What I’m Reading
May 23, 2023
This week’s What I’m Reading begins with a climate change story about an arctic archipelago and the lessons it can teach the rest of the world. The second story is a powerful visual look at migration in America. And the final recommendation is a heartwarming kicker that exemplifies the power of cycling.
Climate Change Changes the Arctic
The Guardian published an important story about climate change that I hope you read, even though it requires a (cost-free) registration.
In Svalbard: the Arctic islands where we can see the future of global heating, writer Joseph Phelan brings us to the Arctic.
Svalbard is the name for a group of small Norwegian islands in the Arctic that face rapid warming, which causes dramatic changes to the ecosystem and endangers the polar bear.
If you decide to read, you’ll learn about the drastic impact on life on the islands, an outlook for the rest of the world because Svalbard is warming faster than the world on average.
The consequences — as Phelan writes — are widespread and include “retreating glaciers, decreased snow cover, extreme precipitation, disappearing sea ice, avalanches, imperilled flora and fauna.”
One section is dedicated to polar bears and how the change in climatic conditions threatens them.
I found that particularly touching because I’ve followed photographer Morten Hilmer’s adventures for a while now. They include a six-part photographic expedition series to Svalbard from about a year ago, which includes a good look at polar bears. There’s also a newer two-part series from a trip to the same location you might find interesting for a closer look at Svalbard.
Powerful Photojournalism on Migration
Migration is one of the topics I especially care about. So I had to explore Photos: Migrants amass along the border as Title 42 nears expiration, a Los Angeles Times photo essay by Gary Coronado and Carolyn Cole.
It’s a powerful photo essay on the situation at the Mexican border as officials brace “for what could be an unprecedented influx of migrants seeking asylum along the southern border,” as the introduction to the essay puts it.
If you’re unfamiliar with Title 42, here’s a good primer on what it means.
The pictures give the issue a much-needed human face. Take, for example, Carolyn Cole’s image of a young woman who only had “a plastic bag and sticks for shelter.” Or her image of a young girl holding a part of the border wall.
The collection also covers different angles of the issue, from the migrants and border patrol agents to protesters on the American side. It’s important journalism that you ought to see.
Cycling as Therapy
My routine search for great visual stories brought me to a particularly heartwarming example called Octogenarian Gran Cycles Round Scotland After Tragedy.
Photographers Erin Moroney and Paul Hackett, for the ZUMA Press zReportage blog, tell the inspiring story of 85-year-old Mavis Paterson, who cycled 1,000 miles (1,609km) around Scotland on her birthday to help her cope with grief and raise money for Macmillan Cancer Care.
It’s a wonderful little story about hope, resilience, and the power of exercise. I highly recommend you view the images, a 13-frame collection about Paterson’s cycling adventure.
That is all for today’s recommendations. In a few days, I should finally have a post ready that digs a little deeper into the meaning of cycling. And the fourth part of my latest Fun With Cameras series will conclude the week on Saturday. Until then, enjoy your readings.
