Use the photograph and your own knowledge to describe the envirnomental pr
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Answer:
Photography can do a huge service in two ways.
It can expose environmental problems as nothing else can, and it can help get people to care. The stakes could not be higher. It’s ridiculous to think that we can destroy so many of the Earth’s plants, animals, and ecosystems and not think it can happen to us. All of this will come back to bite us, and sooner than we think. It will not be pleasant.
I hate to be so negative, but that’s what I’m hearing from each and every one of the natural history photographers that I know. It is all starting to fall apart now. The world’s oceans are overfished terribly, the air continues to grow filthier each year, and there are no signs of any slowing on the human overpopulation front. We may be winning some battles here and there, but we’re losing the war. The saddest part is that we all saw this coming, for decades, yet did very little to stop it.
So what’s the root cause of all this? I believe it goes deep into human nature itself. We are so successful as a species because we are resourceful, driven, greedy, and never satisfied. No amount of material goods or money is ever enough. I’m afraid this will be our undoing. But all of us can and should do things to help turn the tide. Though things may be bad, it’s now more important than ever to try and save the Earth.
You don’t have to be published in national magazines to make a difference, either. Local photographers can have a tremendous impact in getting their viewers to think about what’s going on environmentally. Ever see a series of photos shot from the same spot showing a meadow or a forested hillside being bulldozed and developed? You can’t look at a sequence like that and not stop to consider where you live as well as how you live. Or, what about a photo essay on industrial food production? There’s no end to the material, unfortunately.
Groups like the International League of Conservation Photographers are starting to get photographers thinking environmentally and are also raising public awareness, from the man on the street to heads of state. Cristina Mittermeier has done an amazing thing in founding this group. Now it’s up to all of us to really show the world what’s happening out there. There’s not a moment to lose.
It is not enough, nor is it responsible journalistically, to show just pretty animals in an idyllic landscape. We must now show the threats to these creatures as well. Do we need to continue to show the beauty of nature? Absolutely. But we can’t pretend anymore that everything is lovely. Our photos need to inform readers of what’s really going on out there. The good news is that there are many publishers who want to publish stories on environmental issues. Self-publishing online is also an important option.