Time and the Times We Live In

There are examples everywhere in our history where art and science have come together to help shape humanity. And when it comes to climate change, they can play an important role in reimagining the planet's future for generations to come.

Now in its third year, Broto: Art-Climate-Science is an annual conference that empowers artists and scientists to tackle aspects of climate change through collaboration. This year’s focus, “Deep Time”, addressed how long-term thinking—think millions and billion of years rather than our own lifetimes—helps us commit to changes for the environment and the future that we might never benefit from.

When art and science converge, they can have a powerful impact that become embedded into our culture and way of life for centuries. For example, the concept of “cathedral thinking” dates back to medieval times when architects, stonemasons and artisans devised plans for structures that they knew they’d never see realized in their lifetimes. Some of the biggest monumental works began with a long-term vision that its creators knew would outlive them. The leaning tower of Pisa took nearly 200 years to complete; Stonehenge was a 1,500-year construction with a design plan that still stumps architects; and the Sagrada Família in Spain, which began in 1882, is a project that’s reportedly still only 50 per cent complete.

As humans, we’re not particularly apt at thinking in the long-term. In this day and age, we live in a world of instant gratification with an always-on and always-connected way of life. As a result, it’s become ever more difficult to consider time beyond our lifetimes.

But in March of this year, the COVID pandemic helped demonstrate that long-term thinking for the betterment of our future isn’t such a far-off concept. It forced us to alter our behaviours and make immediate changes to our everyday lives, so we could “flatten the curve” and protect our future. Science brought us new policies and restrictions that effectively put us all on pause, bringing about unexpected impacts including reduced carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions, decreases in air pollution, and improved water quality in many areas—and all this in just two-and-a-half months of global lockdown. The power of art has also emerged as a strong presence—shortages of masks and medical equipment have allowed many individuals and organizations to turn their own creativity into help or support.

I invite you all to watch the Broto conference replays, which are free for all to enjoy. The seven sessions include topics like cathedral thinking, time as a muse, and COVID’s eco-lesson in behaviour change.

On June 5, 2020, it was World Environment Day—a day in which the United Nations encourages worldwide awareness and action to help protect our environment. When we look to the future, we need to consider that the changes we make today might not take affect until long after we’re gone, but that they’re in place for the future of other generations. Imagine what could be if we reacted to climate change as swiftly as we have to the coronavirus—and with a long-term vision in place for every generation that comes after us, we’d have the power to enact real change even if we aren’t around to see it.