The media so often inform us about changes in the climate and landscape of the Earth related to the vital activity of mankind that we have ceased to attach great importance to this. Global warming has been talked about for decades, but we don’t feel it, rising sea levels are somehow far away from us and are not perceived as a danger.
Meanwhile, there are a large number of beautiful corners of our planet on which these changes have a huge and disastrous effect.
We have compiled a list of places — decorations of our planet that we risk losing due to global warming, the influence of industry or great tourist activity.
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
According to many scientists, this beautiful once snow-white mausoleum is no more than 5 years old. There are several reasons for this: pollution of the Jamna River, which washes the foundation of the Taj Mahal, led to the fact that the foundation beams began to rot, and endless tourists harm the marble floor and walls of the structure. At the request of UNESCO, the mausoleum may be closed to the public in the near future.
Glaciers of Antarctica
After analyzing images from NASA satellites, scientists came to the conclusion that the rate of melting of Antarctica’s glaciers over the past 10 years has become simply catastrophic. Since 2003, the ice has become thinner in some areas by almost a meter, and hills can already be seen on the site of the ice mountains. The situation is aggravated by meltwater, which, eroding, destroys glaciers faster than warming. In order to somehow reduce the impact on nature, the number of cruises in the Antarctic region has been reduced, and in the near future they are planned to be banned altogether.
Yangtze River Basin, China
The construction of a giant dam, shipping, industrial and agricultural waste, deforestation — all this leads to the death of the flora and fauna of the Yangtze River. Chinese sturgeon, featherless porpoise, Chinese alligator — all these rare species of animals that live in The Yangtze River is on the verge of extinction.
Maldives
The 1190 islands and atolls of the Maldives archipelago are completely at sea level (the highest point of the islands is 2.4 meters). Due to the melting of glaciers, the water level in the oceans is rising, and this threatens to completely flood the Maldives. The state authorities are preparing for flooding by buying land and houses for their fellow citizens on the mainland (mainly in India).
The Great Barrier Reef
Increased acidity of the water, a large flow of tourists, warming — all these factors lead to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. But most of all, the situation is aggravated by tropical hurricanes and starfish that feed on coral polyps. From 1985 to 2013, more than 50% of the total array died, and after another 10 years, only a quarter may remain. Scientists still do not understand how to deal with hurricanes and warming on a global scale, but they can conduct biological control and reduce the population of starfish.
The Dead Sea
Since 1970, the water level in the Dead Sea has decreased by 30 meters. The reason for this is primarily the extraction of minerals on the territory of the sea and the use of 80% of the tributaries flowing into the sea. The sea disappears, leaving sinkholes on the newly appeared land areas, which negatively affect the ecosystem of coastal areas. To save the Dead Sea, it is planned to bring a channel from the Red Sea to it, but in this case the composition of the water and the former appearance of the salty reservoir will never be the same as before.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos is home to almost 10,000 rare species of animals, and it was a visit to this archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin to work on the theory of evolution. Unfortunately, the endless flow of tourists, poachers, passing along the islands of cruise liners has led to the fact that the ecosystem of the islands is in a deplorable state, and many representatives of flora and fauna are threatened with extinction.
Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
The reservoirs of this beautiful park in the USA, which is home to dozens of rare species of animals, are drying up because water is pumped out of them for surrounding farms and cities. The swamps that occupy a large area of the park are polluted with waste, and their ecosystem is collapsing. Since 1900, the park’s territory has been halved, and animals such as the Florida panther (the Everglades is the only habitat of this species), turtles, and manatees are on the verge of extinction.
Angara River, Russia
The once cleanest river in the world may disappear from the face of the Earth, turning into a long chain of dirty reservoirs filled with emissions of petroleum products, mercury and copper compounds. In some areas, it is already not recommended to eat fish caught in the river. Due to the poor ecology in the Angara region, sterlet, sturgeon, taimen, as well as unique Angara pine forests — the pride of Siberia – are on the verge of extinction.
Venice, Italy
Venice is sinking — the water level rises by 1 millimeter per year, and by 2100 the city may disappear completely. A large number of tourists adds fuel to the fire: 60,000 per day instead of the 30,000 norm that the ancient city can withstand. The waves of cruise ships are also disastrous for Venice — they are eroding the foundation. They are trying to save one of the most beautiful cities on the planet — they have banned the entry of cruise liners into the central part, they plan to impose restrictions on the number of tourists, but the sea, which once gave Venice wealth and prosperity, continues to ruin it.
It is sad that in a few decades our descendants will be able to see all these places only in colorful photos on the web. Saving the planet on a global scale is, of course, a matter for special organizations, professionals and entire states, but we believe that everyone can make a small contribution to the common cause — for example, by remaining a cultural tourist during trips to historical sites, trips to nature, as well as using natural resources wisely.
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