Late on Tuesday’s Today show, weatherman Al Roker took time to gush over an art exhibit he recently visited at Columbia University “simulating what our world might look like if sea level rise was up to 10 feet.” It was all part of his ongoing series of reports pushing the radical climate change agenda.
“You know, I’ve actually been working on this series on climate change, and last night we got an exclusive look at dramatic insulation combining art and science, simulating what our world might look like if sea level rise was up to 10 feet,” Roker proclaimed as he introduced the segment.
With the headline on screen announcing a “First Look at Dramatic Climate Change Exhibit,” Roker told viewers: “Imagine a world underwater, where seas have risen 10 feet.”
He turned to the creator, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde, to explain the exhibit: “This is Waterlicht, yeah. So right now we are below sea level. So it’s a combination of lights and lenses which actually show how high the water level will reach in the future if we’re not more careful about our planet Earth.”
In a separate sit-down interview with Roosegaarde, Roker observed: “You know, we talk about sea level rise and we give charts and figures and facts, and they may not actually resonate with people.” The artist replied: “The numbers and the science is incredibly important, but I do think art is a trigger, is an activator for change.”
Roker hailed the display as “the brainchild of Carol Becker,” the dean of the School of the Arts at Columbia. She urged the importance of making an emotional appeal on climate change: “How can we make people conscious of an issue? Not necessarily just with data or with facts, like you have to feel something to change consciousness.”
One unidentified student at Columbia was shown applauding the exhibit: “I think this forces you to think of that sea level rising, that climate change in such a different light, just because all of a sudden you have a visual representation of, ‘Oh, this is where the water is gonna be, this is what’s going to happen if we don’t actively change our habits.’”
Roker chimed in: “Becker says at a time when weather is more extreme than any time in recent history, understanding the urgency of a changing climate is critical.” Becker followed: “We have to change the way we live. We have this amazing planet. There isn’t another for us.”
Just last month, another climate change report from Roker featured an animation of Washington D.C. also being flooded with rising sea water in the coming years. As it turns out, NBC had already made that same prediction three decades earlier in 1989. The nation’s capital still remains above water, as does New York City.
Here is a full transcript of the October 22 report:
8:32 AM ET
AL ROKER: You know, I’ve actually been working on this series on climate change, and last night we got an exclusive look at dramatic insulation combining art and science, simulating what our world might look like if sea level rise was up to 10 feet. It’s called Waterlicht, a large scale light installation by a Dutch artist and innovator, who says the art exhibit helps show the power of living with water.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: State of the “Art”; First Look at Dramatic Climate Change Exhibit]
This is really amazing. Imagine a world underwater, where seas have risen 10 feet.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You forget you’re in New York, it’s like very calming.
ROKER: That’s what Dutch artist and inventor Daan Roosegaarde is creating. So, Daan, this is Waterlicht.
DAN ROOSEGAARDE: This is Waterlicht, yeah. So right now we are below sea level. So it’s a combination of lights and lenses which actually show how high the water level will reach in the future if we’re not more careful about our planet Earth.
ROKER: You know, we talk about sea level rise and we give charts and figures and facts, and they may not actually resonate with people.
ROOSEGAARDE: The numbers and the science is incredibly important, but I do think art is a trigger, is an activator for change.
ROKER: The installation at Columbia University, part of Year of Water, the brainchild of Carol Becker, dean of the School of Arts.
CAROL BECKER [COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY]: How can we make people conscious of an issue? Not necessarily just with data or with facts, like you have to feel something to change consciousness.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B [COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT]: I think this forces you to think of that sea level rising, that climate change in such a different light, just because all of a sudden you have a visual representation of, “Oh, this is where the water is gonna be, this is what’s going to happen if we don’t actively change our habits.”
ROKER: Becker says at a time when weather is more extreme than any time in recent history, understanding the urgency of a changing climate is critical.
BECKER: We have to change the way we live. We have this amazing planet. There isn’t another for us.
ROOSEGAARDE: And I think that’s the beauty of art, that it can show a future world. If we can’t imagine a better future, we won’t get there.
ROKER: And Waterlicht already has 15,000 people signed up to come see it. You can get more information on their website, it’s running for the next three nights, even tonight when it’s gonna be raining, it’ll be very special to see because the water will actually look like diamonds.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Oh, cool.
CRAIG MELVIN: I enjoyed that. Art helping us learn a little bit more about science. Fascinating, thank you, sir.
HODA KOTB: Thank you, Al.
