Syngenta Photography Award 2015: Scarcity-Waste

Thought provoking exhibition for the second Syngenta Photography Award at Somerset House focusing on scarcity and waste to spark dialogue about our changing planet.

I am not usually very interested in climate change issues, sorry I know I should be, but this really got me thinking about the contrast of not having enough of something causing problems while in other areas having too much is the issue!  The quotes around the rooms were as interesting as the pictures such as the fact that in less than two hours the waste produced by the UK could fill the Albert Hall.

The pictures of unplanned industrialisation in developing countries was interesting.  It’s great that these countries have developed heavy industries but the cost of doing this in an unplanned unregulated way are shocking such as the sand mining in West Bengal. I was horrified by the city of Cerro de Pasco in Peru which is surrounded by an open pit mine which is expanding and eroding the city.

Striking pictures included those by Richard Allenby-Pratt of a car logistics facility in the desert with acres of white cars surrounded by flat infinite looking landscape. Also Stefano De Luigi’s picture of women collecting water in a drought in Kenya where they look like metal figures.

There was also a chart of inspiring inventions like recycled sower water and an electricity generating fabric so body heat could power phones!

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