TORONTO -- A Canadian photographer won top prize at the UN climate conference photo competition.
Jo-Anne McArthurâs images of animals won two prizes at COP26, which officially wrapped up in Glasgow, Scotland on Nov. 12.
McArthur said on ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel that the most crucial photo she snapped was of cows in transport at the Bulgarian-Turkish border.
âFor me thatâs the most important image here in fact, the hidden aspect of eating animals, using animals and animals in transport,â she said. âHere in Canada we transport millions of animals every year, you know itâs one of the things we donât think about when weâre eating animals.â
McArthur, who is vegan, said that âwhen it comes to our use of animals, we often donât think of the other ramifications â of course itâs not good for the animals, but its not good for its contributions to climate change as well.â
McArthur related the science of greenhouse gas emissions , which has explored the devastation of climate-change induced extreme weather events like wildfires -- which led to an award-winning photograph of a kangaroo in the midst of the burnt remnants of a forest in Australia.
âItâs interesting how we talk about climate change, and what climate change is causing,â she said. âBecause we have to remember that we are causing climate change. I think itâs interesting to always bring it back to that language.â
Discussing her work, which requires McArthur to travel extensively and sometimes in dangerous situations, she acknowledged that her travel contributes to climate change but that âin the greater good,â her work makes the plight of these animals, which are affected by human-made climate change, visible.
âWe donât see the animals that are affected by climate change, theyâre in factory farms by the billionsâŚso that is what I do in particular, focusing on animals and their sentience, how theyâre affected by us and how us using them affects the rest of the world,â she said.