Climate change already touches every corner of the planet and every aspect of people’s lives. As our global temperature increases, its impacts will become even more extreme. To illustrate this we commissioned 10 of the world’s top photographers to bring together, in a single volume, what is happening in diverse countries and conditions around the world. This is their record.
NorthSouthEastWest tells the story of these places; ice-caps, mega-cities, rice fields, townships, islands, forests and much more. It deals with the threats that millions face to their food supplies, fresh water, health, culture and even the existence of their countries. But it also details a range of solutions that may stave off the worst of the crisis. There are big and small ideas, some simple, others technically complex, but all part of the battle to stop climate change getting out of hand.
Climate change threatens to reshape our future for the worse. It is clear that time is running out to take on the most important challenge facing humanity -managing and controlling the climate change that is already under way. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, agreed by 180 nations, makes it clear that every country must take action to prevent global warming. Its first, hesitant, legal step towards this aim, the Kyoto Protocol, is now in force, but everyone accepts that this is not enough. Much more needs to be done to cut greenhouse gas emissions and quickly.
This project is designed to spell out the effects of climate change on the lives of ordinary people, as the title suggests, north, south, east and west. The idea is to raise awareness, and yes, create concern, so people will be galvanised into much-needed action.
