Climate change arguably poses the most important challenge humans face in the coming century. This dramatic exhibition within the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences endeavors to open the doors to the living laboratory that is our climate, while not shying away from the hard science behind the changes people are witnessing every day. The exhibit is a strategic blend of media that investigates the evidence that will inform the decisions we make in the future. It’s an interdisciplinary exhibit hybrid of public policy, documentary journalism and the earth sciences. It’s a hub for scholars, politicians and scientists, and a go-to resource for the general public to access the core facts about climate science.

Read the full case study with juror comments here: [http://www.aiga.org/justified-2012--case-study--earth-lab/]

This project combines a very strong concept and objective with a high level of formal execution. The content effectively addresses the Living Principles criteria of Culture, Environment, People and Economy. The video demonstrates both the educational power of the installation and its effectiveness. The jury wished that more qualitative or quantitative metrics for effectiveness had been incorporated into the case study narrative; nonetheless, this was an impressive project. —Terry Irwin