Tick tock. The unveiling of a giant clock in Manhattan’s Union Square has revealed how much time is left before the climate emergency becomes irreversible. 

An article by the Washington Post went viral on social media after artists Andrew Boyd and Gan Golan unveiled their newest project: a clock that reveals the exact time that humans have left to take action. 

At the time of the unveiling, there were 7 years, 101 days, 17 hours, 29 minutes and 22 seconds before the planet’s emissions budget was to be exhausted, according to The Post. 

The clock specifically gages the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions left that can be released into the atmosphere.

According to The Post, these specific emission calculations determine how many greenhouse gases are left for humans to release into the air before the damage is irreversible.

In order to have a chance, Earth’s temperature needs to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) before the seven years is up, according to CBS News, which is the goal of the international Paris Climate Agreement.

These artists released this project in honor of Climate Week, which ends on Sept. 27 and is an annual event in New York City that brings together international leaders to discuss global climate action, according to Climate Week NYC.

 The goal of the organization is to install the “ClimateClock” in cities all over the world, according to CBS News.

“You can’t negotiate with science. Scientists are telling us that the next seven years are crucial to the fate of the Earth and to humanity,” said Boyd, according to CBS News.

More disasters such as wildfires, floods, extensive famine and other natural disasters are expected to occur. According to a 2019 NASA report, if temperatures do exceed the limit of 1.5 Celsius, humans will experience further droughts, heat waves and limited water availability.

 Anyone interested in learning more about global action and what it will take for resolution can visit the Climate Clock website https://climateclock.world/ and the Climate Clock app for smartphones.

“Our planet has a deadline. But we can turn it into a lifetime,” Boyd told the Post.