20 shocking photos that show the many ways humans are destroying the Earth

To say the past was a simpler time is up for debate, but one thing can't be denied: We live in a time of excess. As our global population grows, humanity's effect on the planet multiplies exponentially.

This concept is illustrated in a new book, "Over-development, Overpopulation, Overshoot (OVER)," the main project of the 2015 Global Population Speak Out campaign, which provides a platform for affecting the times ahead of us on Earth through the actions of people and organizations. The book unapologetically brings attention to crucial issues that are confronting us, issues that some of us may be avoiding.

It does so by collecting incredibly striking, shocking, and provoking photographs from photographers all over the world. The images might make you see the world in a new way, and that's the point.

Captions by Global Population Speak Out and Jack Sommer.