Climate story ‘Unseen heat’
With this climate story, we show what might happen during exceptional heat in the Netherlands
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Climate story ‘Unseen heat’
With this climate story, we show what might happen during exceptional heat in the Netherlands
Customer
Location
Duration
Read more
What could happen if the Netherlands is hit by an exceptional heatwave? Not a heatwave with temperatures around 30°C, but a heat crisis where it gets hotter than 40°C for days in a row? To help us imagine this, we used storytelling to create the climate story ‘Unseen heat’.
‘Unseen heat’ is a depiction of a future we do not want, but which is becoming more likely. The story features recognisable characters, an appealing narrative, sound effects, visualisations created with AI and scientific information. With this climate story, we want to make professionals aware of the possible risks of extreme heat. The aim is to start a conversation about how to prepare for a heat crisis.
What is the story about?
In ‘Unseen heat’, you follow the couple Lisa and Mark and their seven-year-old son Tom. Living in the city of Eindhoven, they face the consequences of a heat crisis. What does this mean for Lisa who works as a nurse in the Catharina Hospital emergency room? How should Mark and Tom get through the day when it is too hot to go outside? And what happens if the energy supply is cut off in a large part of the city? The storyline is scientifically supported by dynamic graphs in which we show how the maximum temperature in Eindhoven has increased over the past decades and how the likelihood of 40 °C is increasing every generation.
Why a story?
Heatwaves in the future seem set to become much more extreme than the ones we know. How can we become aware of and prepare for the consequences of weather events we have not experienced yet? This requires imagination. We want people to be able to imagine such a future. That is why we have chosen a story with images and sound. Because only when we have a picture of the risks of exceptional heat, we can think about action perspectives and how to better prepare ourselves.
How did we come up with this story?
The events and characters in ‘Unseen Heat’ are made up. But the story is based on the latest insights from climate science, including the UNSEEN method from our colleague Timo Kelder. We also spoke with heat experts, climate scientists and specialists in crisis management and security.
What is the story about?
In ‘Unseen heat’, you follow the couple Lisa and Mark and their seven-year-old son Tom. Living in the city of Eindhoven, they face the consequences of a heat crisis. What does this mean for Lisa who works as a nurse in the Catharina Hospital emergency room? How should Mark and Tom get through the day when it is too hot to go outside? And what happens if the energy supply is cut off in a large part of the city? The storyline is scientifically supported by dynamic graphs in which we show how the maximum temperature in Eindhoven has increased over the past decades and how the likelihood of 40 °C is increasing every generation.
Why a story?
Heatwaves in the future seem set to become much more extreme than the ones we know. How can we become aware of and prepare for the consequences of weather events we have not experienced yet? This requires imagination. We want people to be able to imagine such a future. That is why we have chosen a story with images and sound. Because only when we have a picture of the risks of exceptional heat, we can think about action perspectives and how to better prepare ourselves.
How did we come up with this story?
The events and characters in ‘Unseen Heat’ are made up. But the story is based on the latest insights from climate science, including the UNSEEN method from our colleague Timo Kelder. We also spoke with heat experts, climate scientists and specialists in crisis management and security.