NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A retired engineer from Northampton has been taking the time to help educate people on the effects climate change may have on our world.

Vinny Valetutti has created a traveling 30 foot high mock ‘sea level rise ruler’ to spread awareness of the rising sea levels. The ruler has been parked in Northampton along King Street in an empty parking lot for the past couple of months.

Valetutti said the ruler indicates how much water levels could rise if only five or 10 percent of Antarctica and Greenland were to melt. Which he says water levels could rise about 11 to 22 feet.

The retired engineer, who has a passion for energy conservation was inspired by Greta Thunberg, who is a young climate change activist.

“When I realized that sea levels already risen 400 feet since the peak of the last ice age, that kind of really shocked me,” he told 22News. “I want to make people aware that this is the risk we have about not doing something about climate change.”

Valetutti hopes to travel along the East Coast with the ruler to get the message across and to start a movement to help share his project. Many drivers who pass the ruler on King Street have stopped to ask questions about the project, which he says is the time he can really start talking about his message.