Tech Addiction's Alarming Environmental Toll: Visualizing Climate Crisis in Iconic Landscapes

As of October 17th, 2025, an exhibition in London is using scientific modeling and artistic visualizations to highlight the alarming environmental toll of our tech addiction. The project, which launched last month, depicts the potential impact of the climate crisis on some of the world's most recognizable landscapes by the end of the century.

Locations like Venice in Italy, the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil, and the Seine River in Paris were explored to illustrate the devastating effects of global warming. According to Professor Mark Maslin of University College London, who provided the climate modeling for the exhibition, the environmental impact of tech consumption is estimated to account for 6% of the human-driven climate crisis - double that of the aviation industry.

Despite growing awareness of the climate emergency, Maslin says many people remain unaware of the significant role their gadgets and devices play in exacerbating the problem. The exhibition aims to change that by shedding light on the complex issues surrounding e-waste, mining of rare materials, and built-in obsolescence.

While the European Union has recently introduced legislation to address these challenges, including rules for universal chargers and mandates for product repairs, tech companies have pushed back, arguing that such regulations interfere with the free market. The UK has had similar regulations since 2021, but their effectiveness remains a concern.

With a record 62 million tonnes of electronic waste produced globally in 2022, the exhibition's organizers believe there has never been a more critical moment to rethink our relationship with technology and choose longevity over landfill.