#058 | Ashley Cooper - 14 Year Epic Journey Documenting Impacts of Climate Change, Climbing Mountains, 800 Rescues & Confronting Images

Ashley Cooper is a professional environmental photographer. He spent fourteen years traveling to every continent on the planet to document the causes and impacts of climate change and the rise of renewable energy. This epic journey was entirely self-funded through image sales to newspapers and magazines. Ashley then crowdfunded £45,000 to self publish the award-winning book, Images From a Warming Planet.

Coopers work has appeared on the front covers of most major UK newspapers and is widely used by the Guardian. His epic climate change journey took him to over thirty countries, often working in remote and dangerous locations. In this time he has probably seen more impacts of climate change than any living human. He is now working to set up a new international climate change initiative called iCommit.

With the aid of his stunning visuals, Ashley talks widely about his experiences documenting climate change on the front line. 

Ashley has spent 28 years as a volunteer with the Langdale/Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team and has attended over 800 rescues.

In 1986 Ashley became the first person to climb every 3,000-foot peak in GB and Eire in one continuous expedition. A feat that involved over 1,400 miles of walking and raised £14,000 for the British Leprosy Relief Association. 

In this episode, Ashley and I explore:

• How has COVID-19 impacted the environment 
• How his book has reached audiences like Pope Francis and Sir David Attenborough 
• His favorite locations and the most challenging
• How he plans his big adventures and what he never leaves behind
• Where he finds the strength to deal with the confronting images he sees 
• His experiences with the visible and invisible sides of climate change

To purchase a copy of his new book: www.imagesfromawarmingplanet.net

To be part of the change and support his new initiative you can donate at:  www.gofundme.com/i-commit

You can contact Ashley on his socials here: 

facebook.com/globalwarmingimages.net