Rivers in the Sky © Debra Achen
Rivers in the Sky
“Rivers in the Sky is my response to the extreme atmospheric river events that have
hit California’s Central Coast causing major flooding, road closures, and power
outages. This piece conveys the impression of rivers overflowing their banks, water
flowing in all directions. Folds across both prints mimic the strong currents while the
stitching on the shorelines is meant to “fortify” the land from the deluge.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands in the atmosphere that transport water
vapor out of the tropics… like rivers in the sky. With global warming, especially near the
equator, the warmer air holds more moisture and increases the number and intensity of
atmospheric river events worldwide.” Debra Achen
Please click on images to see a different view.
Down the Road
While driving Hwy 138 through south-central Oregon, the road was closely bordered on
either side by dense green forest. Then, around one bend we were confronted head-on
by the burn scar – acres of scorched trees from the 2020 fire season. It was literally
breath-taking. The two images collaged together were taken within a few hours just down the road from each other.
Drying Out
Eastern Sierra glaciers feed streams that carry water through the California Aqueduct
south to major agricultural areas and all the way to Los Angeles. They are shrinking as
a result of global warming, threatening both food and water supplies. In this collage, a dry creek bed interrupts the flow of the glacier-fed stream.
Nexus of the Elders
Vine-like stitches tie portraits of four old-growth trees together in this collage. It is a
homage to the older, larger trees in a forest that connect and sustain hundreds of other
tree, plant, and animal species. As hubs in the ecosystem, they share carbon and
nitrogen through underground fungal networks. These disappearing guardians absorb as much as three times more carbon from the atmosphere than the youngsters, helping to stabilize our climate.
Is More Than
“The forest is more than a collection of trees. It is an integrated whole… individual
species organize into complex community structures that promote the fitness of the
whole group.” Forest Ecologist, Suzanne Simard in her book Finding the Mother Tree.
The four images collaged together here were captured at different times and locations
on a hike through an Oregon Forest. They are linked together, just as all species in the
forest are connected, supporting each other in countless ways. Loss of just one
species frays the natural balance of the whole ecosystem.
According to the World Wildlife Fund’s 2022 Living Planet Report, populations of 32,000 species have seen an average decrease of 69% since 1970.
The Cost of Soft
The Cost of Soft
We can influence the course of our climate crisis simply by making informed decisions about the products we buy and use every day.
The Cost of Soft photo-sculptures are in response to what the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) calls “the issue with tissue.” In a nutshell, the softer, more absorbent brands of toilet paper, facial tissue, and paper towels are produced with a high percentage of pulp sourced from trees in old-growth forests. These older trees are a major source of
carbon capture and they support hundreds of other tree, plant, and animal species in
a healthy, biodiverse forest ecosystem. We are cutting them down to make single-use,
disposable products… a process referred to as the “tree to toilet pipeline.”
The major tissue manufacturers need to do better. For a number of years, the NRDC
has published a scorecard that grades U.S. toilet paper, paper towel, and facial tissue
brands based on sustainability. Grading factors include: the % of forest fiber used, the
% of recycled paper, the % of certified alternative fibers (like bamboo and wheat
straw), and the amount of harmful bleaching used in the manufacturing process.
The results are shocking! Use this QR code for the 2023 report and see how YOUR
brands rate.
