Sea level is rising, the world is getting hotter, weather is becoming more unpredictable, and the agricultural industry is struggling. All of these negative events can be attributed to one world-wide, controversial phenomenon: climate change. Climate change is one of the most important issues currently facing mankind because it has the potential to be devastating to society, as it affects every aspect of human life. The backbone of human civilization, the agricultural industry, is being hit hard by climate change. This is especially evident in California, where once fertile valleys have now been transformed into arid wastelands. In this picture by Kiley Kroh, she uses contrasting images and the angle of the photograph to showcase the severity of climate change and its effects on central California.

In this picture, Kiley Kroh successfully uses contrasting images to grab viewers’ attention. The image focuses on a seemingly abandoned trailer in the middle of a very dry and dead landscape. On this trailer there is a saying that reads: “Food Grows Where Water Flows.” This saying appears out of place since it is surrounded by dead plants in a very dry region. The contrast between the phrase on the trailer and the aridness of its surroundings is very compelling. Individually, these images would be insignificant, but when they are placed side-by-side, they gain a deeper meaning. This juxtaposition of the trailer and the dry surroundings strikes one as odd. No one would think twice about an old, rusted trailer sitting in the middle of nowhere if the saying was not inscribed on the trailer. The irony of the phrase grasps the attention of viewers and forces them to think twice about this image. The saying on the trailer seems to amplify the dryness of the surrounding area. The environment is the exact opposite of what the saying is promoting. It is a very dry setting, and there is no sign of life in the image. It is certainly not a place where food could be grown, which supports the claim that food grows where water flows. The presence of the phrase on the trailer and the surrounding environment would be insignificant separately, but together they create a very compelling image that makes the viewer think deeply about what it means.

Kroh also uses the angle of this image to help convey her message. When a person views this photograph, the first thing they notice is the trailer with the aforementioned saying about water. It looms over the rest of the scene because the picture was taken from the ground looking up at the trailer. The dominance that the phrase on the trailer has over the rest of the image represents the importance of water. The angle of the image not only showcases the trailer, but it also features the dryness of the surrounding area. Since the photograph is taken so close to the ground, and the ground takes up so much of the picture, this suggests Kroh wants viewers to notice the details of it. Very rarely is the ground the focal piece of an image, so since it is in this one, that suggests the photographer finds it important. When viewed closely, it is obvious how lifeless this area is. The ground is brown and dry and cracked, and aside from the cluster of dead brush, there is no sign of plant life anywhere. The angle of this image is important because it promotes the importance of water and forces viewers to acknowledge a part of the picture they would normally ignore: the ground. 

Kiley Kroh’s image is already impactful when viewed out-of-context, but to truly appreciate the meaning of this picture, one must first understand the issue that shapes it: climate change. Historically speaking, California is in the midst of its worst drought since record keeping began in 1849. 2016 marks the sixth year of this record-setting drought which has been declared a state of emergency (Kroh). This drought is thought to be driven by human-induced climate change. Climate change has been found to increase the likelihood of extreme meteorological events. One group of scientists used models to project how likely climate events such as the drought are depending on the climate. In models where greenhouse gases (the driving force behind climate change) are less abundant in the atmosphere, this drought is less likely to occur. In models where greenhouse gases are more abundant, severe droughts are more common. Because greenhouse gases are currently higher than they ever have been, these models prove that climate change is behind California’s historic drought (Swain). Not only is this phenomenon affecting the amount of precipitation California receives, but it also effects other water sources in the area. Snow pack, which accounts for one-third of the water used by Californians, is dwindling at an alarming rate as temperatures continue to rise. In June of 2016, ninety-four percent of the snow that should have still been on the ground had already melted. This is a major issue because while northern California received more precipitation than usual in early 2016, it was still suffering from a snow drought. The Central Valley is the area being hit hardest by the state’s lack of water. This region of California is very important to the state’s agriculture, and with the lack of snow and rain, the agricultural industry is suffering catastrophic losses. With severe water shortage, it has been increasingly difficult to grow food. A lack of water combined with normally fertile lands being too dry to use has put great strain on the industry.

Once the viewer understands the effects that climate change has on central California, where this picture was taken, the image takes on a whole new meaning. At first glance the image is ironic because there is a phrase declaring the importance of water in the middle of a very dry region. Other than this irony, nothing about this image stands out without context. Most who view this image probably assume the region in which the photograph was taken has always been dry and infertile. This is not the case, however. The severe, climate change-driven drought in California has caused once green and fertile lands to become dry and lifeless. Only several years ago, the land in this picture was used to grow crops, but now it would be impossible to grow anything there. This is the most important aspect of the image, and it cannot be fully understood without first understanding the effects of climate change. Knowing that this area was once a hotspot for agriculture just a few short years ago is extremely alarming. This picture shows how quickly climate change can alter a landscape and turn it into an inhospitable wasteland. Once a viewer realizes what a drastic effect climate change has had on California in such a short period of time, they will understand action needs to be taken now. With climate change being such a controversial issue, more images like this need to be shown and explained to the public. This is a powerful piece that can be used to drive change granted it is presented in the correct context. 

In this image, photographer Kiley Kroh uses contrasting images and the angle of the photograph to showcase the effects of climate change on the agricultural industry in central California. Understanding the issue of climate change drastically increases one’s ability to fully comprehend this image. While it is an impactful image by itself, it certainly gains a deeper meaning when it is put in context. Climate change is one of the most important and impactful issues facing mankind today. Its devastating effects have already struck many places throughout the world, including California. Kroh successfully uses several devices to grasp viewers’ attention and alert them to the effects of climate change. When proper context is introduced, this becomes an extremely important image. More people need to be introduced to this photograph and those similar to it so that action can be taken against climate change. Photographs like this can change the world.
