Photos of climate change for students

Last updated: May 10, 2012.

Looking for photos of climate change and global warming to illustrate your school or college project? You've come to the right place. We've collected together a mini "photo library" of 50 public domain (copyright free) images you can use without worrying about copyright.

Before you read on, you might like to note that we have some other handy pages on our site:

• Climate change and rivers: Our own general introduction to climate change—and what it will mean for our rivers.
• Finding out about climate change: Our old page of links for students. (We no longer update this.)
• Photos of water pollution: May be helpful if you need to cover environmental issues other than climate change?

Causes

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Power generation Smokestack pollution from a power plant using coal to generate electricity. Old-fashioned power plants like this are a major source of greenhouse gases.	Photo by courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 00560).
	Power generation Coal-fired power plants like this are the dirtiest way of making electricity.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 10930).
	Power generation Generating power far from where it's used and transmitting it over long distances wastes a huge amount of energy and contributes to global warming.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 00001).
	Power generation Coal is the dirtiest, most inefficient way of making electricity.	Photo by David Parsons courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 06732).
	Transportation Traffic on the freeway: internal combustion engines generate carbon dioxide as they burn fuel.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 10639).
	Transportation Cars, power plants, and urbanization all contribute to global warming.	Photo by Roger Taylor courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 01887).
	Transportation The rapid growth in air travel and air freight is making a major contribution to global warming. This photo shows the gigantic military C-5 Galaxy transporter, one of the world's biggest airplanes.	Photo by Lt. Col. Thomas Davis courtesy of: US Air Force (Search for picture 060813-F-0000D-109).
	Urbanization Highways, urbanization, and inefficient road transportation are all causes of global warming.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 05692).
	Land change Fires and thick smoke across Southeast Asia: Thousands of fires used to burn crops and pastureland each year contribute to global warming.	Photo by courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Great Images in NASA. (Search for picture id 10523).
	Wasting resources Landfill culture: Our throwaway, disposable society wastes energy and materials.	Photo by David Parsons courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 05289).

Solutions

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Alternative Fuels Microalgae grown in deserts for producing biodiesel fuel.	Keyword search "microalgae" at: US Department of Energy Digital Photo Archive
	Alternative Fuels Ethanol-fuled Astro van	Photo by Noni Strawn courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 03288).
	Alternative Fuels Bus painted like an ear of corn runs on ethanol fuel in Illinois.	Photo by Greater Peoria Mass Transit District courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 03320).
	Alternative Fuels Biomass gasifier using residue from a sugarcane mill.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 03785).
	Alternative Fuels A hybrid-powered e-bike.	Photo courtesy of NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA-GRC) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id C-2001-00442).
	Alternative Fuels A hybrid-powered Ford Escape HEV.	Photo by courtesy of National Renewable Energy Laboratory and US Department of Energy Digital Photo Archive (Search for image ID: 2016220)
	Renewable energy Solar panels tracking the Sun at at the SunEdison photovoltaic power plant near Alamosa, south central Colorado, near the New Mexico border.	Photo by Steve Wilcox courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 15541).
	Renewable energy Photovoltaic solar panels at Dangling Rope Marina, Lake Powell, Utah.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 08047).
	Renewable energy Wind turbine at the Fairmont Reservoir of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.	Photo by Warren Gretz courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 12849).
	Recycling Recycling saves materials and energy and helps generally in the fight against global warming. Landfills can generate methane, a powerful global warming gas.	Photo by Pat Corkery courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 15926).

Measuring climate change

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Using infrared radiometer to measure heat emitted by the desert.	Photo by Steve Wilcox courtesy of: US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Search for picture PIX number 03300).
	A scientist uses a computer to analyze carbon dioxide emissions. Computer screen shows a graphic of the greenhouse effect.	Photo by courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and US Department of Energy Digital Photo Archive (Search for image ID: 1002975)
	Aerostat measuring aerosols for climate change studies.	Photo by courtesy of Environmental Measurements Laboratory and US Department of Energy Digital Photo Archive (Search for image ID: 2008171)

Charts and graphs

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Chart showing how much air temperatures near the Earth's surface have changed relative to the global mean temperature from 1951 to 1980	Photo by courtesy of Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id GL-2002-001329).
	Portrait of a Warming Ocean and Rising Sea Levels: Trend of Sea Level Change 1993-2008.	Photo courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id PIA11002).
	Satellite map showing global vegetation cover, used, among things, for climate change studies.	Photo by courtesy of Great Images in NASA. (Search for picture id GPN-2003-00029).
	Global Sea Surface Temperature: maps like this help us understand how Earth is warming both generally and as part of events such as El Nino.	Photo by courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Great Images in NASA. (Search for picture id GPN-2003-00032).
	Global View of the Arctic Ocean and Arctic sea ice.	Photo courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id PIA02970).
	Chart of global tropospheric methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) for August 2005.	Photo courtesy of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id PIA09941).
	Rising sea levels: trends in the United States. Find out more about sea level changes from the NOAA.	Photo courtesy of NOAA. (Follow the link for a bigger, high-resolution version of this chart.)

General images

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	"Watching the World Rev its Heat Engine".	Photo by courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA-GSFC) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id GL-2002-001304).
	General image of Earth from space.	Photo by courtesy of NASA Johnson Space Center and Great Images in NASA. (Search for picture id GPN-2000-001138).
	Satellite Image of Earth's Interrelated Systems and Climate.	Photo by courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Great Images in NASA. (Search for picture id GPN-2002-000121).

Warming in action?

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Arctic Ice Seasonal Arctic ice begins its spring retreat.	Photo by courtesy of Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA-GSFC), and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id GL-2002-002399).
	Precipitation Global warming predictions indicate the amount of snowmelt and runoff in river basins.	Photo by Scott Bauer courtesy of US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) (Search for picture id K5060-12).
	Arctic Breakup of winter sea ice during an unusual warming spell, photographed from the Space Shuttle (mission STS053, December 1992)	Photo by courtesy of NASA Johnson Space Center and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id STS053-97-050).
	United States Drought in Southwestern United States, 2007.	Photo by courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA-GSFC) and NASA Image Exchange. (Search for picture id 10561).

Future imacts/effects of global warming

Thumbnail	Description	Source
	Habitats and species Species adapted to living in particular biomes are finding it hard to cope with relatively rapid changes in the climate. Caribou are a good example of mammals under threat.	Photo by courtesy of Jon Nickles and US Fish & Wildlife Service (Search on "caribou" for a good selection of images).
	Habitats and species Climate change is causing coral bleaching (where corals die and go white in higher- temperature oceans). Some estimates suggest 40-60 percent loss of the world's reefs by 2030.	Photo by courtesy of Jerry Reid and US Fish & Wildlife Service (Search on "coral reef" for a  selection of images).
	Habitats and species Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice for feeding and raising their cubs. If the ice disappears, where will they go? How will they survive?	Photo by courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service (Search on "polar bear" for a  selection of images).
	Habitats and species Mangroves are threatened by rising sea levels and coastal erosion.	Photo by G. Ludwig courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service (Search on "mangrove" for a  selection of images).
	Habitats and species One in eight bird species are threatened by climate change, including the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) shown here.	Photo by Mike Boylan courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service.
	Forest fires Climate change is expected to lead to more droughts and wild fires.	Photo by Arthur Allen courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service (Search on "forest fire" for a  selection of images).
	Crop yields Global warming will drastically reduce yields of important food crops such as maize and wheat in many parts of the world, though some parts of the world will see greater yields through hotter temperatures and longer growing seasons.	Photo by courtesy of US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) (Search for picture id K1441-5).
	Crop yields A head of wheat.	Photo by Jacolyn Morrison courtesy of US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) (Search for picture id K11702-1).
	Extreme weather Climate change projections suggest extreme weather events will become more common and more extreme. This photo shows Hurricane Rita over the Gulf of Mexico in 2005. Read more about hurricanes and climate change.	Photo by courtesy of US Navy. (Search for picture id 050921-N-2222R-001).
	Floods Heavier and more frequent rainstorms will lead to greater risk of river flooding. This photo shows the flooding of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.	Photo by Michael B. Watkins courtesy of US Navy. (Search for picture id 050906-N-6436W-249).
	Floods Heavier and more frequent rainstorms will lead to greater risk of river flooding. This photo shows flood and wind damage from Hurricane Isabel in 2003.	Photo by courtesy of US Navy. (Search for picture id 030919-O-0000X-004).
	Sea-level rise Sea levels are expected to rise by up to 1m by 2100 causing widespread flooding in low-lying coastal areas and massive displacement of the people living there.	Photo by Gina Wollman courtesy of US Navy. (Search for picture id 080916-N-3595W-024).
	Pests and diseases Human health is expected to suffer as pests such as mosquitoes spread their range, carrying diseases such as malaria. This photo shows malaria research in a laboratory.	Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) courtesy of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Image Bank.