The computer giant’s high-resolution satellite imagery has given a thorough picture of our planet’s degeneration over the past three decades, so if you ever want to feel horrible about the status of the globe, Google Earth is one of the best places to look.

As Earth tries to meet the increasing demands of the world, it is nearly difficult to ignore the impact that both climate change and deforestation are having on our planet, unless you have been living under a rock.

We’re getting closer to a “tipping point” of no return, according to scientists and climate experts, which will only hasten the effects of global warming. Studies have even shown that this might soon leave major cities under water.

Despite this awareness, many people find the metamorphosis to be a sobering realisation, and it is nonetheless astonishing to witness how dramatically some portions of Earth have changed over a relatively short period of time as a result of human influence.

Google Earth shows Earth’s ‘horrifying’ transformation

A video posted on Reddit by u/WiseCartographer5007 that depicts the changes in significant regions of Earth from 1984 to the 2020s is sure to wow you.

As you watch the video, the main things you’ll be seeing are either large amounts of ice melting due to rising global temperatures, or once-green areas that have been transformed into wastelands or larger cities as a result of deforestation.

For instance, China’s Pearl River Delta essentially appeared out of thin air between 1984 and 2020, and to the detriment of the environment, it has since grown to be the richest area in southern China.

The timelapse’s scenes of ice melting are by far the most difficult to see, while patches of green that have been destroyed over time in places like Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar, are very depressing to view.

Forty years after the Columbia Glacier in Alaska was coated in a layer of icy white, it is now just another area of the ocean with no ice remaining on the water.

One user in the comments brands the video “interesting and horrifying,” whereas another remarks that “this is just so depressing.” A third even claims that “we really are a virus to this planet,” and when watching the footage in action it’s hard to deny.

How to view images from the past in Google Earth

Fortunately, a new tool has been added to Google Earth that allows you to delve into the past and examine certain regions for yourself, whether they are close to you or you suspect have been severely impacted.

All you have to do is open Google Earth, click the ‘View’ menu in the upper left corner, and choose ‘Show historical imagery’. Pressing CMD+H on a Mac or CTRL+H on a PC will likewise activate this.

You may now jump to any moment in history from 1966 to the present by opening the menu, albeit if you’re looking for a specific year, there won’t be as many points of reference the further back you go.