Urumqi No.1 Glacier in China

A Greenpeace campaigner holds an archival photo of Urumqi No.1 Glacier at the site of the current glacier to demonstrate the retreat of the glacier over a 20 years span. The rapid shrinking of No 1 Glacier, located on Tian Shan Mountains, is a clear warning of the reality of climate change. Environmental information shows that the rapid melting of the glacier will cause serious natural disasters such mud and rock slides. Also there will be a reduction in glacial runoff which will affect freshwater resources at lower regions.

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Silk Road Climate Change Impacts

Greenpeace travels the iconic Silk Road in China to find how climate change has affected the famous trade route. The Silk Road was the world's first superhighway, a series of desert and mountain crossings that enabled silk to make its way from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian. The Silk Road allowed links between China and the West to flourish, encouraging an exchange of art, ideas and culture as well as trade. Desertification and drought has taken its toll on the Silk Road. The once great civilisations dotted along the road have now been consumed by the desert and the region is home to some of China's poorest people. The Silk Road is considered a climate hot spot, like the poles, where climate change is accelerating faster than in other areas. These changes include glaciers retreating at an alarming rate along the route. However, there is a twist to the story. Many parts of the Silk Road have exceptionally powerful wind resource locations. It is where China is now building massive wind farms and the renewable industry flourishes. Green factories are springing up everywhere along the route, most notably in Gansu and Xinjiang. The migrant workers who once traveled to Beijing for work have now returned home again to find new 'green' jobs.

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Silk Road Climate Change Impacts

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Unique identifier: GP01WM7

Type: Image

Shoot date: 24/08/2009

Locations: Asia, China, East Asia, Silk Road, Tian Shan Mountains, Xinjiang

Size: 5616px × 3744px 11.84 MB

Ranking: ★★★★ (E)