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From flooded cities to ferocious wildfires and deadly droughts, gloomy climate reports constantly portray a world devastated by climate change.
But what would this actually look like?
Environmental specialist Marish Cuenca teams up with DiscoverCars.com to create artistic depictions of tourist spots just a quarter of a century from now.
London’s Big Ben looks straight out of a disaster movie, surrounded by a mass of murky floodwaters, while the Giza pyramids are home to a toxic urban landscape.
Hawaii’s palm trees have been devastated by fire, while California’s Death Valley is so hot it’s melting roads.
London’s Big Ben looks straight out of a disaster movie, surrounded by a mass of murky floodwaters, while the Pyramids of Giza harbor a toxic urban landscape
Experts at DiscoverCars.com believe their images could become reality by 2050 unless we take serious climate action and limit our emissions.
“As global warming continues to impact the planet, we are already beginning to see the effects of climate change,” reads a blog post.
“From the melting of glaciers in the Arctic to warmer summers than ever before, it’s safe to say that the environment is changing in real time before our very eyes.
“With that being said, what might these famous road trip routes look like in the near future if climate change continues at its current rate?”
LONDON
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are usually at the top of holidaymakers’ must-see lists when they visit London.
But the artist’s impression shows our majestic capital in a sorry state because the Thames has overflowed its banks.
Westminster Bridge is barely above the waterline, while the roads in front of the legendary tourist attraction – officially named Elizabeth Tower – are completely under water.
Rising sea levels are expected to flood most of London’s ports and all suburbs near the River Thames by 2050
DiscoverCars.com experts say: ‘As a result of rising sea levels, most of London’s ports and all suburbs near the Thames are expected to be flooded by 2050.
“This will have a significant impact on some of the most prominent tourist attractions, including the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and London Bridge.”
PYRAMIDS OF GIZA
The pyramids of Egypt, including the largest, the Great Pyramid of Giza, were built an astonishingly long time ago – roughly between 2550 and 2490 BC.
Since then they have been relatively well preserved, but that could seriously change in the next quarter of a decade, according to the artist impression.
According to Cuenca, the threat of urbanization means that much of the surrounding desert could soon be transformed into cities and urban areas.
This urbanization that would take away the ‘rurality of the current landscape’ could be due to people moving away from the coast and further inland.
The great pyramids of Egypt will suffer erosion and will be surrounded by an urban landscape
The pyramids are depicted as crumbling piles, surrounded by smoke-emitting buildings and puddles of water.
Rising sea levels will cause erosion of the limestone that makes up the land in the area, causing damage to structures all over Greater Cairo – not just the pyramids themselves.
NEW YORK
The beauty of New York’s Central Park is matched only by its vastness – 340 acres of greenery.
But large parts of it will be under water, as will most of Manhattan, experts predict.
The Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, featuring an eight-foot bronze angel above four small cherubs, has broken through its barriers in one of the new images.
Due to rising sea levels, we could see much of New York underwater by 2050. Pictured is the Bethesda Fountain in New York’s Central Park
Sea levels in New York are expected to rise between 8 and 30 inches by the 2050s, and as much as 15 and 75 inches by the end of the century, according to the NYC Panel on Climate Change.
STELVIO PAS, ITALY
One of the most iconic road trip destinations in Europe is the Stelvio Pass, a mountain pass between South Tyrol and Bormio in northern Italy.
This series of gently sloping, winding roads allows tourists to travel by car through the Ortler Alps – a scenic mountain range with fantastic views.
Unfortunately, due to the structure of the roads and their location along a mountainside, the Stelvio Pass is at risk of landslide damage.
Italy’s Stelvio Pass can be altered by landslides, which are more common when rainfall is heavy
Warmer air can hold more water, so rainfall on average increases around the world, increasing the risk of landslides.
HAWAII
The beautiful island state of Hawaii is home to idyllic beaches, rolling green hills, thriving wildlife and even active volcanoes.
But as climate change causes extreme weather events such as drought and increased rainfall, many of the coastal roads around Hawaii could collapse into the ocean.
In another image, roadside Hawaiian palm trees have been reduced to twisted skeletons as a result of wildfires and eruptions.
The island state of Hawaii is home to idyllic beaches alongside exhilarating views of active volcanoes and rolling green hills
While Hawaii is no stranger to having some dramatic volcanic eruptions, Cuenca expects to see much more volcanic activity on the island by 2050.
Increasing eruptions of lava flows and earthquakes are expected to cause significant damage to road surfaces and could force locals to flee their homes.
CALIFORNIA
Death Valley in California is considered the hottest place on earth during the summer.
It recorded the hottest reliably measured temperature in Earth’s history in July 2021 when the mercury hit 130°F (54.4°C).
It is also predicted to record the highest temperature ever on Earth of 131°F (55°C) on Sunday.
However, this may just be a preview of what’s to come in 2050, as extreme heat waves bring massive droughts and wildfires.
Extreme heat can cause roads to melt, making road trips dangerous, while wildfires can make visibility difficult by increasing smoke and ash in the air
This heat can cause roads to melt, making road trips potentially dangerous, while wildfires can make visibility difficult by increasing smoke and ash in the air.
KOLKATA, INDIA
Formerly the capital of India under colonial rule, the city of Kolkata is home to about 15 million people.
Connected by a series of major roads, it is now famous for its Imperial architecture and a popular stopping point on a road trip expedition.
Unfortunately, due to its riverside and coastal location, Kolkata is likely to be largely submerged by 2050, according to Cuenca.
Rising sea levels due to the melting ice caps are already impacting the city, with frequent annual floods wreaking havoc on the region.
Kolkata, home to about 15 million people, is likely to be largely submerged by 2050
DiscoverCars.com, which has published before and after images from 10 locations on its websitehas given tips to drivers to travel more sustainably.
Driving slowly and using a smaller car can reduce a vehicle’s carbon footprint, while an electric car instead of a petrol or diesel also makes a big difference.
“While it can be distressing to think about the damage climate change could wreak on popular tourist destinations, it’s important to remember that it’s not too late to reverse some of the damage that has already been done.” , it says.
“By being more mindful of our driving behavior while traveling, we can all help mitigate the impact of global warming and hopefully prevent these large-scale changes from happening.”