Reflection

Reflection

Desolation, dismalness, and death were the descriptors of the view that awaited me. Disappointment, distress, and determination were my emotions in response to it. Why? Humanity has polluted the planet, from sea trenches to mountain summits. Desensitized by the constant climate change, people do not realize its deadly perils. As a Floridian, my community experiences warming waters, ocean acidification, unbearable heat, frequent flooding, retreating shores, increased severity of storms, and more due to skyrocketing climates. Therefore, traveling up north was desirable. At the peak of snowfall, I attempted to go skiing for the first time. I dressed in thick winter clothes, which is depicted in my artwork. I had assumed snow would be abundant, so I was horrified to see the opposite. Due to the human-caused climate crisis, the scarce snow there was all artificially made. 2023 was recorded to be the hottest year, with some places experiencing a fourth of their historical average snowfall. The Northern Hemisphere’s snowpacks have tremendously decreased over the past decades, and I witnessed the receding snow. Only twenty-four years ago, natural snow was still on the mountains, represented by the sign in my piece. To the viewers of my artwork, I want to convey what will happen if humankind does not address climate change. Remarkable, snowy mountains will turn into barren, desert hills. Lush, green forests will turn into lifeless, bleak sticks. Sunny, azure skies will turn into a foul, toxic haze teeming with greenhouse gases. Those were only a few environmental issues depicted in my piece. For the consequences grow endlessly, with biomes collapsing and all the planet’s inhabitants suffering from its effects. Therefore, I want to encourage people to stop going with the flow, for it leads to a sea of destruction. It is not too late to make a difference; presently, it is needed more than ever. The change should start now.