See Ice, 2017

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See Ice, 2017

Coated expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam

R.Hopkins, National Geographic

Preface: Sea ice is found in remote polar oceans and, on average, covers about 25 million square kilometers (9,652,553 square miles) of the earth, or about two-and-a-half times the area of Canada. Formed from salty ocean water, sea ice grows, forms, and melts strictly in the ocean developing into various forms and shapes because of the constant turbulence of ocean water. Although it may not directly affect us, it is a critical component of our planet because it influences global climate by reflecting sunlight that strikes the earth back into space, thereby keeping temperatures in the polar regions relatively cool (image above). Declining sea ice extent in the Barents Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and off the coast of southeastern Greenland is in a long-term pattern of decline thereby accelerating increases in global temperatures¹.

¹ 2017, National Snow and Ice Data Center; http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/index.html

Large blocks of EPS foam used as light-weight fill in a civil infrastructure project.

Commentary: This project seeks to enrich the experience of Vancouver by encouraging residents and visitors alike to engage in one of the city's most treasured natural resources - the water - while simultaneously drawing attention to the issue of declining Arctic sea ice.

Since few people live in the polar regions and may never see actual sea ice in their lifetimes, the installation will create a 'local' section of Arctic sea ice off Vancouver's most populated beach area - English Bay beach. Built off-site and floated into English Bay, it will be constructed of large blocks of EPS foam (image above) - a material known for its buoyancy in water due to it's closed-cell structure. The installation will be comprised of exactly 92 pieces or one piece for each day of Vancouver's warmest annual months - June, July and August - and contain the tracks of Arctic animals directly affected by sea ice decline. Once anchored in place, the installation will act as a water destination for canoers, kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers on summer days when Vancouver’s beaches can be as much as 8 degrees cooler than the city’s interior.²

As with actual Arctic sea ice, this temporary installation will slowly 'melt away' as one piece is removed at the end of each day. Once fully removed, the installation can be re-assembled and simply floated to another water destination as a travelling exhibit, re-sold as light-weight fill or recycled into lightweight concrete or plastic lumber.

² D. Lynch, May 29, 2009 (www.insidevancouver.ca/2009/07/29/hot-in-the-city-top-5-places-to-escape-the-vancouver-heat/)

To promote the installation to a wider audience, a webcam will be positioned on land linked to a web site providing both real time images of the installation's daily decline as well as important facts about climate change to Internet users worldwide.