meredith emery

(2020) emergency blankets, found umbrella frame, flashing, wire

Albedo Hats are reflective apparatuses made from found objects that function as climate change adaptation garments. The albedo effect refers to the positive feedback loop in which snow and ice reflect the sun’s energy, cooling the atmosphere and preserving sea ice, glaciers, and snow packs. Under ordinary conditions this process regulates the earth’s temperature. However, anthropogenic climate change has trapped heat from greenhouse gases causing ice and snow packs that have been deflecting solar rays for millions of years to melt and give way to more heat absorption.

These hats were made collaboratively with Ayla Gizlice as part of an ongoing performance. While wearing our hats, Ayla and I participate in a writing practice within personally crafted reflective journals. Journal contents are unrestricted, responding to immediate thoughts and feelings during reflective sessions. This collaborative action is a playful, surreal entry into serious conversation about coping with climate anxieties.