20 Things People Found That Are Signs Of Our Slow-Moving Climate Apocalypse

Ashley Hunte
A dog standing out next to a large pile of plastic and cardboard garbage, off the coast of a sea.
Unsplash | Antoine GIRET

Whether we want to admit it or not, climate change is a pretty huge thing that's only going to keep impacting our lives in bigger ways. And we can already see a lot of that impact now.

It's pretty clear that the climate crisis isn't going away anytime soon. Here are some things people have found that show how climate change's effects are all around us.

"A local store accidentally commenting on climate change."

Several polar bear figurines set around and on top of oil drums.
Reddit | Fratink

According to OP, it doesn't seem like the store in question was making an intentional statement. But man, does this ever hit home. Those poor, poor polar bears!

"There's a climate crisis children's book in the children's section at this bookstore."

Shelves of books in a store. The focus of the image is a book called, "Climate Emergency Atlas."
Reddit | Chispy

You know things are getting real when they start making books about climate change geared toward kids. Parents might balk at the idea, but books explaining things in an accessible way can help kids feel less anxious.

They say kids are the future, so maybe they'll be able to get us out of this crisis.

"Extreme weather conditions resulted in 10 meters of snow fall in Iran’s western mountain ranges."

A lone yellow plow navigating vast amounts of snow.
Reddit | arayanpasayr

Yeah, that's not normal, even for a mountainous region.

"That's going to be a terrifying amount of runoff come springtime," Reddit user Rhesus_TOR comments.

"Reelfoot Lake froze over for the first time in 100 years."

A frozen lake against a setting sun and trees.
reddit | SomeoneStopMePlease

For reference, this lake (that froze in 2018), is in Tennessee. It... definitely isn't common for a lake like this to freeze. But don't worry, the fish probably didn't even notice.

"Newspaper article from 1912 about climate change."

A newspaper article dated August 14, 1912 that deals with the effect of coal on global temperatures.
Reddit | Buttuglymartainsa

Yeah, it's not like climate concerns are anything new. In fact, we've kind of been worrying about it for over a century. Not enough to actually do something about it, apparently.

"Weather in Texas has lost its damn mind."

A weather forecast for West Lake Hills in Texas, showing temperatures in the 20s to 60s (Fahrenheit).
Reddit | Xavimoose

Sure, you may be like me, buried in snow and looking at those temps with a tinge of jealousy, but for Texas, that's pretty cold. And it definitely isn't normal.

"It looks like there’s a polar bear melting in my ice cream."

A tub of ice cream. Chocolate mixed in with the vanilla ice cream gives it the appearance of a polar bear melting.
Reddit | borrow_a_feeling

Okay, so this isn't actually evidence of climate change. But just like that polar bear oil drum display, this feels pretty appropriate. After all, isn't this (melting) what's happening to polar bears' natural habitat?

"Snow on a cactus. Near Scottsdale AZ."

A cactus standing next to a fence. A thin layer of snow covers it and the fence and ground.
Reddit | stophittinthetable

Cacti and snow seem like two things you'd never see together (unless, like, someone brought a small indoor cactus outside during a snow storm, but you know what I mean). Weird weather is a good sign that the climate isn't doing what it's supposed to.

"Mesh drains in Australia preventing water bodies pollution."

Several images showing mesh netting held against drainpipes. While water passes through the mesh, copious amounts of trash get caught inside of them.
reddit | mage_person

It's kind of sad that it has to come to this. Sure, pollution itself doesn't equal climate change, but it kind of is one of the causes. It's also kind of everywhere, from the side of the road, to the oceans.

"Wildfires left sky blood red."

A photo taken from the inside of a car, showing a road lit red by a red sky, thanks to wildfires.
Reddit | JakHammifier

I don't think I need to remind you of all those wildfires we saw around North America (and the world!) last year. They were caused by hot, dry conditions, and the lack of rain meant they got to rage on. And sadly, views like this weren't uncommon.

"Today it snowed in Alexandria, Egypt."

The streets of Alexandria, Egypt, which are covered in a thin layer of snow.
Reddit | Itzz-Br4nd0n

Egypt is a pretty hot place. And like most other pretty hot places, they don't typically get a lot of snow. Or, like, any snow. Like the other weird weather in this list, this definitely isn't the norm.

"Mexico City air pollution. Photos taken from my bedroom window facing north. Top photo a light pollution day, compared to the bottom on a highly polluted day."

Two photos of the Mexico city skyline taken from similar spots. The first shows a slightly hazy sky, while the second shows the sky thick with smog.
Reddit | [deleted]

Again, not necessarily caused because of climate change, but this definitely isn't going to help save the planet, either. It must suck, living in a city with such poor air quality.

"Weird swirls in the water, I assume generated from boat pollution, at Navajo Dam NM."

A part of a lake, filled with carp, and with oil slicks on the surface.
Reddit | mwebizzle

The comment section confirmed that those swirls are, in fact, oil. You have to wonder what kinds of things those poor fish are consuming, and what that does to us when we eat them.

"Wildfire smoke has made the moon look orange."

An orange gibbous moon against a black night sky.
Reddit | Pizza-Treat-9555

The wildfires didn't get close to where I live, but I still remember seeing orange and red moons when they were at their worst. It's so scary to think about.

"The oil in the tire track left at my job."

A muddy tire track with multicolored oil in each indent.
Reddit | NastyNols

Sure, this kind of looks pretty. But it's also evidence of our impact on the world. Imagine how much oil and other kinds of pollution we leave around for any animal to get sick from.

"It was so hot in the UK my candles melted."

Two candles in a kitchen, each with wax sticking out of their containers in cylinders.
Reddit | Grimbjhal

A place like the UK doesn't usually get, like, this hot. Like, wax-meltingly hot. This is pretty extreme.

Gee, I wonder what could be causing that extreme weather.

"Heavy storm from last week brought this whole tree down. Confirmed tornados in nearby towns. In Wisconsin, in December."

A tree that's been knocked down in a lightly forested area near some houses. A thin layer of snow covers the ground.
Reddit | Illustrious-Study503

Yeah, tornadoes don't usually touch down in December. Then again, with climate change, any kind of weather can happen at any time of the year, it seems. Great.

"Picture taken from a rare December thunder/lightning storm in Atlantic Canada."

A picture taken from a window, showing snow outside, as well as a flash of lightning.
Reddit | bassibear

Just like tornadoes, lighting... isn't really something you'd expect in December. At least, not in the northern parts of the continent. This is just wild.

"A letter to humans of the future on the site of Iceland's first dead glacier."

A plaque written in both Icelandic and English, discussing the loss of a glacier in the country.
Reddit | Lord_Balconyham

This is... honestly really sad. I think the worst part is the fact that this one may be the first, but it more than likely won't be the last.

"Billboard in Tulsa, OK."

A billboard with a dinosaur watching a meteor fall, while complaining about the economy
Reddit | RedComet_2112

When it comes to how a lot of people think about climate change, this billboard is particularly apt. Fighting climate change involves cutting back on consumption, shifting energy usage, and spending a lot of money on initiatives to combat the current effects (like wildfires or floods).

None of that is great for the economy, but ultimately, should that be what we're most concerned about?

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