NASA’s Before And After Photos Of Climate Change Are Terrifying

It’s hard to tell the impact human’s have had on Earth because we’re living it every day. The change is so gradual and spread across so many generations that it’s not immediately visible to most people. Only when we look back on the way our planet used to look is our impact apparent.

Since 2009, NASA has been curating before and after photos of humanity’s impact on Earth. These before and after photos of climate change are an eye-opening look at the damage we’ve already done. This is still sadly an abstract idea to many, but this series helps drive home the reality of the challenge we — and our children and children’s children — have to face.

The differences are extreme, especially across decades.

(Source: NASA)

These pictures of Matternhorn Mountain on the Italian / Swiss border of the Alps were taken in 1960 and 2005. The second photo shows a drastically low level of snowfall accumulating on the mountaintop.

(Source: NASA)

These photos show the shrinkage of the McCarty Glacier in Alaska from 1909 (left) to 2001 (right).

(Source: NASA)

The Lyell Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Yosemite Park, loses roughly three feet of width every year. The difference between 2009 (left) and 2014 (right) is extremely drastic.

(Source: NASA)

Once the fourth largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea in central Asia is almost completely dry. The problem arose when the Soviet Union diverted water from the lake’s source to feed crops in the arid plains of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the 1960s. Despite efforts to save the lake, like a dam built in 2005, dry temperatures in 2014 caused the southern portion of the sea to dry up completely. These pictures show the change between 2000 and 2014.

(Source: NASA)

These to photos document the deforestation in Kenya between 1973 and 2000. This area was once a valued tourist destination that was home to various wildlife including rhinoceros, leopards, lions and water buffalo. The area outlined in white was 136 square miles of forest in the Eastern Mau Forest Reserve that the government has since removed.

(Source: NASA)

This photo documents the deforestation in Argentina between 1972 and 2009, most of which is the result of the advance of agriculture.

(Source: NASA)

The increase in urban growth in the Bahamas is also alarming. These photos show the change between 1973 and 2006. The increases stressed the city’s sanitation system and destroys the natural environment. Deforestation of mangrove swamps to accommodate more tourists has left the island vulnerable to storms.

(Source: NASA)

This photo shows the shrinkage of Lake Chad in Africa. In the 1960′s Lake Chad was sixth largest lake in the world, shrinking to one-twentieth of the size by 2002. Persistent drought has shrunk the lake from the left photo (taken in 1972) to the almost completely dry middle photo (1987). The right photo (2002) shows how much of the open water is gone and replaced with marshland, in red.

Despite the negative impact humans have had on Earth, there’s still hope.

(Source: NASA)

Not all change is bad. Due to stricter regulations and new technology, air pollution has actually decreased between 2005 (left) and 2011 (right).

If we stay mindful of the impact we’ve made on the planet, it is possible to reverse some of the negative changes we’ve created and preserve our planet. Check out the rest of the NASA’s Images of Change displaying the human impact on Earth by visiting their website.

Via: pixable.com