Climate Change Has Starring Role in Reopened D.C. Fossil Hall Exhibit

“We’re changing the planet faster than any other species in Earth’s history. What does this mean for our future?”

Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History encounter this quote, and many others like it, on the walls of the Age of the Humans exhibit in the recently reopened Fossil Hall. The exhibit, dedicated to human-caused climate change and how we have been altering the planet for the past 70,000 years, educates visitors about climate change science in an easily understandable way. To do this, it calls attention to our history of land degradation and fossil fuel usage, emphasizing the extinctions we have caused and the ecosystems we have altered. It also shows how CO₂ concentrations have changed over time and details what will happen if they continue to rise and make our planet “too hot to handle.”

To enter the exhibit, visitors walk through “Deep Time to Tomorrow,” a timeline of evolutionary and human history that charts mass extinctions, species evolution, and our eventual appearance on the planet. The timeline ends with “Today” and a large question mark asking, “Will our actions turn this biodiversity crisis into a mass extinction?” Primarily referring to our fossil fuel usage and land degradation, both of which are affecting ecosystems and fueling climate change, the question prepares visitors for the rest of the exhibit.

The exhibit reminds visitors that “our fossil fuel use is changing the planet,” warming it, melting its ice, acidifying its oceans, raising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and affecting not only humankind but all species and ecosystems. It reminds us how our agricultural practices and land usage—which have “altered at least 75 percent of Earth’s land”—have, and still are, contributing to climate change and to harming other species. This will change the future of our planet if we do not start making rapid changes.

With graphs, images, examples, and statistics, the Age of the Humans exhibit paints a dire picture. However, the exhibit works to balance out the gloom and doom and remind us that although we are consuming more energy and resources than in the past, “our ingenuity can help us find solutions that are collective and global.” This hopeful, forward-thinking outlook is evident in both video shorts and interactive screens throughout the exhibit.

The videos provide visitors with examples of solution-oriented projects from around the country and globe, highlighting projects that are protecting communities from the effects of climate change, restoring ecosystems, and mitigating climate change itself. From the installation of green roofs and other green infrastructures to combat extreme heat and the urban heat island effect in Chicago, to restoring oyster reefs on the New York City coast in an effort to make the city more resilient to sea-borne storms, the videos emphasize community collaboration and innovation.

The interactive screens draw visitors in with the invitation to “start with what [they] love” in order to make a difference. From there, visitors can choose topics—including farms, technology, pizza, and art—to learn more about what people are doing in relation to that specific topic to combat climate change and its effects. After providing an example, the screen suggests basic ways in which visitors can get involved and make a difference, suggesting if everyone “took a first step,” we would be more successful in combating climate change. To inspire visitors, another screen informs them of how many others have taken the “first step”—e.g., picked a topic and worked through the interactive video—that week. On a Monday afternoon, 2,136 visitors had already participated.

By emphasizing community collaboration and the actual science of climate change, the Age of Humans exhibit provides a springboard for continued action and dialogue. With 1.1 million visits to the museum in the first four months of 2019, this exhibit has the potential to reach a large audience, including many who may not know much about climate change or may not normally engage with the topic. The Age of Humans exhibit has the potential to reach far and wide, educating the public and helping to amplify the fight against climate change.

Author: Heather Luedke