Countdown to Mass Extinction
Artist
Winston Tseng
United States, born 1980
Date2022
Dimensions36 x 24 in. (91.4 x 61 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.7688
DescriptionNegotiated in 2015, and entering into force in 2016, the Paris Agreement is an international treaty signed by 195 countries dedicated to mitigating the risks and damages of climate change. One of its stipulated goals is to keep global-warming temperatures well below a rise of 2 degrees Celsius, with the hope of keeping it below 1.5 degrees Celsius. In context, a 1.5 degree increase would cause sea levels to rise approximately 3 feet by the end of this century, enough to inundate some coastal cities. If a rise of 2 degrees Celsius is exceeded, numerous major ice sheets would collapse, leading to a possible 30-foot rise in sea levels. This poster is part of a larger series created by Winston Tseng in which he appropriates the logo and iconic characters of Sesame Street to produce apparently legitimate advertisements that highlight the dangers of climate change. Like many of his other protest posters, they were illegally put up in bus shelters and on walls throughout New York City.On View
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