We Cry: The Climate Countdown Clock

In winter 2021 The Touba Family Foundation grant awarded grammy-nominated jazz musician, producer and Bennington College music instructor Hui Cox of Glens Falls a $2500 grant to produce a sung musical piece with video based on the International Climate Countdown clock. 

The LGHA became the grant fiscal sponsor as the mission of the museum is historical, cultural, scientific and artistic as its formal name implies: "The Institute of History, Art and Science." 2022 retiring Curator Lisa Adamson, wrote the grant and will provide ongoing promotion for use and adaptation of the piece, called "We Cry", encouraging musicians, singers, choral directors and schools to use this music and video as a way to get the message out about urgency around climate action.

Cox's Glens Falls performance partner Laura Roth wrote the lyrics and is one of two singers in the recorded piece which can be found on YouTube.

The Touba Family Foundation has funded many local projects and the LGHA has been the recipient of 4 previous Touba Family Foundation grants.

The message of "We Cry" includes the pain many feel about the radical planetary changes already happening with accelerating climate crisis. The climate countdown clock, of which there are many international versions, counts down in graphic terms the scientifically estimated number of years that humanity has to act before a 1.5 degree celsius threshold of carbon in the atmosphere is reached at which point irreversible consequences are locked in, including inevitable ice loss and possible ocean current alterations. One version of the clock which shows both a 2.0 Celsius threshold and a 1.5 degree limit  may be found at https://www.mccberlin.net/fileadmin/data/clock/carbon_clock.htm?i=3267263.

A smaller version of the climate clock is owned by North Country Earth Action and from time to time is displayed at the LGHA. NCEA along with its "Light Brigade" featured in the video uses the clock in various area climate actions. 
"We cry" laments it has "no answers but there's others who do. Now it's up to me and it's up to you"; the NCEA website offers pathways to action at www.northcountryearthaction.org.