Satellite image of smoke from cities along the Indus River hitting Pakistan’s Sulaiman Mountains.
NASA
Last year saw record-breaking heatwaves cause extreme weather conditions around the world, and global warming broke staggering records. As farms and cities grow, pollution spreads and the planet heats up. The evidence of our influence is so profound that it can be seen from space.
These satellite images are NASA Earth Observatory It shows the amazing human footprint of the past year.
farm
Percentage accounted for by farms and pastures almost half The part of the world’s habitable land that is not covered by ice or desert. In recent years, there has been a boom in greenhouses, which now cover 3.2 million acres, an area the size of Connecticut. The image below shows the number of greenhouses in China.
Satellite images of farmland in Weifang, China in 1987 (left) and 2024 (right) after the greenhouse boom.
NASA
City
more half Four of the world’s people live in cities, and cities are expanding rapidly, especially in developing countries. The image below shows the growth of Chiang Mai in Thailand and the Indonesian capital built as the existing capital, Jakarta, is mired in traffic and pollution and faces flooding that will worsen as sea levels rise and the city slowly sinks. It shows the development of the new capital Nusantara.
Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1989 (left) and 2024 (right).
NASA
Planned location of Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital, in 2022 (left) and 2024 (right).
NASA
climate change
this year emissions and temperature Both are expected to reach new record highs. As the world reaches these grim new milestones, the effects of global warming are becoming clearer. Sea levels are rising, ice is melting, and wildfires continue to burn in tropical forests. The photos below show a flood-depleted forest in North Carolina, the disappearance of the last glacier in Venezuela, and massive burns in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands.
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in 2005 (left) and 2024 (right). Rising sea levels are flooding coastal forests, creating “ghost forests.”
NASA
Pico Humboldt, Venezuela in 2015 (left) and 2024 (right) after the Humboldt Glacier melts.
NASA
False color images of Brazil’s Pantanal region before (left) and after (right) the June wildfires.
NASA
renewable energy
Amid all the gloomy climate news, there are signs of hope. Large-scale solar arrays Cheapest With this form of energy becoming more prevalent in most parts of the world, solar power installations will be installed this year. Best ever. The image below shows California’s large-scale Edwards Sanborn solar power and energy storage project, which went online in January. At the time, it consisted of the largest solar array in the United States and the largest battery system in the world.
Edwards Sanborn solar power and energy storage projects.
NASA
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The top 10 hottest decades on record have occurred in the past 10 years, including 2024.” statement On New Year’s Day. “In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by significantly reducing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future.”
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