16 Horrifying Photos That Show We Need to Do Something About Pollution

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Pollution has been one of the biggest concerns for the human race for many decades now. The more we are moving toward technology, the more we are detaching from mother nature. The rise in global warming is alarming. Scientists are worried and words like apocalypse and extinction are making their rounds. Are we still making this up?

At Bright Side, it was devastating to see the sad state of our very own Earth in the pictures below. It’s high time we start taking action.

1. Trying to make way

The picture above shows the accumulated trash in the Pacific Ocean and raised concerns all over the world of what is now popularly called the “Great Pacific garbage patch.” The size or spread of the patches are unpredictable, but clear pictures were taken of its existence from a satellite in the northern Pacific region.

2. Breathing through the garbage

This is a picture of the Yamuna River that is regularly used for garbage disposal. This boy is trying to swim through it, and we wonder when will people understand the repercussions of their actions?

3. Littered oceans

This is a very polluted part of the Caribbean. Seeing this, we wish that plastic was never invented at all. There was a comment from Blue Planet Society on this saying that the trash probably came from the local Montigua River, and arrived at the sea due to heavy rains.

4. Saving the last one

This is a polar bear who refuses to let go of the last piece of ice. He resides in the Arctic region and, like other polar bears, he’s also facing the ice meltdown crisis. This crisis is happening due to the changes in temperatures caused by the increased level of CO2 emissions and pollution. Sea ice is very crucial for them to survive, as they hunt, rest, and breed there. The crisis has affected almost 19 regions of the Arctic.

5. The dying river

This photo of a polluted river, in the city of Luoyang in the Henan province in China, was taken on the 13th of December 2011. When asked, it was explained that the pollution was made by 2 illegal chemical plants dumping their production waste into the rain sewer pipes. We wonder what example we are setting for our children.

6. Oil drenched animals

Don’t mistake this for a fun bath by a bird. Is it even clear if this is a bird? This was taken on the Louisiana coastline where a bird came to quench its thirst but got trapped in the oil spill in the gulf. It is tragic to see that animals and birds have to suffer because of human’s actions.

7. The sinking island

You might not see anything wrong with the above image. However, there is nothing right about it either. This is the Maldives, which has been predicted to sink over the next 50 years due to climate change and pollution.

8. Helplessness in the form of a picture

This boy in the image above has no other option but to drink contaminated water. One of the photographers came across this incident in Fuyuan county in the Yunnan province of China on March 20, 2009. Incidentally, it was World Water Day on March 22.

9. The mask age

The scenario above looks disturbing. It was taken at a city in northern China where the pollution level rose 40 times higher than international safety standards and people were struggling to breathe.

10. The massive grief

This is the Yangtze River where there is a massive discharge of waste water being done by a paper mill in Anqing in the Anhui province. Water pollution has been a chief concern for China for some time.

11. What have they done with The Great Wall!

The picture above is of The Great Wall of China, which has been badly littered on. One of the 7 Wonders of the World is now in dire need of restoration and some strict regulations need to be put in place.

12. The green trap

This is not vegetation. It’s algae covering the surface of the water on the coast of Qingdao, China. This picture was taken in 2011 and was alarming for environmentalists across the globe because of the increasing algae formations in oceans, rivers, and even small lakes.

13. Foam formation on a river

In this picture, some devotees are seen offering prayers. At first glance, this image looks dreamy. But, it’s not a dream image and they are not standing on a cloud. This is a river, a real one called the Yamuna River, which has been polluted to such an extent that it’s starting to produce a thick foam.

14. A hand full of pollution

The above picture was taken at China’s Chaohu Lake, where a fisherman picked up a handful of polluted water from the river. It’s an algae spread that happened on the shore. Water animals are suffering due to things like this and the day is not far when humans will suffer too.

15. The dead fish

The image above is of Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fish here are dead here due to polluted waters. Imagine people using this water for drinking purposes.

16. The oil bath

The picture above is of a worker cleaning an oil spill in Dalian, China. An oil pipeline exploded there leading to a massive oil spill. The incident took place in 2010 and almost 250 oil pipelines exploded and oil was spilled over an area of more than 500 square miles.

If these pictures moved you, do your best to protect the environment. Even small deeds can lead to big changes. What do you think each of us can do to help the planet? Share your opinion with us in the comments.