World Underwater was created by Carbon Story to demonstrate the effects of climate change in any neighborhood around the world.

Google Street View + Water = Scary

World Under Water was designed to demonstrate how climate change could potentially impact various cities around the globe. The point of the site is to inform people that the sea levels are rising, a phenomenon that could have consequences for everyone — not just those living in coastal regions. The way the site accomplishes this is simple, but it does have somewhat of a shocking effect. The site combines Google Maps street view data with an animation of water that theoretically could impact a neighborhood or location. The site has pre-loaded its own examples with Singapore, Kamakura, New York, Yucatan, Barcelona, Paris, Dubai, London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Rome and Moscow. You can click on one of those cities to see how famous landmarks might look in the future if climate change runs its course.

Spread awareness and take action

The best aspect of the site is that you’re not limited by the cities it features. You can type in any address (that has Google Street View, at least) and see how it would look partially submerged in water. The water looks almost scarily realistic, as it moves and reflects back objects like trees and buildings. As you navigate the map partially underwater, the site displays information about climate change and how that will affect rising sea levels. The entire site was built by Carbon Story, a self-described “social enterprise fighting climate change.” The World Underwater site they’ve designed certainly helps spread awareness of climate change in a unique way, but there’s also more information about how you can take action. The site has a carbon emissions calculator, as well as the ability to offset your carbon footprint and support green projects. If you want to teach someone about climate change or learn more about rising sea levels yourself, World Underwater would be a good site to visit.