Museum exhibit explores impact of shifting climate

Discussion of melting glaciers and rising ocean levels may make the effects of climate change seem like a distant problem. But the Field Museum's temporary exhibit "Climate Change" aims to show visitors that higher temperatures will have effects on their own backyard.

Poison ivy is thriving because of increased carbon dioxide levels, and the bigger, hardier plants can produce even itchier rashes. Sugar maples may disappear in the area as temperatures rise, and animals that crave cold may move further north.

"Plants and animals are going to be changing in the next 100 years right in our region," said Janet Hong, project manager for exhibitions at the Field Museum.

The exhibit opens with a room highlighting technological innovations from the 1600s to today, including electricity, automobiles and personal computers. It emphasizes that while we've benefited a great deal from technology, we didn't know the cost until now.

The price is a huge increase in carbon dioxide levels in the air, caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The disruption of the natural carbon cycle is making the earth warmer. A model of an ice core from Greenland shows how scientists drilling in the ice can compare carbon dioxide levels over long spans of time.

"We can tell you the whole story of how many times the climate has changed throughout 4.5 billion years of the Earth's history," Hong said. "But this time is different. It's happening so fast."

Large scale dioramas show the disturbing impact climate change is having on animals right now. One shows a polar bear scavenging in a garbage dump, an activity that the bears have had to resort to since melting ice has reduced their hunting ground. Another shows how increased carbon dioxide levels in the ocean has made the water more acidic, causing coral reefs to sicken and die. The same acidity also puts phytoplankton, the base of oceanic food chains, in peril because acidic water prevents the tiny creatures from properly growing shells.

A section on changes on land shows the winners and losers of climate change. Malaria will migrate north as temperatures increase, while arctic foxes are in danger since their southern cousins, red foxes, are now competing with them for food.

"Usually the winners are animals that can move or are more adaptable," Hong said. "Some animals run out of mountaintop or they run out of north like polar bears."

The exhibit emphasizes the different between weather and climate, which incorporates weather patterns over decades and centuries. The effects of climate change aren't the same everywhere with some places getting severe droughts while others, like Chicago, can expect more serious storms.

Hong said the exhibit doesn't use the term global warming because it makes the effects seem gradual and doesn't address the systemic nature of the problem.

The museum offers ways that individuals can help including unplugging idle electronics and only running full loads of dishes or laundry to conserve power. A room is devoted to presenting technological solutions like carbon capturing, which buries carbon dioxide gasses, along with alternate power sources such as wind farms and solar energy.

"It's not like one of these new energy solutions will be our savior," Hong said. "It's going to take a combination."

A video shows the importance of saving tropical forests, which suck carbon dioxide out of the air. The Chicago Climate Action Room shows what's being done locally to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions, such as working to make local natural areas as healthy as possible to protect them from invasive species.

While everything in the exhibit is aimed at presenting the issues in a way that all ages can understand, kids have been particularly drawn to the interactive elements.

A computer display lets children see how much of a difference they can make in carbon emissions just by conserving a little power. A bulletin board is covered with notes from kids and adults sharing what they think should be done to stop climate change.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News"><b>What:</b> "Climate Change"</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, (312) 922-9410, <a href="http://fieldmuseum.org" target="new">fieldmuseum.org</a></p>

<p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Nov. 28</p>

<p class="News"><b>Admission:</b> $22, $18 seniors and students, $15 kids ages 3-11</p>