Climate change warning beamed on Dover's White Cliffs

The artwork highlighting a climate change warning was illuminated on to the White Cliffs of Dover on Tuesday

A piece of artwork highlighting a stark climate change warning has been illuminated onto the White Cliffs of Dover.

It displayed vertical blue and red bars to indicate the progressive rise of global average temperatures over the past 200 years.

The ‘Climate Stripes’ were created by Prof Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, in 2018.

He said he hoped the stunt would spark more conversations about climate change.

“We are seeing a rapid rise in temperature, mainly due to burning fossil fuels, and this already means we are experiencing more intense extreme weather with severe consequences for all of us,” he said.

“Every bit of future warming will make those consequences worse.”

He added: “Displaying the stripes on the White Cliffs of Dover and other landmarks will hopefully lead to more conversations about our warming world and inspire people to work together to tackle climate change.”

The creator Prof Ed Hawkins said he hoped the artwork would spark more conversations about climate change

The artwork was also displayed on the Tate Modern chimney and landmarks in the US and Canada on Wednesday to mark Show Your Stripes Day.

It has also previously been displayed at Reading Festival, London Fashion Week and on professional football kits.

Children are being encouraged to download and share the graphic in an attempt to start conversations about the impact of climate change where they live.

Prof Hawkins added: “Schoolchildren know more about climate change than ever before, but it’s so important that they keep starting conversations about our warming planet.

“We need to listen to our children’s concerns about the future.”