Climate change and global warming, caused by human-induced degradation of our planet continue to be a persistent problem, faced, not just by some but globally. The sea levels are rising, causing land to be inundated and temperatures continue to rise across the globe. There is little doubt that today's children will inherit a world with complex social-environmental challenges.

Education plays a vital role in addressing this challenge and many have argued that it needs to be revised and restructured to provide conditions for transformative learning. The environment is becoming a growing theme in art, and it is all for the right reasons. Taking a look at history, the arts have played a significant role in recording and reflecting the state of human society and the natural world in which society exists. Scientists and policymakers are working hard to gain the support which will lead to meaningful action on climate change and other environmental challenges.

This summer,28 art organizations joined the World Weather Network, on a one-year-long project to document and reflect on the weather conditions in different locales. Creating climate-conscious artworks enables us to think more critically about the impact we humans have on the environment and how we need to act in a socially responsible manner to conserve and protect our planet.

Can art change the world?

Art can raise awareness, to engage creativity in addressing complex problems, and many also support the transformation to sustainability. However, the impact and outcome of a given climate - art project depends on its very nature of it. Art is a powerful tool for communication. Within the growing field of science communication, art has been identified as an effective means of communication to raise awareness with the help of video work, documentaries, illustrations, and comics about climate change.

What is most important to remember, is that while we need the rational, practical knowledge of science, we also need the unique personal, aesthetic responses that art provides, these are the ones that we can use to engage with an audience on a personal and emotional level which is critical to motivating action. For example, a photograph of Rock Island Bend taken in 1979 by Peter Dombrovskis was intended for inclusion in a photographic calendar for the Tasmanian Wilderness Society. The image was reproduced more than 1 million times as a part of a campaign to save the Franklin and Lower Gordon Rivers from proposed dams. The idea was powerful enough to show the public what was at risk. Even though this was a place no one would almost visit, it was nevertheless too special and too beautiful to be destroyed. Another instance is, a theater on the experience of a forest fire can communicate emotional aspects of life in a way that creates a deep connection with the audience, evoking compassion, empathy, as well as understanding, and meaning.

There is also a growing consensus that is arguing that these efforts may not be enough. There need to be infrastructural changes as well. Some exhibitions raise awareness of climate change and the very effects of putting together exhibitions, and transporting artworks, installations, and fabrications have shown to hurt what they are trying to protect. With this phenomenon in mind, many art institutions are trying to reduce their climate footprint while still working on exhibitions and commissioning artists. According to Victoria Siddal, a co-founder and trustee of the Gallery Climate Coalition, which was set up 2 years ago by a group of London Galleries, "There are several ways the art world can address climate change, artists can use their work to inspire people to realize the urgency of climate change".

Measurement is key, as statistics show that 80 - 90 % of emissions come from transporting and traveling artwork and people. Curators have come up with innovative ways to carry out exhibitions by experimenting with sustainable practices such as producing work on-site, working with biodegradable materials, or reusing items for subsequent exhibitions, and some materials are hired, rather than bought.

There is a vast body of evidence that shows that human influences on global climate are clear. And rapid, substantial, and sustained efforts are required to reduce the human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases. Australia has been identified as one of the developed countries most at risk from the adverse impacts of climate change.

Where there is critical thinking by both artists and curators and they provide an innovative way to engage with both challenges and opportunities arising from climate change, Art can and will thrive and continue to create amazing changes in society. There are tough choices to be made which will greatly affect the way we perceive art.