Vancouver commuters can expect to see some eye-catching stunts in the downtown core this morning.
To help demonstrate the possible effects of global warming, Offsetters, a local company that helps individuals and private firms offset their CO2 emissions, is planning several guerrilla-style stunts around the city today. Current Offsetters partners include VanCity, WestJet, Harbour Air, Air France and Avison Young.
Addressing one of the major impacts on coastal populations around the world – a rise in sea levels as global temperatures increase and icecaps melt – a series of lifeboats will be attached to an office building at the corner of Granville and Pender streets. Farther from the downtown core, a lifeguard’s station will be placed in the middle of a street, as well as lifejackets beneath benches and various water safety devices in unexpected areas – all signed off with the line ‘Stop Global Warming’ and offsetters.ca.
‘Obviously sea levels are not going to reach the sixth floor of the Rogers Building,’ says Katie Ainsworth of Vancouver-based ad agency Rethink, which orchestrated the street intervention. ‘But we wanted to communicate the dramatic impact that climate change will have on our cities, societies and businesses.’
Rethink donated over $2 million to a number of local causes last year, including Offsetters.
