I particularly enjoyed The Guardian’s article on “Tracking Australia’s Progress on the Climate Crisis and the Consequences of Global Heating.”
It is a very salient, timely article about climate change in Australia. It is important to remember that the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, and Australia is just entering what is – paradoxically – likely to be both one of the hottest summers on record and the coolest summer for the foreseeable future.
Climate change is only worsening, as depicted by an alarming countdown clock that details how many tons of carbon dioxide have been emitted by Australia alone in the limited time one has been on the page, as well as how long it will take before Australia uses up its allotment of carbon emissions, as described by Paris agreements. The clock ticks ominously, always in motion, and the numbers are alarming. Our time is running out like sand in an hourglass to fix the problems wrought since the Industrial Revolution – and this serves as a visceral reminder.
This article provides data that can be of use to educators, students, advocates, environmentalists, and citizen scientists. Environmental justice activists can use these numbers to present their case with all due urgency. Governmental officials can use it as justification for more aggressive carbon offset and emission reduction policies.
Numbers alone cannot tell this story, though they are nevertheless needed, useful, and relevant. Despite its timeliness, the one notable thing this article does not do is appeal to pathos – it glosses over the sheer suffering caused by anthropogenic climate change. A chart towards the end of the article describes the dangers faced. Wildfires are listed as being “more severe or more likely to occur,” along with drought across the continent, more extreme cold freezes and hotter summers throughout the nation as well as maritime heatwaves in the oceans off Northern Australia.
Yes, this data-based article appeals to the logical mind. However, I believe there must be an attempt made to petition our common humanity as well. Our minds are simply not evolved for comprehending such staggeringly large numbers as 10.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which was and remains Australia’s total “fair share” allotment for the years including and between 2013 and 2050.
Please allow me to share an excerpt of the end of Zbignew Herbert’s powerful poem, “Mr Cogito Reads the Newspaper.”
I believe that what Herbert calls “the arithmetic of compassion” plays a large role in data journalism and must be carefully weighed and considered to avoid dehumanizing people into datasets while still telling the stories that must be told and brought to public attention.
