Four timelapses to understand how our thirst for energy impacts the planet

The Landsat program provides free satellite images collected during the last 40 years. It is an invaluable resource for all those interested in the evolution of the planet. Among many possible observations, you can see for yourself how forests fade while agriculture and cities advance…
As for me, I am more interested by the environmental footprint of energy production especially oil, coal, gas, nuclear and hydro, five energies which provide 99% of the world consumption. I realized these timelapses representing 4 production facilities (I have not found interesting images for gas) between 1984 (the year I was born) and 2012.

(This post was translated from the original in French : Quatre timelapses pour visualiser l'empreinte de la production d'énergie sur l'environnement )

Coal: lignite-mining in East Germany

This square represents approximately 1000km². You can see a few mines of lignite (a type of coal largely exploited in Germany) in the former GDR on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg: Two mines, Welsow and Nochten, are still operating and devouring countryside others were abandoned and flooded.

Nuclear: uranium mines in Arlit (Niger)

This square of about 100km² shows one of the open pit mines operated by Areva in Niger. At the bottom right you may see the towns of Arlit and Akokan. A little further down (out of frame) lies another underground mine.

Oil: Athabasca tar sands (Canada)

This square of approximately 1600km² represents the spectacular extension of oil sands mine bordering the Athabasca River in Canada.

Hydropower: the Yacyretá dam (Argentina-Paraguay)

This square of approximately 5000km² shows the construction and impoundment of the Yacyretá dam on the border between the Argentina and the Paraguay. The reservoir covers 1600 km².

For other posts on climate and sustainability from this blog translated in English, click here.