Description

This is the first Gabrielle Mérite x Kat Kat collaboration ever, and we’re excited to release this project on Earth Day. The topic explored here is rising sea levels through a print and earring pairing. While the print and earrings are tied together in topic and aesthetic, they set out to answer different questions about rising sea levels.

The earrings relay the big picture and answer the question of how much has global sea level risen over the years? Over the past 15 years, the global mean sea level has risen 54 mm. This general rise in sea level over time is illustrated by the increasing wave of green and blue beads. Each column of beads represents a year from 2006 to 2020. Global mean sea level fluctuates each year, and these yearly changes are represented by the white (increases) and gray (decreases) beads. Noticeable increases occur during 2012, 2013, and 2016.

The print dives into the details and answers the question of what the impact is on humans: how many people will end up below sea level? Who is the most vulnerable? Can our action change their fate?

The poster allows us to understand in part why rising sea level matters. Each island floating represents one of the 10 countries the most affected by the sea-level rise. The extent to which these islands are located vertically symbolizes the millions of people from these countries that will also be underwater. If countries continue to produce greenhouse gas following the same trajectory (RCP 4.5), homes of now more than 200 million people could fall permanently below the high tide line by 2100. By limiting our gas emissions (RCP 2.6), we could save millions of lives from floods and countries from catastrophic human and economic consequences.

This poster is also a reminder that our developed countries probably won’t be the most impacted by the climate crisis. The most vulnerable and least responsible for it will be.

For more details and discovery, please visit the interactive data visualization page. 5% of profits from this purchase will be donated to Urban Ocean Lab.

Earring size: 3.5 in x 1.25 in (L x W)
Print size: 11 x 17 in, unframed.
Please note that the print and earrings are shipped separately. Items are made-to-order and may take 1-2 weeks before being shipped out.

1. HDR GSFC. 2020. Global Mean Sea Level Trend from Integrated Multi-Mission Ocean Altimeters TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, OSTM/Jason-2, and Jason-3. Version 5.0 Ver. 5.0 PO.DAAC CA, USA. Dataset accessed 2021-03-02 at http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/GMSLM-TJ150.
2. Kulp, S.A., Strauss, B.H. New elevation data triple estimates of global vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Nat Commun 10, 4844 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12808-z