Laura Earle | Grow the Issue Public Ceramic + MDF | 36 x 36 x 3 inches

Using materials diverted from the waste stream, this piece visualizes public opinion about climate change at the time of its making, September 2020. There are 100 ceramic bisque heads — 20 are facing away, representing the 20% of Americans who do not believe climate change is an issue; 55 are facing forward obliquely, indicating the 55% of Americans who do believe climate change is important to address, but are currently passive, without direction, waiting for someone else to take action; 25 are facing full-forward, representing the “issue public,” the 25% of Americans actively pursuing solutions by participating in the political process – protests, communicating with their elected officials and voting. https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020/

Laura Earle | Drawdown Birch, Filament + Gesso | 60 x 24 x 120 inches

The term “Drawdown” refers to reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, in order to reverse global warming to eliminate the negative impact of climate change on all living systems.

Laura Earle | In Case of Fire Mixed Media: Found Objects | 7.5 x 10 x 3 inches

Referencing Greta Thunberg’s iconic statement “Our house is on fire!”, the use of a mirror positions the viewer as both the one raising the alarm and delivering the solution.

Laura Earle | Carbon Capture Anthracite Coal, Safety Cage, Padlock | 7.5 x 10 x 4 inches

Sequestering carbon by leaving it in its natural state in soil, plant life, geological formations and the oceans keeps it out of the atmosphere, reducing global warming and climate change.

Laura Earle | Pharm Table Mixed Media: Table, Test Tubes, Newspaper Clippings, Salad Garden

Eating a plant-rich diet ranks number four on the list of the top 100 ways to reverse climate change. This piece considers the importance of our own kitchen tables. Do we continue to subsist on “edible industrial design” (highly processed, chemically manipulated, individually wrapped, single serving foods) or literally go back to its roots? The test tubes contain supermarket circular clippings extolling the virtues of “No Waste Single Servings” and challenges our short-sighted consumer mentality which overlooks the role packaging plays in global warming.

Laura Earle | Solutions Mindset Repurposed Ceramic + Reclaimed Ash

Each ceramic head reflects a leading strategy for reversing climate change, as described in Drawdown, edited by Paul Hawken.

Refrigeration — The number one most impactful way to achieve drawdown is to recapture harmful refrigerants and replace them with natural options like propane and ammonia.

Wind Power — Numbers two and twenty-two on the list is energy generated by wind turbines.

Food — Reducing food waste and eating a plant-rich diet rank # 3 and #4.

Land Use — Preserving tropical forests, temperate forests, peatlands and halting aforestation rank #5, 12, 13 and 15 on the list.

Educating Women + Girls — Ranking #6, 7 and 62 in the top 100, elevating women through education, family planning and economic equality can contribute significantly to reversing global warming.

Solar Energy — Solar farms and rooftop solar rank #8 and 10 as solutions.

Agriculture — Changing our farming practices is vital to the planet’s survival. Silvopasturing (allowing animals to graze among the trees rather than clearing fields), regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, tree intercropping, managed grazing and many more practices rank #9, 11, 16,17 and 19.