“The Sunken House” is an art project on Sortland in Vesterålen that shows how high the sea level can rise in 127 years. At the same time, a large part of the population in Norway today believes that the climate crisis is not man-made. – The idea is to visualize a worst imaginable rise in sea level in the city. We want to create a dialogue about how we should talk to young people about climate and the environment. So says Ane Høyem, one of the people behind the project. Now they are organizing a public meeting on 24 May to have an open debate. Every fourth Norwegian is a climate skeptic, according to Faktisk.no. This is despite the UN warning at the latest in March of what the consequences could be if we do not take action. – What if the so-called climate skeptics had chosen a house in the city and painted in big letters that the climate crisis is media-created? – It is allowed to use the city to come up with different expressions. What we are concerned with is creating a dialogue, says Ane Høyem. And the house in Sortland has caused reactions. Ane Høyem in the research and technology project Gaia Vesterålen is one of the people behind the climate house. Photo: Monica White Martinsen / news – Scary – It’s scary to think that the sea can rise several metres. Then my home will be under water. It is important that we make people aware that it can happen. So says Marelius Lind Johansen (14), leader of the Sortland youth council. He says there are mixed opinions about the art project among his friends. – It is good that we are aware that a change is taking place in the world and that we have to take action. But this may not be the way to do it. It can scare a little. Marelius Lind Johansen (14) is leader of the Sortland youth council. Photo: Monica White Martinsen / news That is exactly what the criticism is about. Several people say that the people behind “The Sunken House” scare the young. news asked people on the street what they thought of the house, and the opinions are divided: Felix Brinchmann Bjørkås (18) – If we don’t toughen up, it could end up being a reality. He doesn’t think the house is particularly nice, but sees the warning. – I think it could be there. Lill Dalheim – I think it is quite exaggerated. She believes that climate change should be taken seriously, but that what is written on the house is exaggerated. – The house is a shame for Sortland. Rose Hemmingsen – We are bothering the children. I have grown up on the shore and the sea hasn’t risen a millimetre. I think it rises at the equator due to magnetism. – We must do our best to avoid climate change! But I think it’s exaggerated. Rolf Davidsen – I think it’s nonsense. The sea is now where it has always been. – Pure bluff According to Faktisk.no, there is a fairly clear profile of who is skeptical that climate change is man-made: Norwegians are among the most skeptical in Europe Every fourth Norwegian is a climate skeptic, according to Faktisk.no. The matter came to light in May, and in a nutshell concerns that climate-skeptic Norwegians are: Often FRP voters: Some FRP voters think the changes are primarily natural. Living in the district/smaller town: Many outside the towns do not believe in man-made climate change. In big cities, 83 percent believe that people are the most important factor. Men born before 1990: 28 per cent of men, against 19 per cent of women, believe that nature mainly controls the increased temperatures. The statistics show a clear divide around 1990. Those with lower education: 63 per cent believe that humans have caused climate change. Among those with higher education, 83 per cent believe the same. Egil Enåsen at Sortland calls himself a climate realist. He reads many climate reports and is particularly engaged in the matter. But he also thinks the mess in the house scares the young people. – It is a pure bluff that the sea will rise as much as the UN climate panel says. – There is a lot that is defined as art today, for me this is tagging, says Enåsen. Egil Enåsen reads many climate reports, but still believes that the UN climate panel is bluffing. Photo: Monica White Martinsen / news – Worst possible outcome But the person behind the art project says they have fact-checked the story. The blue field around the building will show the status if the sea rises approximately 4.5 meters from today’s level, 2.02 meters above ground level on Sortland square. According to Ane Høyem, the calculation of the height marking on “The Sunken House” was done in dialogue with the Mapping Authority and with figures from NASA’s report “Sea Level Change”. They have also received help from Sortland municipality’s technical department. Blåmalinga shows the worst possible outcome according to NASA, based on Vesterålen in 2150. – This figure is based on a very high emission scenario and high global warming, and in addition with a dramatic collapse of some parts of Antarctica, says Matthew Simpson in the Norwegian Mapping Authority to news. The figure is taken from the UN’s sixth climate report, and although this is not the likely outcome, it is not something we can rule out either, says Simpson. He further explains that the figures they use today to plan for sea level rise in the municipalities are based on figures from the fifth UN report. They are now working on updating the figures from the sixth report. – Can have a “wolf, wolf” effect But does it actually help to scare people to get attention about the climate threat? We have asked experts at the Bjerknesenteret, which researches the earth’s climate system. – In some cases it can have an effect, as it may have had in Sortland, says communications manager Gudrun Sylte. But as the climate crisis is large in time and scope, you can quickly get a “wolf, wolf” effect, she says. – If you shout too loudly and too often, people get bored and turn a blind eye. According to her, those at the Bjerknes Center are careful with headlines and messages that can have a frightening effect. Nevertheless, they cannot refrain from presenting the facts, says Sylte. What do you think of the climate house in Sortland? I support it 👊 Stupid invention 🙄 Uncertain 🤷 Show result Researcher Kristin Richter at NORCE and the Bjerknes Center is part of a group of researchers who will release a new sea level report for Norway in the autumn. She says that there are several estimates of how high the sea will rise. They are based on how much we manage to reduce CO₂ emissions. The rise in sea levels is linked to global warming, warming of the oceans and melting of ice on land, especially in Antarctica and Greenland, says Richter. – At worst, one meter at medium level. In addition, such an estimate will also include a worst-case storm surge, which must be taken into account. Here, a property already has to be elevated today so that a storm surge of around two meters can come, she says. At Kartverket.no you can actually check several estimates for how high the sea level may rise where you live. – There is an extreme estimate for sea level, based on the melting of Antarctica and Greenland. It will have major consequences for us, but these are very uncertain figures, says Richter.
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Every fourth Norwegian does not believe in climate change. “The Sunken House” on Sortland creates debate – news Nordland
