What Does Climate Change Look Like?

Climate Change is Devastating

Drought, floods and melting glaciers are some of the devastating effects of climate change. Our planet in peril is a recurring theme in my posts. Here I attempt to show: What does climate change look like?

This weekend in New York, across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia thousands are demonstrating, demanding action ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit on Monday. Acres of ink and hours of TV will cover these events. A new generation is now engaged, many inspired by the 16 year old Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.

What does Climate Change Look Like?

I have documented climate change on five continents. Here is climate change seen through my lens. It is not pretty.

California, USA

What does climate change look like?2.4 million trees are dead in Yosemite National Park, California. Drought has weakened the trees making them susceptible to bark beetle. Here a brown clump of dead trees can be seen in the iconic shadow of Three Brothers peaks. These dead trees are fuel for forest fires. //Photo: AN Grove — 2.4 million trees are dead in Yosemite National Park, California. Drought has weakened the trees making them susceptible to bark beetle. Here, a brown clump of dead trees can be seen in the iconic shadow of Three Brothers peaks. These dead trees are fuel for forest fires..

Botswana, Africa

What does climate change look like?Here is the Okovango River Delta, Botswana with a dried up waterhole where elephant, giraffe, buffalo lions birds and other mammals would find water. This situation is due to drought and changing weather patterns. //Photo: ANGROVE — Okovango River Delta, Botswana. A dried up waterhole seen from a helicopter. Here elephant, giraffe, buffalo, lion, birds, mammals of all kinds usually find water. This situation is due to drought caused by changing weather patterns. The drought in South Africa has been particularly serious.

Kenya, Africa

What does climate change look like?Once Mount Kilimanjaro had a snowy carapace. Hemingway wrote "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" which was then made into a movie. Today there is barely any snow on the summit.//Photo: ANGROVE — Once Mount Kilimanjaro had a snowy white carapace. Hemingway wrote “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” which was eventually made into a movie. Today there is barely any snow on the summit.

Chamonix, France

Central Asia, The Aral Sea

What does cllimate change look like?Once there was a vast lake called the Aral Sea. It was the size of Ireland. Now the former sea is a desert where camels roam. This disaster was not due to climate change, but to the diversion of two major rivers. It is one of the world's worst man made disasters which is now exacerbated by climate change.// PHOTO: ANGROVE — Once there was a vast lake called the Aral Sea. It was the size of Ireland. Now the former sea is a desert where camels roam. This disaster was not due to climate change, but to the diversion of two major rivers. It is one of the world’s worst man made disasters which is now exacerbated by climate change.

Atacama Desert, Chile

What does climate change look like?Rainstorm during sunset photographed from the Atacama Explora Lodge, February 2019 The Atacama desert was, for four hundred years, the driest place on earth.//PHOTO;ANGROVE — Rainstorm during sunset photographed from the Atacama Explora Lodge, February 2019 The Atacama desert was, for four hundred years, the driest place on earth.

What is Next?

Following the events in New York, in December there will be a ten-day United Nations Climate Conference in Santiago, Chile. This will be attended by 196 states and the European Union. Radical changes have to be made. Time is running out.

Call To Action

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough stated to the British Parliament and on the BBC that:

“unless we take drastic action during the next decade we could face irreversible damage to our natural world and the collapse of our societies.”

As we know climate changes to our Planet are accelerating. The Earth we bequeath to our children and grandchildren is in peril.

What to do? On the international scene support the The Paris Agreement signed November, 2016 it was a groundbreaking start. At home small daily changes make a huge difference. Read and follow National Geographic Magazine articles to keep current and be aware. The American Natural History Museum has a permanent exhibit on Climate Change. Watch the documentaries made by David Attenbough.

Raise awareness, which is what I have attempted to do by recording climate change as seen through the lens of my camera.

Here are my previous stories on Climate change:

Planet in Peril: Climate Change Through my Lens

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

The Aral Sea: Going, Going, Gone