València, European Green Capital 2024 presents The Melting Age: The Age of Thaw.
The Melting Age arrives in Valencia in the context of European Green Capitality after having been exhibited in the United Arab Emirates, New York and before traveling to Brussels. The exhibition can be see for free at BIOPARC Valencia from July 1 to 21 in the Multidisciplinary Space, located in the access plaza, with hours from 12 noon to 20 p.m.
A tour of more than 30 countries by documentary photographer Alfons Rodríguez that shows the causes and consequences of the effects of Climate Change caused by humans on our planet.
El documentary photographer Alfons Rodríguez He has been photographing the consequences of climate change on the seven continents for more than two decades and addresses the climate crisis in his work to raise awareness about the importance of acting and facing this great challenge for humanity.
El general director of Valencia, European Green Capital 2024, Antonio García Celda, highlighted that “the world is changing, and through this exhibition in Valencia we are exemplifying with a series of photographs from all over the planet the serious consequences of climate change and what is happening, Spain suffers from climate change and we are the first Green Capital of the Mediterranean, thus the issue of desertification seen here and exemplified very well. Furthermore, he concluded by stating that “if we all join forces and change habits, there is a possible future that is in our hands.”
Valencia European Green Capital is much more than recognition, it implies a public and constant commitment of our city in terms of sustainability and turns Valencia into a model and lighthouse city for other European and Mediterranean cities.
Will we exploit our planet as we do now until it breathes its last? With this question the photographer Alfons Rodríguez has inaugurated the exhibition at BIOPARC Valencia and has portrayed the consequences of global warming on all continents with the aim of addressing the climate crisis and raising awareness about the importance of caring for the planet and acting to reduce the effects it has on the world's populations.
Climate Change is already a proven fact. It is the consequence of global warming of the Earth. Large international conferences that bring together almost all the countries in the world debate how to act and mitigate its effects, global responsibility and the near fate of our planet. It is estimated that in 2050 billion people will have to leave their homes due to rising sea levels.
In Spain 30.000 square kilometers have been desertified. In places like Greenland or Antarctica, melting ice due to warming causes an increase in the level of the planet's oceans, in addition to cooling marine currents that in turn influence fauna and ecosystems. An excess of salt water that contrasts with the scarce aquifers of drinking water – to make a plastic bottle that contains one liter of water we use 4 liters of the same liquid, and this is a moderate proportion compared to other products.
“The poles melt and that affects us very negatively, but human beings also insist on seeing it in another way. The territory that will emerge, accessible, under the ice of the gigantic Greenland or the Antarctic continent will be a new space in which to exploit natural resources intact until that moment, especially oil and gas,” indicates Alfons Rodríguez in the tour of the exhibition.
The images have been published in media such as National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, El País, Geo, The Courier, El Mundo, Vogue, among others and he has been recognized with prestigious awards throughout his professional career.
BIOPARC Valencia is a reference center in the conservation of animal species in danger of extinction and, at the same time, it is a platform for raising awareness and mobilizing society towards environmental protection. The visit to the Valencian park, which is considered one of the best in the world, aims to bring the beauty of wild nature closer to excite and motivate the necessary change of attitude towards the preservation of our planet.
