Topian futures: Speculating dystopian and utopian futures from climate change induced sea level rise
A podcast and blog by SWISP Lab Intern Jack Beardsley
You can listen to Jack’s speculative podcast on climate change-induced sea level rise, where climate experts and activists share their opinions on the shaping of dystopian and utopian futures.
I believe it is important to constantly ask big questions and push the boundaries of what we know and what we are told.
Jack Beardsley
Alternative access: https://open.spotify.com/episode/558vXWdz1cfFzAuUtY7rQS?si=058c065f64554ec8
As an intern at The SWISP Lab, I am extremely proud to have been given the opportunity to utilise my knowledge of geography studies to formulate this project. Although, the real contributors who stood forward are our experts and activists:
Patrick Smith
Student at the RMIT University, currently living in Melbourne, Victoria. As a long-term friend, Pat and I share similar stories and connections to the south-east coastal regions of Queensland, Australia. Pat shares his thoughts on sea-level rise at both the local and global scale, stressing the importance of recognizing climate action taking place in The Netherlands.
Rohit M
Editorial and publications Associate at the Science Gallery Bengaluru (insert link – https://bengaluru.sciencegallery.com/team), based in India. Rohit’s opinions, dissections, and predictions on climate change focus on sea level rise, coastal erosion, and intensification of storm surges in the coastal regions of India. He utilises these factors to then discuss the complex realities of climate-migration and displacement.
Hubert Chanson
Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland. Hubert’s main field of expertise is environmental fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering, both in terms of theoretical fundamentals, physical and numerical modelling. His discussion on sea level rise encapsulates the interactions between coastal and in-land river systems and emphasises the need for climate change education.
Hari Narayan Tripathi
Undergraduate student at the College of Vocational Studies, Delhi University, based in India, and head project of Green Brigade Environmental Society (See link – https://www.instagram.com/greenbrigade.cvs/?hl=en). Hari’s work stresses the importance of climate justice and climate activism in Delhi, India.
Although my conversation with Hari was not included in the podcast, he raised several points which contributed to the shaping of my project and the importance of climate change understanding in India, evident in his own experiences:
I was so fond of nature, I love nature…when the weather in India started changing such as rainfall rates increasing by 50% in some locations near me, I began to start thinking about how our climates were significantly changing.
Hari
When I asked Hari about his understanding on climate change and sea level rise and its relation to him, he responded passionately about the role humans have played:
The speed of sea level rise is concerning. We are the culprit for this, because of us global warming and temperature is rapidly increasing. This year we have seen temperatures of up to 42 degrees Celsius… the melting of glaciers is causing sea level to rise, and by the end of the 21st century 40% of glaciers could melt! From sea level rise we will see coastal erosion, storm surges, and many threats to the livelihoods of people living in these coastal areas.
Hari helped me form ideas regarding sea level rise to India-bordering nation, Bangladesh, as he discussed statistics and predictions that expanded my knowledge on the sea-level vulnerabilities of the coastal regions of the nation:
Bangladesh will be affected very much from sea level rise. By 2050 its predicted the country could lose 30% of agricultural land, providing significant risks towards their food security. Bangladesh is attached to India and the affects they feel will also affect us.
His personal opinions on future climate change and sea level rise in India was interesting, and his arguments stressed the importance of awareness:
Sea Level will affect us, it is projected that by 2100 sea level rise will rise over 50cm, we will see flooding and storms. Ecosystems will be disturbed, flora and fauna of marine and terrestrial will be disturbed, water currents and temperature will shift… We are humiliating nature, we are humiliating our Earth, we are humiliating our mother, our Earth… It will be so difficult to live on this planet.
Don’t stop speculating!!
Again, thank you to every single collaborator who made this podcast a reality. I would also like to extend my gratitude to The SWISP Lab co-directors Associate Professor Kate Coleman and Dr. Sarah Healy for supporting me throughout this journey, giving me independence and trust, and for creating opportunities I didn’t know were possible.
For anyone interested in geography or climate change, please don’t stop thinking outside of the box, keep speculating, keep questioning, and keep listening.
Thank you.
Jack Beardsley
For reference to my climate story and the research behind this project (See – https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/swisp/2024/10/17/blogtakeover-swisp-lab-sti-project-by-jack-beardsley/).