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Earth Photo 2022 / David Bart ‘Only one left in stock’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / David Bart ‘Only one left in stock’

This devastating climate change warning was shortlisted for the 2022 Earth Photo awards

From gorgeous drone pics to action shots of wild swimmers, these photos tell stories about people and the planet

Ed Cunningham
Written by
Ed Cunningham
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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

Earth Photo 2022 / Chattopadhyay Sandipani  ‘Wedding-Night’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Chattopadhyay Sandipani‘Wedding-Night’

A horrific glimpse of deforestation

Earth Photo 2022 / David Rippin ‘Destruction’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / David Rippin‘Destruction’

A neatly framed windmill-tree combo

Earth Photo 2022 / Roberto Bueno ‘Wind Energy and Trees, Allied Against Climate Change’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Roberto Bueno‘Wind Energy and Trees, Allied Against Climate Change’

This up-close shot of a cute deep-sea monster

Earth Photo 2022 / Marc Casanovas Felix ‘Symbiosis’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Marc Casanovas Felix‘Symbiosis’

A dramatic volcanic landscape

Earth Photo 2022 / Romain Loubeyre ‘Unearthed’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Romain Loubeyre‘Unearthed’

Some joyful wild swimmers

Earth Photo 2022 / Hannah Maule Ffinch ‘Wild Swimmers, Annie’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Hannah Maule Ffinch‘Wild Swimmers, Annie’

A bleak portrait of the impact of climate change

Earth Photo 2022 / Mohammad Rakibul Hasan ‘Climate Crisis’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Mohammad Rakibul Hasan‘Climate Crisis’

Some dazzling pepper pickers

Earth Photo 2022 / Subrata Dey ‘Red pepper picking’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Subrata Dey‘Red pepper picking’

And a mesmerising, alien overhead snap

Earth Photo 2022 / Yevhen Samuchenko ‘At the pink planet’
Photograph: Earth Photo 2022 / Yevhen Samuchenko‘At the pink planet’

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.

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