Reflection

Reflection

Characterized by freezing winters and snow-covered mountain peaks, Alaska has never been known for mild, sunny weather. However, as one of the fastest-warming U.S. states today, Alaska is experiencing plummeting biodiversity as its frosted-over habitats face radical changes in temperature and snowfall. The Alaskan arctic tundra is home to many species of winter mammals, and these animals are simply unable to adapt or acclimate themselves to the rapid pace of climate change. This illustration depicts the ultimate consequence of rising temperatures in Alaska: a once sprawling homeland for polar bears, seals, wolves, and moose turned into a summer destination for tourists. As Alaska continues to undergo irreversible climate change, it is losing its living cultural artifacts and the environmental features it is known for. This image represents the future of Alaska with current rates of climate change, a sunny beach overrun with tourists and statues as the only form of remembrance of the once healthy arctic ecosystem. It ultimately encapsulates the irony of the climate crisis: despite the fact that habitats are being destroyed by global warming, humans often rampage ahead without remorse, continuing their conquest of commercialization and converting natural sanctuaries into for-profit tourist destinations.