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Looking at the above shot, the message couldn’t be clearer. The ice caps are melting, destroying our world as we know it – and here you can see it happening before your very eyes. That fact is laid out plainly with the bright red sign: it’s as stark, simple and effective as any vital message needs to be.
The photo is by David Bart and it’s called ‘Only one left in stock’. It was shortlisted in the 2022 Earth Photo awards, a competition which rewards photographs and videos that tell stories about people and the planet.
The 56 photos and videos on the shortlist were submitted according to five categories: ‘people’, ‘place’, ‘nature’, ‘changing forests’ and ‘a climate of change’. They were selected by a judging panel chaired by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Marissa Roth, and they’ll be exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society in London from June 18 to August 26.
The winner will be announced on June 24 and you can see the full shortlist here, but in the meantime here are some of our favourites, including…
This striking wedding snap
A horrific glimpse of deforestation
A neatly framed windmill-tree combo
This up-close shot of a cute deep-sea monster
A dramatic volcanic landscape
Some joyful wild swimmers
A bleak portrait of the impact of climate change
Some dazzling pepper pickers
And a mesmerising, alien overhead snap
While you’re here: this mesmerising moon snap was among the winners of a mountaineering photo contest.
Plus: these images show how air pollution could ruin the world’s greatest views.