On April 22, the world celebrated Earth Day. This is meant to be a day when people stand together and appreciate all the earth has done for us. After all, it’s the only home humans have and it’s surprising that we have engaged in a consistent destruction of the planet without attempting to repair the damages mankind has caused. There are a few NASA images that were taken almost 50 years apart documenting various parts of the world. When you compare photos from the 70s and see what we have now, you will be shocked at the magnitude of change that the human condition has caused. We have looked at some of these photos and we are going to explain just how different things are now compared to some years ago.
Photos from The 1940s And 2000s Showing Massive Depletion Of The World Glaciers
The glaciers are simply frozen rivers now. They are stone cold ice rivers that have been a source of water for many communities. However, due to global warming, the glaciers have melted. This has led to rising sea levels which are threatening island countries and cities. In addition to this, melting of glaciers could cause a huge change in the global ecosystem. The photo below shows how glaciers in Alaska have melted away since the 1940s due to global warming.
Deforestation of Mount Elgon in Uganda
In 1970, NASA started to document the loss of forest cover in different parts of the world. The space agency used satellite images to track the rate of deforestation and what it found is simply alarming. The example of the Mount Elgon Forest in Uganda is absolutely staggering. The loss of forest cover in this region has been so rapid and big. Here is a satellite shot comparing Mount Elgon in the 70s and today.
The Photo Of Qori Kalis Glacier In Peru Documented Since 1971
The loss of the world’s glaciers is something that started a long time ago even though the pace at which it was happening then was not as rapid as it is today. The photo of Qori Kalis Glacier in Peru was documented back in 1971 and while at that time it had already started to melt albeit at a smaller pace, today it’s just a shell of what it used to be. Just take a look at the photos below.
The Shrinking Lakes As Captured In This Shot Of Great Sand Dunes National Park In Colorado In 1987 And Another In 2011
It’s not just the glaciers and the forest that have been disappearing due to climate change, even lakes have shrunk. The case of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado in 1987 is more compelling. The picture on the left was taken in 1987 and you can see that the lakes indicated by bluish spots were bigger. Now they have become almost invisible. Just take a look and see for yourself:
These are just some of the few images that are showing the ongoing destruction of the planet through human activities. Unless we stop this, then the earth as we know it will be gone forever.
