Date
Art Review (Isabelle Hayeur, Northshore 02 2015-2016)
The Northshore 02, an art which showcases the carcass of sea creatures like the fish at the water body's shore is a unique occurrence. It also shows that the water body had high water levels but now it has declined having had three-quarter of its water dried up and leaving portions dry or with little water.
The dead creature look like they have been pushed deep and dumped at the shore of the water body. This peculiar artwork basically summarizes the side effects that global warming has on the water bodies, creatures and to the lives of human beings.
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect
Global warming is the average rise in earth temperatures due to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by the greenhouse gases which include carbon IV oxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapor among others. Human activities such as industrialization have resulted to the high concentration of the gases especially carbon IV oxide in the atmosphere. The gases form a blanket in the atmosphere. They allow the incoming radiation to pass to the earth but absorb the outgoing radiation from the earth thus resulting to increase in the temperatures of the lower atmosphere and the upper surface of the earth. Due to the high temperatures the water in the water bodies is heat up then vaporizes which with time its water level reduces or dries. This endangers the lives of the water creatures as well as others who depend on them in a food chain or food web.
Impact on Water Bodies and Creatures
From the art, the water body level was normal but with time it reduced. Due to the low levels of the water, some of the water living creatures were left without water covering them and because they cannot survive in the dry land they died. This may have affected the food chain of the living creatures which might not have died due to shortage or no food for them. The areas which have been left covered by the small amount of water may be breeding grounds for creatures such as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes breed in such places and due to the increase in temperature, this can favor them. The female mosquitoes spread malaria and this can increase chances of people of contracting it if prevention strategies like using nets or repellents are not applied. Human beings depend on some water living creatures like fish as food. In the area represented by the art, it is clear that millions of fish died. Assuming that the water body is one of the sources of fish, this might have resulted in a shortage.
Art as a Medium for Awareness and Action
The art can be used to create awareness so that people can come up with strategies to reduce the emission of carbon IV oxide in the atmosphere. Referring to it, if the situation continues it means that lives of many water bodies’ creatures are endangered especially in areas which are experiencing desertification. There are areas due to global warming there is an increase in rainfall which results in the rise in water levels in the seas, lakes, rivers or ocean unlike in the case of our art and this result to floods. Either way, it is clear that global warming effects are threatening and this calls for putting up strategies and making ratifications among nations to reduce its effects.
