17 Powerful Images Showing The Devastating Effects Of Overpopulation

It’s no secret that we are exploiting our planet and running out of resources at the speed of light, but many people refuse to take notice. These unbelievable photos of environmental damage, collected into a book by environmental awareness platform Global Population Speak Out, show the harsh realities of the ecological and social tragedies that Earth is suffering. Its title: “Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot.”

This book has plenty of powerful images illustrating the problems generated by overpopulation and consumption, together with quotes from famous writers, scientists and ecologists to help understand and raise awareness about the destruction of natural environments.

Global Population Speak Out provides a link for everyone to have a look at the book online for free, but if you want it in your bookshelf, you can also find it on Amazon.


Surfing on a wave full of trash in Java (Indonesia), the world’s most populated island

National Willamette forest, Oregon (USA), 99% deforested

The Yellow river in Mongolia is so polluted that it’s almost impossible to breathe near it

Ken River oil field, California (USA) – exploited since 1899

Fire at oil platform in Gulf of Mexico, April 2010

Landscape full of trash in Bangladesh

Indonesian forest transformed into palm plantation

Part of the Amazonian jungle in Brazil, burnt down to be “repurposed”

World’s biggest excavator, Bagger 288, used to extract coal in Tagebau Hambach strip mine (Germany)

Landfill in Accra (Ghana). Our electronic rubbish usually ends up in Third-World countries

Mexico City landscape, 20 million inhabitants

Albatross killed by excessive plastic ingestion in Midway Islands (North Pacific)

Landscape covered in greenhouses , Almeria (Spain)

Tar-rich zone in Alberta, Canada destroyed by mining and toxic wastes

The Maldives are flooding because of global warming and human action. They will sink in 50 years

Mir mine, Russia. This gigantic hole is the world’s biggest diamond mine.

Enormous iceberg melting near Svalbard island in Norway