A disused airport on Tasmania’s West Coast will soon be home to an angular steel structure known as ‘Earth’s Black Box.’ The box will record hundreds of climate data points and pieces of contextual information, including temperatures and sea level rise.
Purpose of the Black Box
The box is designed to be an indestructible, self-powered data-recording device. It will provide an unbiased account of the events that lead to the demise of the planet if climate change wipes out humanity.
The box is part art installation, part data repository, and part old-fashioned time capsule. It aims to provoke fear and hope, and to force the climate reality and the existential risk of climate change into the public consciousness.
Construction and Completion
The box was first announced in 2021, and its completion is expected by the end of the year. The project has been delayed due to the need for the right design and engineering plans, building approvals, and funding.
Local authorities in Tasmania appear to welcome the project, and the box may have the added benefit of drawing more tourists to the area.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
