Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man Recreated On Arctic Ice (PHOTOS)

Leonardo Da Vinci's 500-year-old Vitruvian Man is back, in a very big way. Los Angles-based artist John Quigley teamed up with Greenpeace to construct a giant recreation of Da Vinci's famous drawing on Arctic sea ice.

The "Melting Vitruvian Man," which is the size of four olympic-size swimming pools, was built "to draw attention to how climate change is causing the rapid melting of sea ice to outstrip predictions," according to a Greenpeace press release.

Quigley traveled on Greenpeace's ice-breaker, the Arctic Sunrise, to a remote area 800 kilometers from the North Pole. The installation, which is made out of the same copper strips often used in solar panels, was built on ice in the Fram Strait between Greenland and Norway's Svalbard Islands.

The giant Vitruvian Man was designed so that it would appear to be disappearing into the sea. Quigley told Greenpeace, "We came here to create the ‘Melting Vitruvian Man’ ... because climate change is literally eating into the body of our civilisation." Time reports the Vitruvian Man "will serve as a visual marker as the ice continues to melt and more of the man's body goes along with it." All of the work's copper strips will be saved and reused, however.

This is not Greenpeace's first message sent from the Arctic. In June, Kumi Naidoo, the head of Greenpeace International, and another activist were arrested for scaling an oil rig off Greenland.

A recent study found that a new record low for volume of Arctic sea ice in the summertime may have been set last year.

Photos and captions courtesy of Greenpeace.

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Comments

[StephenBP]

09:18 PM on 09/19/2011

"Data collected by several countries bordering on the Arctic allow the construction of maps of the lateral sea ice extent since the beginning of the 20th century. Data from the first seven decades were derived from ship and aircraft observation while data for the last three decades come primarily from satellites."

"During the first half-century, ice extent in all seasons remained essentially constant. Beginning about mid-century, the summer minimum extent began to shrink while the winter maximum remained unchanged. Starting in about 1975, the maximum, too, began to shrink."

So this is what global cooling looks like? George Will? Marc Morano? Jim Inhofe?

[Dangerous Dan]

01:37 AM on 09/17/2011

What would Tom Cruise do?

You are all Scientologists, right?

For 50 cents more, they will amp up the machine!

[dahile00]

05:48 PM on 10/18/2011

Dan, that almost made sense. Could you scramble your message a little more?

[Dangerous Dan]

01:30 AM on 09/17/2011

Look!

They signed their name in yellow #4!

That's a carcinogen, right?

[Dangerous Dan]

01:14 AM on 09/17/2011

Change happens! A static climate means a DEAD planet. Climate change - dress appropriately.

[Dangerous Dan]

01:13 AM on 09/17/2011

Obama has doubled the Federal Budget in 3 years, without addressing global climate amelioration.
How much more would the government require FROM US , to start basic changes?

[dahile00]

05:51 PM on 10/18/2011

The real question, Dan, is what will ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE **PRESS** us into to start basic changes? It's not a government thing...it's an ***ECOLOGICAL*** thing.

[StephenBP]

07:26 AM on 09/13/2011

German Physicists from the University of Bremen in Germany have just reported that we have reached historic low levels of Arctic Ice, and that it is a “Consequence of Man-Made Global Warming with Global Consequences”.


Here is a translation from their report.....Alerting message from the Arctic: The extent the the Arctic sea ice has reached on Sep. 8 with 4.240 million km2 a new historic minimum…. It seems to be clear that this is a further consequence of the man-made global warming with global consequences. Directly, the livehood of small animals, algae, fishes and mammals like polar bears and seals is more and more reduced....

Love that translation. Livelihood of small animals, algae, fishes, and mammals like polar bears and seals is more and more reduced.....

[Maxamillion]

06:10 PM on 09/19/2011

A new historic minimum??? How long have we been measuring arctic ice area using satelites--(the most accurate area measurement method)---answer: 1978. I do not consider that time frame "historic"
Additionally, take a quick gander of the 1959 photos, the 1962 photos, and the 1987 photos of British and US Submarines surfacing at the North Pole. Lots of open water at the North Pole.
1958 USS Skate
1962 USS Seadragon
1987 HMS Superb, HMS Billfish, USS Sea Devil

[Orkneygal]

05:13 AM on 09/13/2011

Has Greenpiece apologized yet for soiling Gaia's Arctic Sea Ice with their pollutants?

[texfly]

10:38 AM on 09/13/2011

And Greenpeace is not climate science.

[dahile00]

05:55 PM on 10/18/2011

Have you paid attention that they're going to *reclaim* the stuff they used to make this image? I don't think you have...

[PlayTOE]

01:40 PM on 09/10/2011

The point isn't that climate change MIGHT happen, the point is that climate change HAS happened. In the face of this un-contestable fact, we still see denial and inaction.

Cap and trade market forces are no longer a large enough motivator to save our environment. What we need is a serious shift to green power. Much of Europe has a significant part of their power produced by green sources. This has shown that we have the technology, and it works just fine. We need a MASSIVE program to build and integrate green non-polluting power into our grids, and to link grids together so loads can be shifted when needed.

We also need a world standard "PLUG" for electric cars, [ enough power to give a 45 minute recharge to an SUV sized car that has a 400km range per charge ] That way the car can recharge while a driver is having lunch. All major shopping plazas and all highway rest stops should be required to put these in to service.
Every car dealer should be required to make at least one electric car available to it's customers, even if it had to sell a machine from a competitor.

We have the technology.
We need the political will, and that comes from public demand.
So, your part is to DEMAND green.

[StephenBP]

11:56 AM on 09/10/2011

The many forms of denialism are wondrous and beautiful in their diversity. Take for instance the “Gee, I’m for the environment, but I’m not for doing anything about climate change, unless it involves supporting fossil fuel or nuclear corporatism”.

Despite the fact that modern science, as represented by the major academies of science of all major nations, agrees that mankind is effing up its atmosphere and inducing climate change, the fossil fuel corporatists and their paid and unpaid supporters keep trying to argue that there is nothing to be concerned about.

Fact: We humans are putting over 30 BILLION TONS of carbon dioxide into the air every year and it is building up because natural processes can’t scrub it out fast enough.

Fact: Carbon dioxide impedes the escape of infrared radiation from the earth so the earth's surface is heating up.

Fact: The VOLUME of Arctic ice is the lowest in the time of the modern satellite record and it is rapidly melting RIGHT NOW.

Fact: Fossil fuel interests are constantly invading blogs like this to push their wormy slime of deception and nonsense under the cover of FALSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN. See how many YOU can spot today!

And have a wonderful Saturday!

[Maxamillion]

01:12 PM on 09/23/2011

StephanBP,
Calling a responder a "combustion slut" certainly doesn't add to you argument. The result of such imbecilic comments is very damaging to ANY credibility you may have had.
It is interesting to state my claim of the USS and HMS suibmarines surfacing in clear water in the 1950s. 1960s and 1987 as anecdotal and then turn around and cite anecdotal evidence yourself.
When scientists massage data to comply with their preconceived conclusions that is very troubling. Even the IPCC (AR4) removed the Hockey Stick Chart due to its accuracies. The IPCC now uses the Spaghetti Chart---and guess what---the chart now include the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age----which Michael Mann's Hockey Stick chart apparently overlooked.
Climate Science would have many more people on board with their research if they did the science------and not manipulate their data. There are so many areas in which they IPCC, Michael Mann Jhil Jones have dropped the ball. The Himilayan Glacier retreat, Bristlecone pine proxies, Sea Rise estimates, faulty weather intensity models, hide the decline, actively soliciting scientists to remove emails, etc.
Finally, quoting a naval meteorologist whose Boss is firmly in the AGW camp is not a convincing point. Skepticism is healthy for Science.

[WilliePilgrim]

10:20 AM on 09/10/2011

I've supported and actually worked both for and with Greenpeace in the past and recognize that their intentions are good, and that they are intended to raise awareness, but I have to agree with OrkneyGirl on this. Our focus on CO2 and climate change as it has been so widely promoted is misguided and deflects much needed attention from genuinely needed efforts. That doesn't mean I think that we should as a civilization be continuing in our current path where huge amounts of CO2 are perpetually put out into the atmosphere, but at this point, considering the complexity of our climate (unpredictably complex, it should be fully recognized) for all we know it could precipitate another ice age, and not a melt-down, and either way it's a factor that should be acknowledged and eventually reduced even if we cant reliably predict its eventual impact. The smart way into the future is, despite Greenpeace's position on this, is to ramp up the newer, cleaner and safer nuclear technologies and to work towards re-forestation and issues on ocean preservation, and the creation of urban civilizations that are designed for the efficient use of resources and adaptable to an ever changing climate and geology.

[Dallas Dunlap]

01:50 PM on 09/10/2011

Your "ever changing climate" is going to be changing so fast that it swamps all these other problems.

[B Wood]

04:31 PM on 09/10/2011

One of the strategies of the denialist campaign is to portray the focus on climate science as a misuse of resources. It is implied that the other problems of the world are getting short shrift to the benefit of global warming that is protrayed by the "skeptics" as suspect at best.

If Orkney is so passionate about these other problems she can make a difference by spending time on them and less time posting ad homs and strawman arguments and references to web sites that promote science that has already been found to be lacking in accuracy and/or relevance.

She is part of the problem. I suspect you disagree as you seem to be there often to support her.

Poverty, hunger, wars and disease will increase because fo global warming. Malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus and other diseases are on the rise already.

Reducing CO2 emissions will go a long way towards restoring balance to our oceans. Reducing CO2 emissions and our reliance on fossil fuel will help slow the growth in wildfires,infestation of forests and destruction of one of the greatest carbon sinks which also happens to have the greatest concentration of tar sands.

The US spends over $50B annually in PEACETIME defense costs just to ensure access to and transportation of foreign oil. Trillions have been spent and much sufffering experienced because oil.related wars.

Nuclear is not the only answer and there are still economic, political and environmental issues even with newer technologies.

[Orkneygal]

05:29 AM on 09/13/2011

I am part of the solution. You and your fellow faith-driven obstructionists are the real problem.

Your repeating the meme about the spread of malaria due to Global warming shows your ignorance of the science of our ever changing climate on Gaia.

Shame on you for being either willfully ignorant or willfully misleading. You should apologize to the readers of this thread for typing you non-sense in either case.

Humanity is facing the real prospect of a return to a Maunder minimum, another Little Ice Age and all the devastation that freezing conditions bring to all of Gaia's inhabitants.

[StephenBP]

09:31 AM on 09/10/2011

Sad that the environmental movement is hijacked by people like Orkney Baloney . Animal waste gas is an essential plant food at low concentrations. So is manure and urine, but we don’t want those in our food of drink. Carbon dioxide is actually toxic and can kill you at high enough concentrations. That is why your body expels it every time you exhale and why we are always seeking fresh air.

The near religious belief that civilization cannot exist without a fossil fuel based economy is at the heart of much bad behavior on the part of denialist followers. Denialist leaders, on the other hand, may be motivated purely my greed and/or the realization that the hidden costs of fossil fuels won’t swing into high gear until long after they are dead.

[Orkneygal]

05:33 AM on 09/13/2011

CO2, methane and water vapour are important Green House Gases.

All true believers in CAGW can do their part to save Gaia by ceasing to exhale and pass gas.

If you truly believe in CAGW stop breathing stop farting.

[texfly]

10:33 AM on 09/13/2011

Only the the right wingers claim CAGW. It's called propaganda. At least now you actually admit that CO2 ans CH4 are GHGs. Talk about pulling teeth.

[Orkneygal]

07:28 AM on 09/10/2011

Sad the environmental movement has been hijacked by the CAGW alarmists. Many world problems are ignored as a result of the this religious like belief that essential plant food is a pollutant. Most of the world's problems are being left behind while the world governments throw good money at the IPCC crowd and their junk science.

Over-fishing.
Destruction of native habitats.
Slash&burn agriculture.
Pollution of riverways by agricultural and industrial run-off.
Ocean pollution.
Poaching endangered animals.
Lack of clean water the third world.
Preventable diseases, especially among children.
Under-education of girls.
Enslavement of children/mothers.
Human trafficking.
The selling of virginity.
Poverty.
Killing of innocent civilians in war.

These problems fester because those environmentally minded have been tricked into believing that global warming is due to human activity, is bad thing and more important than all of these other more pressing problems. Shame on them for embracing this drivel.

In a hundred years people will recall CAGW and shake their heads that people were tricked by the scoundrels. CAGW will be in the same category as Geocentrics, Cold Fusion, Piltdown Man and The Fountain of Youth. In future, the parallels between the IPCC the Yakuza will be studied by PhD candidates in the Humanities. Carbon emission reduction schemes will be likened to Medieval bleeding, Papal indulgences and witch-burning.

Meanwhile, the problems of the real world fester on. The truly environmentally minded find it sickening. Will Greenpiece apologize to Gaia for soiling her Arctic ice?

[BlackbirdHighway]

07:59 AM on 09/10/2011

The scientific understanding of the warming effect of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very, very solid. You call it junk science yet you don't provide any details of why.

[Dallas Dunlap]

01:47 PM on 09/10/2011

The selling of virginity?

[Bradley Scott Roon]

05:42 PM on 09/09/2011

Well that has me convinced. I mean if you ignore the fact that ice pack melts 'most every year, i'd say this is about as scientific as that analysis of the dead polar bears on the pack ice from way back.

I know, i know, they were studying seals or walruseseses or sump'n and it's true that they did not touch down and examine the bears, but high altitude forensics is the coming rage. I am just glad that they didn't get down there because while they were able to "prove" that the polar bears had drowned, most intelligent people would ask how they managed to drown and then climb up onto the ice.

If they HAD landed they would've found my fingerprints from when i held them under and drowned them. I had to put them onto the ice to warn the other bears not to mess with me.

[Daniel Hicks]

02:36 PM on 09/10/2011

You fail to mention that "that ice pack melt[ing] 'most every year" is a very recent occurrence. There are now cruises that sail through the newly opened Northwest Passage north of Canada, something that explorers were sent out to do at enormous cost since the sixteenth century, failing every time. It simply wasn't possible before this advanced stage of AGW.

[Forester]

04:51 PM on 09/09/2011

Yea but what about the children seeing this giant frontal nudity?

[thecid]

04:09 PM on 09/09/2011

agreed on the copper comments. Why not just drink lots of water and soda. Once you get those sugars in there, the colors will come out clearly. better yet, if you wanted the color of copper. don't drink any water at all. just lots of coke.