Artist helps you visualize how many SUVs are sold in America
In general humans tend to think at a very local scale. They can visualize the things that directly impact their lives, like how much they spend on groceries or rent. But as numbers grow beyond that local human scale they become increasingly abstract and hard to get your head around. How big is 93,000,000 (roughly the number of miles to the Sun) or $8,822,366,610,275 (the current amount of the US National debt)? In isolation they don't mean much.
Visual representations can more readily give a sense of scale to huge numbers. Artist Chris Jordan has created a series of images that provide some sense of visual scale to the numbers that represent our consumption patterns. The image of Mt. Denali is comprised of 24,000 GMC Denali logos, equivalent to six weeks of sales of the SUV in 2004. There are more striking images at Chris' website.
[source: Chris Jordan via Gizmodo]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BILL 5:35PM (5/09/2007)
This idea of using visual representations is really cool. Maybe Mr. Jordan can come up with a visual representation of the many morons buying into the "humans cause global warming" concept.
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Edsel 7:14AM (5/10/2007)
I love this! Perhaps, Mr. Jordan can create a visual representation of the number of new pages of local, state and federal laws, statutes, regulations, and ordinances created every year in the United States.
Now, that would be truly scary!
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Will 11:43AM (5/11/2007)
What are your main arguments that people aren't causing climate change?
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Brett 12:38PM (5/10/2007)
I love how they always seem to pick a GM model to make a point about our climate problems. Why don't they pick a less fuel efficient Toyota GAS HOG to use in their propaganda. Everyone knows Toyota makes those right?
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BILL 5:55PM (5/10/2007)
The question is "what are my main arguments that humans are not causing global climate change".
I am skeptical of any concept being put forward in an atmosphere as politicized as as Global Warming. I do not deny global warming could be happening because it has happened many, many times over the life of the planet. If the planet has warmed many, many times it stands to reason the planet has also cooled just as many times. Warming and cooling have happened during the time people have been on the planet in significant numbers. What did the people do many hundreds of years ago to cause warming and then cooling to be followed by warming? Computer models designed to forecast global climate change are woefully inadequate, not to mention we can barely forecast the weather correctly from one day to the next.
On the other hand global warming may not be all bad - bikini swim suits may get even skimpier as temperatures rise!
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Will 11:45AM (5/11/2007)
Do you have some sources or data that I could read to be more informed on your position?
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