Researchers Gave Voice to a Tree. It Started Talking About How Climate Change Impacts Its Well-Being
While many activists voice out their opinions on worsening climate crises, voiceless beings like animals and trees have no means to point out how they're impacted. A team of Dutch artists developed an innovative technique to make a tree express its reactions to traffic pollution and the human touch. Thijs Biersteker, Tu Delft, and his crew compiled real-time data to study tree rings with the help of 12 sensors and 1200 data points to examine. This effort allowed the tree to have a voice and be understandable to humans, per Bored Panda.
It was observed that the tree and tree rings, which are made every year, depict the ongoing changes in the climate throughout the years. Therefore, the ring alterations were marked as data capsules to indicate the tree’s response to its changing environment. However, the experts realized that the process could take a significant period of time, even decades. Hence, they developed a system that was able to mimic the changes in a mere second. The results were documented and shared in a YouTube video with the title, “Voice of Nature” on Biersteker’s channel (@thijsbiersteker3).
The study revealed that the annual growth within the rings indicated the impact climate change and pollution have had on the tree. Biersteker said, “Environmental changes and the impact of pollution are indicated by the yearly growth levels shown in the rings. With these accelerating shifts taking place we don’t have time to wait years for this data.” Furthermore, he suggested that the process should match pace with humans to accurately record nature’s response to human-caused environmental damage. “It’s time to speed up the process to a human pace and show with data what nature is trying to tell us,” he added. The documented video showed that a traffic jam near the tree agitated the growth levels and the tree turned red to supposedly indicate danger.
Biersteker’s project also used a different group of sensors to check for the tree’s well-being and discovered a heartwarming response. Human touch calmed the tree, with the screen turning light blue. The bigger space between the tree rings meant that the tree was growing more rapidly than before. It also apparently also allowed humans to form a connection with the natural world. Looking at the video, breath-taking formulations occurred on the large screen fitted behind the tree to showcase its expressions, or rather the voice assigned to the tree, per the study.
The video description listed other factors that influenced the sensor’s measuring capacity, including par light spectrum, moist levels, soil-moist rain levels, air quality, and carbon dioxide levels. “This data indicates the trees well being, second by second. For example, an increase in polluted air or a decrease in light coming in is directly visible on the giant aura-like screen,” a part of the note stated.
The artist also wisely pointed out that the concerns around climate change are majorly due to its economic impact. However, it is important to decipher the value of nature irrespective of conditions that benefit humans. Thus, the note added, “Extracting data from nature will not only provide an insight into this wonderful world but can also play a big role in raising the censorship on our most valuable resource.” The leading artist for the project, Biersteker is recognized for his art installations that focus on environmental and social issues. His works are famous for blending digital-physical experiences combining technology with thought-provoking messages.