Changing cultural landscapes under climate change
The permanent snowy peak of Kilimanjaro has been a constant for 11,000 years, but not for much longer. Initial estimates suggested the snow might disappear in 2015, but revisions have brought the date to the next few years.
“Recent photos show that very little of the mountain’s snow remains; what’s left will probably be gone in a just a few more years. Before the decade is out, Kilimanjaro will lose the snow which covered it for the last 11,000 years — the snow which fascinated travelers, inspired artists, and gave it the name “shining mountain.” Global warming and deforestation are both culprits; the relative balance between the two is still subject to debate…but there’s something deeply symbolic about this particular example.”
The image above is from a Magnum collection entitled NorthSouthEastWest: A 360° View of Climate Change, which will distributed to the attendees of this week’s G8 energy and environment summit.
[WorldChanging]
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