Earth’s climate is changing around us. From the frequent wildfires in California to the increasingly severe cyclones in the Indian Ocean, evidence of human-caused global warming is becoming clear.

But even as polls indicate a growing acceptance of the reality of global warming, many people are still not motivated enough to act; it feels too abstract, more likely to affect others rather than themselves. Lately, to convey the urgency of climate change at a personal level, scientists have begun translating its dry data points into heart-rending melodies.

“Music is really visceral,” said Stephan Crawford, founder of The ClimateMusic Project, a San Francisco-based group that creates music based on climate data. “Listening to a composition is an active experience, not just a passive one. It can make climate change feel more personal and inspire people to take action.”

On Oct. 29, a composition by The ClimateMusic Project — a jazz and spoken-word piece called “What If We…?” — was performed by the band COPUS in front of an audience of about 250 people at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C., for the opening of the World Bank’s Art of Resilience exhibition.