James Balog highlights the importance of human responsibility for securing the planet's future at Xposure 2023

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Renowned photographer and environmental advocate urges action ‘now’ at his riveting talk during the International Photography Festival in Sharjah

On Sunday, February 12, the renowned photographer, author, and explorer James Balog took centre-stage at the 7th annual Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah to deliver a powerful and thought-provoking presentation on "The Human Element: A Time Capsule from the Anthropocene." Balog's talk was centred on exploring the complex relationship between humans and nature, and he challenged the audience to contemplate their place on the planet and take responsibility for their actions.

Balog posed a series of questions that he himself has been grappling with for some time: "Where are we now, how did we get here, and what do we need to do about it?" With a master's degree in geomorphology, Balog was acutely aware of the overwhelming scientific evidence of climate change and felt a sense of obligation to capture this reality through his photographs.

Balog showed a selection of photos from his 2012 documentary "Chasing Ice," which features a time-lapse of over 25 cameras placed on glaciers in Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, and Montana's Glacier National Park. The result was a 1.72 million photo frame archive spanning 2007 to 2022, which Balog used to dramatically illustrate the reality of receding glaciers, rising sea levels, and the effects of global warming.

Throughout his presentation, Balog emphasised that humans are an integral part of the natural system and that "The Human Element", which is the name of his documentary, can play a crucial role in restoring balance to the planet. He believes that we have a responsibility to understand our impact on the environment and to take steps to mitigate that impact. "As human beings, we are part of the natural system, not separate from it. Our actions have a profound impact on the environment, and it is our responsibility to understand that impact and take steps to restore balance to the planet," he stated.

Balog's documentary "The Human Element" will be screened at the Xposure Auditorium on February 13 at 6:10pm as part of the festival's screenings. The film provides a powerful visual representation of the impact of human activity on the environment and serves as a call to action for all of us to do our part in restoring balance to the planet.