30 Eye-Opening Images Of What The World Will Look Like If The Temperature Rises by 3°C by 2050

We better start doing something about it, don't you think?

Climate change is no longer a distant warning, it is already reshaping the places people know best. These striking images show familiar landmarks, streets, and skylines as they could look if global temperatures rise by 3°C by 2050.

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Climate Central created the project to visualize what a hotter planet could mean for coastal cities and iconic destinations around the world. The comparisons make the risk feel immediate, especially when places like New York, London, and Sydney appear partially underwater.

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The future in these images is hard to ignore, and the message behind them is even harder to shake.

1. H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, Vancouver, Canada

1. H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, Vancouver, Canadapicturing.climatecentral
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2. Lloyds Amphitheatre, Bristol, United Kingdom

2. Lloyds Amphitheatre, Bristol, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral
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3. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

3. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emiratespicturing.climatecentral

4. Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark

4. Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmarkpicturing.climatecentral

5. Riverside Museum, Glasgow, United Kingdom

5. Riverside Museum, Glasgow, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral

The first few comparisons already make the point pretty clearly.

6. Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, New York, United States

6. Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, New York, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

7. El Dorado Park, Long Beach, California, United States

7. El Dorado Park, Long Beach, California, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

8. Casino Marina Del Sol, Talcahuano, Chile

8. Casino Marina Del Sol, Talcahuano, Chilepicturing.climatecentral

9. The Bell Tower, Perth, Australia

9. The Bell Tower, Perth, Australiapicturing.climatecentral

10. Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japan

10. Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japanpicturing.climatecentral

Some of these landmarks look almost surreal once the water rises around them.

11. Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, United States

11. Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

12. Tower of London, London, United Kingdom

12. Tower of London, London, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral

13. Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

13. Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnampicturing.climatecentral

14. The Pentagon, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

14. The Pentagon, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

15. Place Royale, Quebec City, Canada

15. Place Royale, Quebec City, Canadapicturing.climatecentral

That is a lot of familiar ground disappearing fast.

And if 3°C worries you, consider the eight U.S. locations flagged as World War 3 flashpoints amid rising tensions.

16. Plaza de la Catedral, Havana, Cuba

16. Plaza de la Catedral, Havana, Cubapicturing.climatecentral

17. Lincoln Park, Newark, New Jersey, United States

17. Lincoln Park, Newark, New Jersey, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

18. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

18. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australiapicturing.climatecentral

19. Royal Pavilion, Brighton, United Kingdom

19. Royal Pavilion, Brighton, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral

20. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, India

20. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, Indiapicturing.climatecentral

The scale of the flooding gets harder to ignore with every image.

21. The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Sweden

21. The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Swedenpicturing.climatecentral

22. Highway 2, Mayagüez, United States

22. Highway 2, Mayagüez, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

23. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

23. Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

24. California State Capitol Building, Sacramento, California, United States

24. California State Capitol Building, Sacramento, California, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

25. Nationals Park, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

25. Nationals Park, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

26. Downtown San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States

26. Downtown San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

27. Space Center Houston, Houston, Texas, United States

27. Space Center Houston, Houston, Texas, United Statespicturing.climatecentral

28. Queen Square, Bristol, United Kingdom

28. Queen Square, Bristol, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral

29. Lalbagh Fort, Dhaka, Bangladesh

29. Lalbagh Fort, Dhaka, Bangladeshpicturing.climatecentral

30. King's College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom

30. King's College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdompicturing.climatecentral

It is about time that we take action. We don’t have much time to turn the tides.

None of us can do much on our own, but if we all make small changes, like walking to work, turning off the lights in rooms we don’t use, and avoiding individually wrapped pieces of cheese or meat, things could improve. It doesn’t take much for us to initiate change.

And once we get things going, it becomes easier from there.

Still sweating over bills, read how someone handled a roommate who kept the apartment too warm: refusing to split utility costs equally.

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