A Year in the Environment in Latin America Through Images

This post was co-authored with Andrea Becerra.

We’ve selected a few images that represent significant changes for Latin American society and nature in 2018. We hope these images mark a turning point, offering a moment of reflection on where we are and what we can aspire towards in the coming year of climate action.

Waves of trash crash over the Dominican Republic. Images like this one shocked the world and galvanized campaigns from Mexico to Chile to outlaw plastic bags and limit the use of plastic straws. Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons.

Workers clean up coal residue on the beaches of Quintero Puchuncaví in Valparaiso, Chile. Quintero Puchuncaví is one of five so-called “Zones of Sacrifice” where all of the country’s 28 thermoelectric coal plants are concentrated. Thousands of people, including celebrities, have joined a campaign called #ChaoCarbon (goodbye coal) to push for the closure of Chile’s thermoelectric coal plants by 2030. Photo by Mujeres de Zona de Sacrificio Quintero - Puchuncaví en Resistencia.

The year was filled with both somber moments and occasions for hope. This compilation of images highlights the importance of safeguarding the region’s rich biodiversity and building resilience to protect vulnerable populations from the effects of climate change. The last two photos are important reminders that the technology and commitment for de-carbonization exists—it is our responsibility to ensure that the momentum for climate action continues into 2019 and beyond if we want to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

Andrea Becerra recently graduated from The Fletcher School at Tufts University with a Masters in International Environment and Resource Policy and Integrated Water Management. She is a consultant for NRDC focusing on urban and rural water management issues in Latin America.