Climate science and poetry collide in the IPCC Haiku

Haven’t had time to read all 2000+ pages of the 2013 IPCC report? Neither have I! But don’t worry, physical oceanographer Greg Johnson has taken the time to condense and clarify the main talking points. Even better, he has gone one step further than just digesting the science. This is the IPCC report rewritten in the compact form of Japanese Haiku and illustrated with whimsical water colors.

This stroke of science prose genius came to Greg while he stuck sick at home one weekend (apparently we all need to go lick a bus seat right now to gain an infectious disease and some inspiration) and he was encouraged by his daughter to channel his inner Georgia O’Keefe and paint the accompanying water colors.  I’ve posted some of my favorites, but you can check them all out and learn some more about this fun idea came to be at daily.sightline.org

And why let all the oceanographers have the fun? Here’s one I came up with:

Ninety five percent
of all scientists agree
to warm is human #IPCCHaiku

— Kim Martini (@rejectedbanana) December 17, 2013

And then there is this little gem from @SurtLab

overwhelming story
america still denies
sad sad sad panda

— David Baltrus (@surt_lab) December 17, 2013

Everyone should totally try their hand at an IPCC haiku. Remember, it’s 3 lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables in each.