We are the charity formerly known as Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS)

What the Carlisle climate stripes are telling us

June 17, 2025

At first glance, the Carlisle climate stripes might look like a modern piece of art. But look closer, and you’ll see something far more powerful: a visual record of how our climate has changed, year by year, from 1850 to today.

Each stripe represents one year of temperature data; cool blues show colder years, deepening reds mark the warmer ones. Early stripes are mostly blue, but as time progresses, the colours shift sharply to red. The message is clear: our region is warming, and fast.

The climate stripes were developed by Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading as a simple yet powerful way to show long-term temperature trends without scientific jargon. They can be created at different scales – showing the global warming pattern, national trends, or even zooming right into places like Carlisle. This makes the stripes especially powerful: they reveal not just what’s happening globally, but what’s changing right on our doorstep. This dramatic change isn’t just happening in distant places, it’s happening here in Cumbria.

We’re already feeling the effects: more extreme weather, increased flooding, and changing growing seasons. We’ve just experienced the driest spring in 69 years, reservoirs are depleted and crops are being replanted. The climate stripes are a vivid reminder that the climate crisis is not something for future generations to solve. It’s here now -and we’re all part of the story.

But knowledge is power. That’s where Carbon Literacy comes in.

Carbon Literacy is about understanding the science behind climate change, how it affects us locally, and, most importantly, what we can do about it. It’s not just facts and figures. It’s about becoming more aware of how our everyday choices, from how we heat our homes to how we travel, contribute to the bigger picture – and how we can make positive changes.

By learning Carbon Literacy, individuals, schools, businesses, and communities in Cumbria can move from awareness to action. We can turn concern into confidence. And we can all play a part in shifting those red stripes back towards blue.

The climate stripes are a warning, but they’re also a conversation starter. Let’s use them to inspire learning, understanding, and action so that we can leave a healthier, more stable climate for future generations.