The Pyramids of Giza are at risk of erosion due to acid rain, while Central Park in New York and London may be subject to flooding. These are just a few examples of how global warming could transform popular tourist destinations around the world.
Artificial intelligence has now been utilized to provide a more concrete representation of the potential disfigurement of these locations, serving as a reminder of the urgency to take action.
In its sixth report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that global warming will reach 1.5°C by the early 2030s. This will result in increased heat waves, droughts, extreme precipitation, and the extinction of certain species, with others migrating to different areas. If warming reaches 2°C by 2100, scientists estimate that up to 18% of species are at high risk of extinction.
Tourism is responsible for approximately 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, emitting around four GT of CO2-equivalent annually. However, the tourism sector will also experience direct consequences from climate catastrophes, which will disfigure beloved destinations.
Researchers predict that by 2100, Venice will likely be submerged, and most of the Maldives archipelago may disappear due to the low average elevation of its islands. Rising sea levels could also threaten Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, as well as New York and London by 2050 if global temperatures rise by two to four degrees.
A list from World Monuments Watch, updated every two years, identifies the monuments at risk from global warming. Apart from potential sea loss of the Moai statues in Easter Island, archaeological sites like the amphitheater in Arles, France and the Acropolis in Athens face a range of extreme weather phenomena, including pollution and acid rain that deteriorate their existence.
However, visualizing the disfigurement of these destinations due to climate change is not always easy. This is where artificial intelligence comes into play.
Discovercars.com, an online car rental site, employed AI to modify photos of popular destinations such as the Pyramids of Giza, Queensland in Australia, Okinawa in Japan, and London. These modified images depict how climate catastrophes could impact the appearance of these locations.
The analysis is based on various scenarios proposed by environmental specialist Marish Cuenca, who transformed each photo. Each image provides a before-and-after representation of what these ten popular locations worldwide could potentially become.
In London, Big Ben may find its foundations submerged in water, while Central Park in New York could experience flooding. The presentation primarily focuses on road trip destinations, highlighting the challenges such trips may face, including California engulfed in flames and landslides erasing roads in Italy’s South Tyrol. – AFP Relaxnews
Credit: The Star : News Feed
