13 Shocking Pictures Prove That Nature Is Sending Out An SOS

The year 2017 was the hottest in the history of meteorological observations in the last 150 years. Some scientists also believe that Europe and the US will soon be covered with eternal cold. Of course, we don’t know how precise these predictions are, but we know for sure that we have not brought much good to our planet so far.

The main reason for nature's "mood swings" concerning its climate is the overheating of the Arctic, which is causing Greenland’s ice sheets to disappear rapidly. It's happening two times faster now than it was ten years ago.

Here is a list of official facts proving nature is currently sending out an SOS:

1) Abnormal heat makes people adjust to the new conditions. The ambient temperature in Arizona has reached 120°F, and 130°F in Kuwait.

© GuacamoleFanatic / reddit © pixelatedbeard / imgur

Because the impact of chemical compounds of anthropogenic origins, the ozone layer of Earth is collapsing. Not only does this layer prevent the planet from losing oxygen, it also protects humans from harmful ultraviolet radiation. That in part explains why meteorologists all over the world keep recording an abnormal temperature increase.

2) Unusual cold in regions where it’s not typical

© GeoffMiami / twitter

It seems the whole world has seen the pictures of alligators hibernating in ice or iguanas which have fallen into a state of anabiosis. Although alligators are well-adapted for such extreme changes in temperature, iguanas aren't that cold-resistant, as extreme cold means death for them.

3) It has snowed for three years in a row in The Sahara Desert.

© PhotosHistos / twitter

It looks like humanity will soon get used to this phenomenon, which is, sadly, not the norm.

4) A Siberian tiger came out of the forest to find food.

© glovnon / pikabu

Because of poaching and illegal hunting, the Amur tigers began to come out on roads looking for a misstep of people which would provide them with food. Tigers are not the only animals doing this. A lot of different starving wild animals have to adapt to the new living conditions. Alas, the extermination of forests is another global issue which threatens our world.

5) Felling of tropical forests in Brazil

© reuters

If deforestation compensated for the loss of agricultural land, there would almost be no forests left. If humanity keeps its current pace of deforestation, every forest will be destroyed by 2040.

6) A bright billboard drowning in thick smog in China

© namraka / reddit

Rapid industrial development causes 85 percent of people on Earth to breathe in polluted air.

7) Gijón, a city in Spain, is located 100 km from a forest fire. This photograph was taken at 10 a.m.

© IcemanDOTA / reddit

In 2017, 66,131 fires had been recorded in the US. These uncontrollable fires have destroyed 9.8 million acres of land in total. It is worth noting that 90 percent of forest fires start due to humans’ careless attitudes toward fires.

8) This pink color appeared in one of Russia’s city reservoirs.

© dmitriy.korolkov / pikabu

The change in the chemical composition of the atmosphere leads to the formation of acid rain. It poisons the environment and contaminates soil and water reservoirs.

9) An overcrowded beach in Rio de Janeiro

© jrmcg1 / reddit

According to scientists’ forecasts, the planet's population will reach nine billion people by 2030. Just imagine it: 101 years ago in 1927, the population was only two billion.

10) A polar bear dying of hunger on the Arctic Ocean shore

© Kerstin Langenberger Photography

These images of a starving polar bear are the best display of Earth’s global warming problem. Polar bears hunt for seals from sea ice floes. However, every year, the number of ice decreases, which means that the wild animals have to live off fat stores which accumulated during winter when the formation of ice happens naturally.

11) A huge oil spot has formed as a result of an explosion on an oil platform in 2010.

© reuters © reuters

Each year, over 12 million tons of oil gets dumped into the planet's oceans. It happens because of the leakage of oil from damaged wells and tankers. Approximately 25 percent of seawater is covered with a layer of oil varying in thickness. In 2010, an explosion of The Deepwater Horizon oil platform resulted in the leakage of 1000 tons of oil into the ocean. The British Petroleum company has spent billions of dollars to eliminate the substance. However, despite all efforts, they could only remove 75 percent of the combustible substance.

12) This picture of a seahorse holding a Q-tip shows the real condition of the ocean today.

It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and day out as it rides the currents that flow along the Indonesian archipelago. This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating? How can your actions shape our planet?
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thanks to @eyosexpeditions for getting me there and to @nhm_wpy and @sea_legacy for getting this photo in front of as many eyes as possible. Go to @sea_legacy to see how you can make a difference. . #plastic #seahorse #wpy53 #wildlifephotography #conservation @nhm_wpy @noaadebris #switchthestick

A post shared by Justin Hofman (@justinhofman) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:28am PDT

260 million tons of plastic debris get into the ocean annually, resulting in the formation of substantial plastic continents. The biggest one is located in the Pacific Ocean taking up 10 percent of its surface.

13) Whales choke on plastic debris.

© Greenpeace Media

The plastic pollution problem in the seas and oceans is becoming more severe each year. There've been cases of whales choking on plastic debris and washing ashore. To raise awareness of this, people of The Greenpeace Philippines installed a replica of a dead whale on one of the beaches in South Manila. The entire installation was made from the plastic wreck found in the ocean’s waters.

How can humans help Earth?

Humans are beginning to take global environmental problems more and more seriously. Wildlife reserves and charitable foundations are created to support nature. Governments allot money for preserving flora and fauna and adopt laws for the sake of nature. Scientists are also contributing significantly, and keep working on creating better conditions for the future of our planet. All these things give us hope that the predictions of Earth's dark future won’t come true.

Preview photo credit Greenpeace Media

Reference: Brightside