climate change burning man

Research meets art: Exploring possible climate futures at Burning Man

There will be no Burning Man 2020. But researchers are already looking ahead to next year's event with an eye toward climate education.

Working in the field of climate change mitigation, one of the most fundamental questions we ask is how to engage folks with the issue of climate change?


Many assume that information is the key—if we can just get the public the right facts, graphs, and charts, they will change their behavior.

Unfortunately, reality isn't so simple. If information is not enough, what is? This is a question I've struggled with for almost a decade, and I've come away—as both a researcher and a human being—believing that what people are lacking is an experience, something they can touch, feel, explore, and remember.

So, after a number of years participating in one of the world's most imaginative, mind-bending creative gatherings, Burning Man, I decided to embark on a journey of connecting my academic research with an art installation for the event.

climate change burning man A CAD drawing of the full project viewed from above.

The project is called "The Prism of Possibilities." It's an interactive and immersive exploration of multiple possible future climate scenarios depending on humanity's actions to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

There are three possibilities built into the art project, which are based on scenarios that Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes in their last Assessment Report. One is a worst-case and also business as usual scenario—where almost no mitigation is done and impacts are very devastating. Another is a middle-of-the road scenario where we do some mitigation. And the third is the best-case scenario where, within the next decade and beyond, we're able to very significantly reduce global emissions.

These three possibilities are connected through a large pointed dome that's akin to an inter-dimensional train station. There will be some clues on and in the train station to the story of the project. For example, much of the decor will be the forgotten-about waste of humanity, there will be some artful signage and little hidden clues like buttons that give access to audio recordings.

burning man art Former project of the crew, koro loko, as seen at Burning Man 2019. (Credit: FromDusttoAshes.com)

The train station gives participants access to three different portals—swirling squares that will be lit with LEDs at night. At the end of each of the three portals is the different climate scenario, which is represented by a house (it actually is the same house at the same time but in three different universes experiencing the three different climate scenarios). The way the houses look and the objects inside them will tell the story of what happened through photographs, diaries, and the trappings of everyday life.

The goal of the project is to help participants to imagine what life might be like 100 years from now, which is not an easy task. As is evident by the current pandemic, it is difficult to think about and plan for disaster scenarios—even ones that imminently lethal.

Art, especially interactive, immersive art, represents an opportunity to open the imagination, to take advantage of people's innate curiosity and offer the experience of another reality.

We hope that the 70,000 participants of Burning Man 2021—and those who experience it wherever it gets placed after the event— are able to walk away from this project with a memory that helps to form a new perspective and meaningful engagement with one of the world's most pressing issues.

Emily Nicolosi is a research assistant professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Utah.

Banner photo: A photoshop collage showcasing the decor and visual impact of the Prism of Possibilities.

Marching for climate with sign:  "There Is No Planet B"
Photo by Li-An Lim on Unsplash

It isn’t just the U.S. The whole world has soured on climate politics.

How do we think about the climate future, now that the era marked by the Paris Agreement has so utterly disappeared?
An old oil pump jack in a dry field

New Mexico’s billion-dollar oilfield orphans

A recent report warns that bankrupt oil companies could leave New Mexico with up to $1.6 billion in cleanup costs, as orphaned wells and leaking tank batteries pile up.

Vermont statehouse in Montpelier, Vermont
Credit: jiawangkun/BigStock Photo ID: 71198428

Trump administration asks judge to rule against Vermont’s climate superfund law

In a new motion for summary judgment, the U.S. Department of Justice insists Vermont cannot make polluters pay for harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Lobbyist oil barrel icon
Phot credit: Ylivdesign/ BigStock Photo ID: 467849671

US senator calls on big oil to disclose suspected lobbying over Trump plan to axe key climate rule

Senate committee investigates suspected push that led administration to overturn EPA’s endangerment finding.

Las Vegas Nevada billboard under white and blue sky
Photo by Sung Shin on Unsplash

The solar industry threw a party in Vegas, and it actually wasn’t sad

After relentless setbacks from the Trump administration, solar and storage pros are finding solace in booming demand for electricity.
A row of solar panels against a snowy background

Utah clean energy advocates urge PacifiCorp to fast-track renewables for major cost savings

Utah Clean Energy is asking state regulators to direct PacifiCorp to speed up development of solar, wind, and storage projects, arguing that early action could save ratepayers billions through federal tax credits.

SpaceX rocket blasting off
Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

Elon Musk has criticized environmental regulations. His companies have been accused of sidestepping them.

Musk considers environmental regulation a barrier to innovation. As he eyes a new project in Houston, here’s what to know about some of his companies’ past projects that have faced scrutiny from regulators and environmental advocates.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.