That photo you may have seen over the past few days – a balding Kilimanjaro, courtesy of global warming – comes from a new web site, North South East West.
The site is worth a visit for an astonishing range of photographs documenting the impact of climate change on every facet of life, from human rights to city dwelling.
But the photo of Kilimanjaro (here, have a close-up) is especially riveting, as is the text that accompanies it:
THE VOLCANIC CRATER AT THE SUMMIT OF KILIMANJARO, AFRICA’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, AS IT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE IN 11,000 YEARS. THE SNOW AND GLACIERS WHICH HAVE CROWNED IT IN ALL THAT TIME ARE MELTING AND BY 2020 ARE LIKELY TO HAVE DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY. THE FORESTS WHICH COVER KILIMANJARO’S LOWER SLOPES ABSORB MOISTURE FROM SURROUNDING CLOUDS AND PROVIDE LIFE-GIVING WATER TO PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE PLAINS BELOW. RISING TEMPERATURES THREATEN NOT ONLY THE ICE-CAP, BUT ALSO THIS ESSENTIAL NATURAL PROCESS.
The site complements the printed compilation of photos and text, a project by The Climate Group. Dr. David Suzuki is the contributor (that’s the site’s term – I’m guessing the contributor is whoever wrote the interpretive text that accompanies each photo) on their Kenya section, which includes the Kilimanjaro photo.
