Captivating images from the Earth Photo 2025 competition shortlist reveal inspiring stories of climate resilience and conservation efforts, highlighting humanity’s adaptability in a changing world.
Capturing the Fragility and Resilience of Our Planet
These powerful images from the Earth Photo 2025 competition shortlist tell revealing, inspiring, and unexpected stories about the climate and life on our planet. From the efforts to combat drought to the care of wildlife, these photographs showcase humanity’s adaptability in the face of a changing world.
Climate change refers to significant long-term changes in the Earth's climate patterns.
It is primarily caused by human activities that release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere.
These gases trap heat from the sun, leading to a rise in global temperatures.
According to NASA, the average global temperature has risen by about 1°C since the late 1800s.
Climate change impacts include rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and altered ecosystems.
The Human Touch: Conservation Efforts
A panda keeper does a health check on the cub of giant panda Xi Mei at the Wolong Nature Reserve. This photograph, taken by Ami Vitale, highlights the importance of human interaction with wildlife while minimizing its impact. In this case, the keeper’s outfit is part of an initiative to reduce human contact with bears in the reserve.
Similarly, Sue Flood’s image of Crabeater Seals on an ice floe in the Southern Ocean showcases the beauty and fragility of marine life. Such photographs can bring the region’s wonder to those who may never visit, fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
The crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) is a species of earless seal found in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters.
They are one of the most abundant pinniped species, with an estimated population of over 15 million individuals.
Crabeaters feed primarily on krill, consuming up to 2% of their body weight daily.
Their diet consists mainly of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), which they hunt using their sensitive whiskers and highly developed sense of smell.
The Devastating Consequences of Climate Change
The 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption on La Palma, an island in the Canaries, Spain, left a trail of destruction. Jonathan Browning’s photograph, ‘Paradise to Ashes’, captures the aftermath of this event, where a woman has remade her garden, removing lava that destroyed mature palms and replacing them with new trees.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano is located on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. It's a stratovolcano that has erupted several times throughout history, with the most recent eruption occurring in 2021. The eruption was characterized by lava flows and pyroclastic flows, which affected over 2,000 buildings and displaced thousands of people. Scientists attribute the eruption to tectonic plate movement, specifically the interaction between the African and Eurasian plates.
This image serves as a poignant reminder of the impact of climate change on our planet. The destruction caused by natural disasters like volcanic eruptions can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and human communities alike.
Preserving the Past for a Sustainable Future
In Tinzouline, Draa valley, Morocco, Vincenzo Montefinese’s ‘Lost Oases’ photograph shows the effects of climate change on this once-thriving region. Over the past century, the valley’s oases have shrunk by two-thirds due to rising temperatures and water scarcity.
Today, farmers must dig more wells, often illegally, to access groundwater, highlighting the desperate measures being taken to cope with the changing environment. This photograph serves as a powerful reminder of the need for sustainable practices and climate action to preserve our planet’s natural wonders for future generations.
- newscientist.com | Powerful images capture the fragility and resilience of our planet
