70 years—

70 years—from denial to destruction is a visual hourglass tracking the time between 1959 and 2029.

The piece uses paper numbered with every year from 1959, the year the oil industry first understood the link between fossil fuels and climate change, until 2029, our deadline to a transition away from fossil fuels in time to limit global warming to 1.5ºC—and minimize the catastrophic impact to the planet.

• Title

  70 years--from denial to destruction

• Materials

  graphite on paper, galvanized steel

• Size

  18" H x 11" R bin

  11.5" D x 11" H sheets

• Status

  Shown in Pleased to Meet You (San Francisco, 2024)

The five, fresh sheets of paper on the table represent each year we have left to transition away from fossil fuels—to limit global warming to 1.5ºC—and minimize the catastrophic impact to the planet. A line of handwritten text is visible at the top of the last sheet: “I wanted to say that I am sorry.” That sentence references Ali Raizin’s video piece of the same title.

The 65 crumpled sheets in the waste bin represent every year since 1959—when the oil industry first understood the connection between burning fossil fuels and climate change.

References

Science — Climate clock. (n.d.). Climate Clock. https://climateclock.world/science#deadline

Ehb. (2024, May 1). Defense, Denial, and Disinformation: Uncovering the oil industry’s early knowledge of climate change - Common home. Common Home. https://commonhome.georgetown.edu/topics/climateenergy/defense-denial-and-disinformation-uncovering-the-oil-industrys-early-knowledge-of-climate-change/.