. But what happens when that lifeblood turns toxic? The Paris Agreement was designed to keep the global temperature from rising above 1.5°C. If it passes this threshold, the effects will be devastating for the entire globe.
Global temperature rises today are measured by how many degrees the Earth is above the pre industrial period’s (1850-1900) temperature averages. As these numbers grow, so do the effects. At 1.5°C, there will be water shortages, droughts, and mass destruction of coral reefs. By 2°C, water shortages will affect approximately half of the world population and severe droughts will be common. Many scientists predict that in just a few years, the world will already have received damage beyond repair such as the complete melting of several ice sheets and release of methane via permafrost. Coral reefs will become all but non-existent and there will be many places in the ocean that can’t support any life (NASA). According to some sources, we are expected to pass 1.5°C in just 10 years (Climate Copernicus).
However, temperature rises are not completely out of our control. This year’s art theme is ‘Coexistence’. We have made this ocean exhibit today to show how our unnatural trash and plastic is tainting the natural beauty of our ocean waters. As the ocean gets more polluted each year, the plastics decrease the ocean’s crucial ability to absorb greenhouse gases. If pollution continues, the world’s temperatures will rise at an extreme rate.
The works of art displayed here today show the artists’ attempt to raise awareness of the growing problem threatening our planet. We are in the middle of a war with ourselves. Every small plastic bag thrown in the streets can have massive consequences on the innocent blues and green of the world.
Help us save Earth. Help life above and below the waters. As we stay mindful and empathetic toward causes working tirelessly to help, we can purify our Earth’s veins and save its inhabitants.
What the Forest Left Behind - by Deanna Shepherd
Scientists around the world fearfully watch global temperatures rise each year, working to prevent each irreversible tipping point as they pass. On December 12th 2015, the United Nations met and discussed how to limit global temperature rise. The question was: what temperature should the world aim to stay below? The answer: a dreaded 1.5°C
What does that mean? Global temperature changes are measured by degrees above the pre-industrial average. The pre-industrial period is from the years 1850-1900, before the dramatic rise of greenhouse gasses and temperature. Any small deviations from those temperatures have a significant impact. For example, every 0.1°C above pre-industrial average causes noticeable changes in precipitation and temperatures, affecting crops and even causing droughts in some regions. (IPCC) By 1.5°C we are expected to pass several vital tipping points of climate change such as an increase in wildfires, more monsoons that will affect crops and rainforests, greatly reduced forest biomass, and frequent droughts in the Amazon Rainforest (IPCC). All of these tipping points will greatly reduce life and biodiversity all over the world. We are closer than you may think. Just last year, NASA reported that the 2024 global average temperature anomaly is 1.2°C (NASA).
The pieces of art in this exhibit show the artists’ view of a forest, a place once bursting with natural life, now scarce and devoid of color. Forests have shown perseverance through thousands of years of trials. Even as natural disasters and human cities wreck forests every year, they have stood tall as a sanctuary for the world’s animals for all this time. But now, they are struggling. They are burning more frequently and more devastatingly. They are being broken down and losing the millions of animals they house. The Amazon Rainforest, one of the world’s best helpers in increasing biodiversity and absorbing heat from climate change, is being destroyed at an alarming rate.
Now, these forests need our help more than ever. The art in this gallery was made with the theme ‘Coexistence.’ We have worked here today to convince you to help the forests as they have helped us. We can help combat climate change by conserving water and electricity, being considerate of the life we share this planet with, and supporting causes dedicated to improving the status of our Earth, which will ultimately help all of us. As you view the following exhibits, please keep in mind what you can do to help scientists and countries around the world in a united effort to save these forests, and save Earth.