2021

Preserved in Pine

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We are in the midst of an environmental crisis. Art has the ability to engage with the environment and can enable us to challenge the political structures that constantly fail to protect it.  However, the fight must be a collective commitment for environmental justice. One that draws on all modes of distribution, including art, to save our future.[1]

 

In this spirit Eva Falk-Drake, in her project Preserved in Pine, has used alternative photographic processes to explore the use of natural climate solutions to help avert global heating. Taken in local carbon-storing environments, Falk-Drake turned her landscape photographs into a series of cyanotypes, toned using pine needles. Creating a series of rich brown textured prints, that emulate the bark on the pine trees.

 

Natural climate solutions are the idea that through restoring and funding carbon-storing environments such as woodlands, peatlands, grasslands, mangroves, salt-marshes we can achieve up to 37% of our global carbon capture goals. However, these solutions get only 2% of all the money used to tackle climate breakdown.[2]

 

“Right now, when we need nature the most we are destroying it faster than ever.

Up to 200 species are going extinct every single day … What should we do? It’s simple. We need to protect, restore and fund.” – (Greta Thunberg, 2019)[3]

 

Protecting our existing ecosystems is crucial because their ability to store carbon is much more efficient compared to newer ecosystems. Mature systems have greater integrity and diversity which makes them more resistant to the impacts of climate change and accumulating carbon.[4] Alongside carbon capture, natural climate solutions have the ability to enhance biodiversity, flood control, air filtration and soil quality. Therefore, making it a vital part of the transition to a carbon neutral global economy and a stable climate.[5]

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[1] Demos, T.J. (2013) ‘Contemporary Art and the Politics of Ecology’, Third Tex, 27(1) p1-9. Available at: https://whel-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/16nhm02/TN_cdi_crossref_primary_10_1080_09528822_2013_753187 (Accessed: 18 January 2021)

[2] National Climate Solutions (2019) Natural Climate Solutions. Available at: https://www.naturalclimate.solutions/the-science (Accessed: 22 November 2020)

[3] Greta Thunberg (2019) #naturenow. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlfW7aYouYQ&feature=youtu.be (Accessed 23 November 2020)

[4] National Climate Solutions (2019) Natural Climate Solutions. Available at: https://www.naturalclimate.solutions/the-science (Accessed: 22 November 2020)

[5] Bronson W. Griscom, Justin Adams, Peter W. Ellis, Richard A. Houghton, Guy Lomax, Daniela A. Miteva, William H. Schlesinger, David Shoch, Juha V. Siikamäki, Pete Smith, Peter Woodbury, Chris Zganjar, Allen Blackman, João Campari, Richard T. Conant, Christopher Delgado, Patricia Elias, Trisha Gopalakrishna, Marisa R. Hamsik, Mario Herrero, Joseph Kiesecker, Emily Landis, Lars Laestadius, Sara M. Leavitt, Susan Minnemeyer, Stephen Polasky, Peter Potapov, Francis E. Putz, Jonathan Sanderman, Marcel Silvius, Eva Wollenberg, and Joseph Fargione (2017) ‘Natural climate solutions’, PNAS, 114(44) p. 11645-11650. Available at: https://www.pnas.org/content/114/44/11645 (Accessed: November 23 2020)