In May 2024, Venezuela’s last glacier disappears. At the same time, in Panama, Latin America’s first climate refugees leave the “Crab Island” to escape rising sea levels. In France, 500,000 homes are at risk by 2100.
These are facts that, in the eyes of young people, are fueling growing concerns about the environmental crisis. Many believe that it is “already too late to slow climate change before it causes devastating effects” or feel powerless in the fight against climate change. How can we show them that the future is not set in stone and that they have a role to play?
This is the challenge taken on by PROTECT, a European research project, through the interactive digital initiative “Expedition Sea Level,” created by Clémence Foucher, a science illustrator.
The Sea Level Expedition also aims to bridge the gap between two seemingly distant worlds: coastal regions and glaciers and polar ice caps. What connection exists between these two environments? Why does the disappearance of glaciers lead to rising sea levels? What mechanisms underlie these phenomena, and what role do human activities play?
According to a 2022 survey of 72 middle school students, four activities take up most of their free time: watching TV shows, hanging out with friends, playing video games, and spending time with family.
Sea Level Expedition addresses these interests by offering an activity that is chapter-based (like a series), collaborative (designed for groups), and interactive (like a video game), all while telling the story of a family (like a shared experience).
The activity is divided into three chapters and structured like a play.
In the first chapter, presented as a video, we are in the Maldives in 2081 in a scenario involving extreme global warming (+3.3–5.7 °C compared to 1850–1900). Samira, a young Maldivian woman, visits her grandparents, whose home is being inundated by rising waters. In the midst of a storm, her grandmother tells her about her first mission to Antarctica in 2026.
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The second chapter takes us back to 2026. Samira wakes up in her grandmother’s body at the French scientific research station Dumont D’Urville in Antarctica. On the Astrolabe Glacier, she learns about glacial processes and glacial mass loss through quizzes and interactive games, thereby understanding how glaciers contribute to rising sea levels.
In the third and final chapter, players must make life choices. Depending on their decisions, three possible futures emerge in 2081: limited warming (+1–1.8 °C compared to 1850–1900), moderate warming (+2.1–3.5 °C), and severe warming (+3.3–5.7 °C). This chapter highlights the impact of human activities on the climate and how they shape our future.
This activity offers a simple yet scientifically rigorous visual and narrative experience. “I sought to distill the message while allowing players to identify with the characters and immerse themselves in the story,” explains Clémence Foucher, a science illustrator and the creator of the activity. To achieve this, her work draws on real-world locations, where the illustrations simplify and highlight certain elements essential to understanding.
Addressing a topic that is often a source of anxiety, this activity steers clear of doomsday scenarios while remaining grounded in reality. The tone is factual and scientific, free of moralizing or judgment. Players thus embark on a scientific expedition that gives them the tools to understand complex phenomena—for example, in Chapter 2, which takes place on the Astrolabe Glacier.
The structure of the activity was also designed with the goal of limiting eco-anxiety. By beginning the story within the context of a climate scenario involving extreme global warming, the audience has the opportunity to ground themselves in scientific reality and thus limit the imagination, which can quickly exacerbate the sense of catastrophe. They will then be tasked with rebuilding or preventing this future by understanding the processes and mechanisms at play—some of which they may or may not be able to influence.
The goal, then, is to transform anxiety—which can be paralyzing—into a driving force through learning.
Beef burger or veggie burger? Train or plane? Car or bike? These are just some of the choices young people face throughout their lives—choices that have a direct impact on the climate. Through this series of decisions, we aim to raise awareness among young people about opportunities for change, without passing judgment.
In Chapter 3, players explore three possible futures. They must then adapt to these climate-related futures, in which sea levels are higher or lower. Depending on the situation, adaptation will be more or less difficult, and sometimes relocation is the only option—as is already the case in the world’s most vulnerable regions.
The Sea Level Expedition initiative embodies the idea that the future is not set in stone, but is shaped by our collective and individual actions. By giving young people the tools to understand the causes and consequences of rising sea levels, they are encouraged to become agents of change, armed with scientific knowledge.
This article is published as part of the Fête de la Science (taking place October 4–14, 2024), of which The Conversation France is a partner. This year’s edition focuses on the theme “Ocean of Knowledge.” Find all the events in your region on the Fetedelascience.fr website.
The PROTECT project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 869304. This material reflects only the views of the author, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
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