Introducing Changing Planet

Activists hang under the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon, In an attempt to block the Shell leased icebreaker, MSV Fennica July 29, 2015. The climbers are currently preventing the ship from passing underneath the bridge on its way to meet Shell’s drilling fleet. The climbers have enough supplies to last for several days. According to the latest federal permit, the Fennica must be at Shell’s drill site before Shell can reapply for federal approval to drill deep enough for oil in the Chukchi Sea.

Welcome to Changing Planet, a multimedia project that documents the impacts of climate change around the world. My name is Steve Nichols, the founder and chief curator of this website and blog. In many ways, Changing Planet is a labor of my own curiosity and growth. I have been working full-time in the environmental nonprofit field for nearly six years and have always had a desire to use my creative talents, such as writing and photography, to raise awareness and understanding of climate change and its many effects.

Through this project, I will explore the different ways that climate change manifests itself around the world like glacial melt, sea level rise, and desertification. In some cases, I will go to the front lines of climate change to document these effects first-hand and share my findings. I will talk to local residents and experts to learn how climate change has impacted their daily life and natural resources. My hope is that by sharing all of this information in new, compelling, and accessible ways, I will help to deepen the level of understanding of climate change among the general public, and inspire people to take action.

In the meantime, as I am hard at work generating content, please feel free to click “Contact” at the top of the page and send feedback and suggestions my way. I am very curious to know what you would like to know. I am also open to collaborations with other storytellers and activists, so please feel free to drop me a line if you think there’s an opportunity for us to connect on this work. You can also find me on Instagram @stevenarwhals.