A singed Kangaroo with its baby in its pouch, stares blankly at the destruction of its home after a wildfire destroyed it.

Jo-Anne McArthur- 2020

A mass of ice drifting into the ocean, while melting in the process.

Burning fossil fuels is the main drive of climate change. When the Earth absorbs the sun’s energy, or when atmospheric gases prevent heat from being released, the planet warms. This causes longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall and more powerful hurricanes. Extreme heat waves have caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world and Antarctica has lost nearly 4 trillion metric tons of ice since the 90’s. Ocean temperatures also rise, which means tropical storms can pick up more energy causing sea life to be dangerously harmed.

Climate change has already had visible effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice sheets are breaking sooner, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. Coral reefs are also hugely affected by climate change. The increase of the sea levels and changes to the frequency and power of tropical storms can kill them and cause hundreds of fish to die as they rely on the reefs for food, shelter and breeding. Climate change is likely to be the greatest cause of species extinction due to its huge area of effect, and the scale of the damage it does.

Gian-Reto Tarnutzer- 2015