Show Climate Causes and Issues

For people to be moved or influenced by images about climate change, they need to understand it "at scale". What this means is that it's difficult for many of us to connect our own behavior and consumption to climate change. Each of us has an impact on climate, but the cumulative, or collective use of energy, or resources, is more relatable and makes the impact visible. 

Source: Olaf Kuhlke

For example, many Arctic communities, as you have learned in this class already, rely on diesel fuel for energy and heat. An example can be seen in the image above, which shows some fuel tanks in Arviat, Nunavut. This fuel is either shipped in on a barge, or flown in on large planes. Showing an individual's energy use is difficult, but capturing the fuel tanks in your community that show the resources for an entire hamlet, is more effective. To show concern and awareness about climate change, you could also show alternative energy sources that offset or replace fossil fuels, such as solar energy. 

The image above was taken in Hughes, Alaska, a small, remote, fly-in only community of about 100 Alaska natives. Traditionally, the community would get its heating and fuel resources delivered by barge, or airplane. Recently, the tribal council decided to reduce its fuel delivery dependency by installing a large solar array, pictured here, that will eventually provide electricity for the entire village. As mentioned above, the State of Alaska has been researching the impact of climate change for decades, and many communities are now setting up renewable energy production to fight climate change. This picture is evidence of that. 

Think about your community.

• Where can you document the energy use of the entire community, or its overall consumption?
• Where can you see the impact of climate change on a large scale?