From Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

The clock counts down to 2030, when apparently, we are all doomed.

Residents divided as Aussie council erects $18,000 clock in countdown to ‘doomsday’ deadline

It counts down the days, hours and minutes until a pivotal moment in our fight against climate change. But not all are enjoying the message.

Joe Attanasio
Senior Reporter
Fri 21 February 2025 at 8:06 am AEST

A thought-provoking art installation in a major inner-city public garden has continued to spark mixed reactions with locals seemingly divided by the controversial work.

The $18,000 piece features a countdown clock tracking the days, hours, and minutes until 2030 — a pivotal year for climate action in Australia, marked by key national and international targets.

…

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a City spokesman said the price is “a small part of a modest budget” that goes towards “supporting emerging local artists”. In comparison, the Ouroboros work in Canberra — based on the ancient story of a snake eating its own tail— cost a reported $14 million.

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n Fitzroy, a young woman walking through the park on Thursday appeared to enjoy the clock. “It’s kind of cool … it makes you think,” she told 7News. “The people in this area probably already know what’s going on,” her companion said. “Maybe it could have been put somewhere else, like Brighton.”

…

On the other end of the scale, one local man hit out at what he described as “bulls**t in my face”.

“Truthfully, it’s just crap,” he said. “I’d like to just keep living peacefully and happily and enjoy this park.”

…Read more: 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/residents-divided-as-aussie-council-erects-18000-clock-in-countdown-to-doomsday-deadline-220605666.html

Does this art installation motivate you to reduce your personal CO2 emissions?

I’ve got to say the council didn’t receive a lot for the money they paid to the artist.

The plinth was already present – it apparently used to belong to a statue of Queen Victoria which disappeared under mysterious circumstances 120 years ago. The University of Melbourne is nearby, which raises obvious suspicions – I doubt the students of 120 years ago were much different to the students of today.

The doomsday clock appears to be a few pieces of welded steel sheet and cheap square section, an electronic display which looks like it was salvaged from a road work sign, and a $200 solar panel. Other components could include a low cost microcontroller, a display controller and a backup battery inside to keep the numbers ticking.

I’ve made devices with similar components as part of my professional work. The materials required to make something like this can be sourced for a lot less than $18000.

But I guess the issue of receiving value for money is for local government voters to decide.

I’m curious whether the clock thing will run out of electricity in winter, at 37.8º South, Melbourne winters tend to be overcast and dreary. The sun drops low in the sky, and the length of day drops to a minimum of around nine hours.

Those big bright LED signs consume a fair bit of electricity, possibly too much for the attached solar panel, if that is what it is. The “clock” also appears to be overshadowed by trees, though some of the trees in Fitzroy Gardens are deciduous which might help a bit.

If anyone happens to notice the clock running out of juice or sees someone sneaking in with a battery pack to give it a boost, please send us a photo for our entertainment – though it is possible there is a fossil fuel sourced grid backup power supply built into the plinth, just in case the solar panel doesn’t cover the climate doomsday clock’s energy needs.