In collaboration with Nicholas Ward.
Recently shown at Sonorities 2022. https://sonorities.net/events/small-voice/
This sound installation utilises the context of the climate crisis to explore how our opinions of topics can become radicalised by exposure to feedback loops of extreme views. The internet has enabled a democratisation and decentralisation of knowledge. The proliferation of online communities has created echo-chambers where our beliefs and opinions are reinforced but rarely challenged. Opaque algorithms proposition us, guiding our reading and watching, shaping our opinions in subtle and not so subtle ways. These structures magnify and reinforce prejudices through the omission of counter arguments. “Truth” in these scenarios becomes a subjective, socially constructed concept supported by misinformation and lies.
This work explores this notion of truth in the post-digital age by focusing on the unfolding climate crisis. How are our opinions formed, our concerns and fears manipulated? How can what to many is an existential crisis be to so many more a non-issue?
Through recorded interviews and existing news footage, we examine the motivations of activists and scientists who are actively involved in protesting climate change and alongside these the reaction of citizens for whom the crisis is not a major concern or who are ambivalent to it.
Taking a walk through this immersive experience you can navigate through differing opinions on climate change. The sonic landscape operates on three layers; an ever-changing enveloping natural environment; spatially fixed areas of differing climate opinion and changing headphone related sound reflecting your changing inner monologue. As you physically move to navigate the space you can simultaneously navigate the varying climate change opinions and hear how these opinions affect your whispered inner monologue.
Inclusion of the following audio is used under the creative commons license CCBY4.0
Devine, Richard. Thunderstorm 2, [Online Audio] Available at: https://library.soundfield.com/track/246[Accessed 20th June 2022] licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Inclusion of parts of the following audio is used under the Quotation Exemption to copyright infringement:
abcqanda (2019) Jordan Peterson Calls Out The “Pseudo-moralistic Stances” Of Activists | Q&A [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTk-69f64KU [Accessed 21st June 2022]
BBC (2019) Should climate change activists be applauded or arrested? | Question Time – BBC. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1CV-l8fzKk [Accessed 21st June 2022]
C-SPAN. (2019) President Trump on Climate Change. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl1Rnz4zNkg [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Channel 4 News (2020) Danger to life’ flood warnings in place as River Severn rises [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6DnFmOzXxQ [Accessed 21st June 2022]
CNBC (2020) Africa World Economic Forum: President Trump’s keynote address at the WEF annual meeting. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enh6mm4IoJw [Accessed 21st June 2022]
CNBC Television (2020) BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink is warning that the financial risks of climate change are bigger than any crisis he’s experienced in his career on Wall Street. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYtEukvKjLc [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Euro News (2020) Greta Thunberg Speaks at World Economic Forum | LIVE [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIDxQlqAcBQ [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Fox News (2017) Bjorn Lomborg: Trump was right to leave Paris climate deal. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGZo8D5gnI [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Good Morning Britain (2019) Piers Clashes With Extinction Rebellion Co-Leader Skeena Rathor Over Protests | Good Morning Britain. [Online VIdeo] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ISePLL1wcw[Accessed 21st June 2022]
HBO, 2018. President Trump on Climate Change | AXIOS on HBO. [Online Video] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq2L_49PBQ [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Hnuti duchy. (2019) Professor Jordan Peterson on climate change and climate policy at the Cambridge Union. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBf2PU_Bvog [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Hoover Institution. (2020) Bjorn Lomborg Declares “False Alarm” on Climate Hysteria. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxWYglbtqnQ [Accessed 21st June 2022]
ITV News (2020) Floods bring ‘danger to life’ as heavy rain batters UK | ITV News. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTsiNjBiww [Accessed 21st June 2022]
MNFMI. (2009) Lord Christopher Monckton Speaking in St. Paul. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stij8sUybx0 [Accessed 21st June 2022]
ModernWisdomPodcast (2021) Greenpeace’s Ex-President – Is Climate Change Fake? – Patrick Moore | Modern Wisdom Podcast 373 [Online Video] Available at:.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5K5i5Wv7jQ[Accessed 21st June 2022]
Oxford Union (2016) Climate Change Debate | Peter Lilley MP | Proposition. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5U2wDWpx6M [Accessed 21st June 2022]
Oxford Union (2016) Climate Change Debate | Prof. Bruce Pardy | Opposition. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-qUJpGGKf0 [Accessed 21st June 2022]
The Guardian (2020) PM Scott Morrison defends climate policies and asks Australians to be ‘patient’ over fires. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/02/pm-scott-morrison-defends-climate-policies-and-asks-australians-to-be-patient-over-fires [Accessed 21st June 2022]
The Guardian Australia. (2021) ‘We don’t deny climate change’, says Sky News boss at Senate Inquiry. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH-n3Xfq9aM [Accessed 21st June 2022]
The Telegraph (2019) Emotional Greta Thunberg attacks world leaders: “How dare you?” [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVlRompc1yE [Accessed 21st June 2022]
The Telegraph (2020) Donald Trump blames wildfires on ‘explosive trees’ and promises ‘it’ll get cooler’, [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrO9-D5c5U. [Accessed 21st June 2022]
This Fool is Cool (2020) What Greta Thunberg does not understand about climate change | Jordan Peterson. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y564PsKvNZs [Accessed 21st June 2022]
UN Climate Change (2021) Barack Obama at #COP26: “We can secure a better future” | UN Climate Change [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpOSlo_gwWo [Accessed 21st June 2022]
UN Climate Change. (2021) COP26 President Alok Sharma’s Opening Speech at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oew6OO9azys [Accessed 21st June 2022]
UN Climate Change. (2021) Elizabeth Wathuti at #COP26 “Please open your hearts”. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMvzJu79WG0 [Accessed[21st June 2022]