Climate Change in Our World

This initiative uses photography in an effort to engage viewers as witnesses to the effects of global warming today, including solutions and actions that are underway by governments, companies, families, and children. While there are the familiar images of climate change - polar bears, penguins, and disappearing glaciers - there are also others that are less known, such as Bangladeshi villagers perched on the end of a road being washed away by erosion and children playing in an empty rice field in a China besieged by drought. The images are by environmental photojournalist Gary Braasch, winner of the Ansel Adams Award, who has been documenting climate change and its solutions for more than a decade. The exhibit is designed to be visually arresting, with 5-foot-high prints, and with detailed captions communicating the message that the atmosphere is warming rapidly and has widespread effects. It illustrates the steps we must take to limit the warming and effects. There are also solutions, like examples of green building and a line of modern windmills in the Netherlands.

In addition, the show includes "How We Know About Our Changing Climate: Learning and Taking Action on Climate Change", an educational exhibit and video installation. Images from the middle-school science book "How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming" and the short films from the "Young Voices for the Planet" collection (see Related Summaries, below) are designed to teach and inspire school groups and families. Here, the images include scientists at work, youth participating in research (like Project Budburst), and children who have been affected by climate change, such as one of 3 children sitting on a porch in the island nation of Tuvalu looking out at their flooded neighbourhood. Lynne Cherry is co-author with Braasch of the middle-school science book and producer/director of the films.

Click here to view some of the images online.

Environment.