December 2012 – For the past 12 years, the Cape Farewell project has embedded climate scientists with artists, writers and film-makers to address what has been described as humanity’s greatest challenge: anthropogenic climate change. The two intellectual tribes of scientists and artists have been surprised at the closeness of their shared quest to define how we can comprehend the complexities of the climate challenge. Both have benefited from each other’s ambition to envision a cultural shift that could lead towards sustainable societies.
David Buckland is the creator and director of Cape Farewell, which works with artists and scientists on a cultural response to climate change, and which has provided the stunning images for The State of Sustainability Leadership. In this article he explains the history of Cape Farewell, and why the arts have a vital role to play in driving humankind’s response to the climate challenge.
