To The Best Of Our Knowledge Off The Map
Apr 12, 2025
Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, a Samoan journalist, shares her poignant experiences documenting climate change's impact on Pacific islands. Bill Limpisathian, a cartography professor, explains how our brains interact with maps and the shift from paper to digital navigation. Uzbekistani electronic musician Andrew Pekler introduces his innovative project featuring a sonic atlas of phantom islands, blending music with geography. Together, they discuss the cultural, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of mapping in the face of environmental challenges.
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Islands Disappearing From Maps
- Small Pacific islands were long omitted from maps but became visible only recently as political entities.
- Climate change threatens to erase these islands from maps again, reflecting physical loss and geopolitical erasure.
Cultural Loss Beyond Geography
- Losing islands means losing ancestral knowledge, identity, and spiritual belonging for island communities.
- International law lacks clear refuge options for displaced island populations, complicating their future.
Vanessa's Heartbreaking Climate Migration
- Vanessa Newellhausen's home was wiped away in seconds by Cyclone Evan, forcing her family to migrate to Australia.
- She feels displaced daily, showing the deep personal toll of climate-induced migration on islanders.