Climate Stripes: A Global Symbol Uniting for Change

In 2017, Professor Ellie Highwood‘s crochet “global warming blanket” inspired the iconic “climate stripes,” symbolizing average global temperature changes.

This graphic gained global recognition, featured on Greta Thunberg’s book cover, in The Economist, and on London Fashion Week catwalks.

The climate stripes, a universal symbol of climate change, adorned public transport, buildings, and even natural landmarks worldwide. Activists and Cycling 4 Climate embraced it.

Unlike traditional graphs, the stripes, resembling barcodes, simplify complex data. Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist, transformed them into a widely accessible online graphic.

The campaign, endorsed by TV meteorologists globally, became a visual language for climate change awareness. It resonates across audiences, fostering a positive energy.

October 2023 marked the warmest month on record, reinforcing the urgency of climate action. The IPCC links rising temperatures to human activities and greenhouse gas emissions.

Though some criticize the stripes’ simplicity, they’ve made an impact. U.S. Senators and Chile’s President Boric wore them, creating awareness in political settings.

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, a former IPCC vice-chair, used the climate stripes tie to visually convey temperature trends at COP events.

While popular in North America and Europe, the stripes may not be as recognized in other regions. In Nigeria, for instance, awareness is limited to those familiar with climate science.

While the warming stripes might not offer a comprehensive solution, they serve as a vital first step in initiating climate change conversations amid widespread misinformation.

1. Crafting Climate Awareness: Ellie Highwood’s crochet blanket becomes the inspiration for the iconic climate stripes, simplifying global temperature data.
2. Global Adoption: From fashion runways to public transport, the climate stripes gain widespread adoption globally, becoming a unifying symbol for climate activists.
3. Accessible Visualization: Ed Hawkins transforms the climate stripes into an online graphic, allowing people worldwide to customize the visual for their location.
4. Political Impact: U.S. Senators, President Boric, and global meteorologists endorse the climate stripes, influencing discussions on climate policies in political and scientific arenas.
5. Recognizing Regional Variances: While embraced in North America and Europe, the awareness of climate stripes varies across regions, prompting the need for tailored climate communication.
6. Simplicity Sparks Conversations: Critics argue the stripes oversimplify data, but proponents believe their simplicity sparks essential conversations about climate change.

Re-reported from the article originally published in The BBC News