|
 All this fuss about climate change and global warming won't go away. And for anyone who cares about animals, the threat is a wake-up call to examine the way we live. Keith Lyons discovers the connections between climate change, animals and us.
The sleek tabby cat lounges in the mid-afternoon sun on the hot concrete patio, luxuriating in the warmth of the blazing sun. I too would like to be sprawling in the sun like my adopted furry friend instead of sitting inside working. So any talk of global warming sounds kind of nice, like 'I won't have to wear so many clothes over winter,' or I'll actually be able to swim in the sea without getting a headache from the chilling waters. And if climate change means I'll be able to grow bananas in my backyard - well, that can't be so bad, can it? But unfortunately, as we are now learning, warmer does not mean better. In fact the rapid change in the globe's climate threatens not only the world's 6.7 billion humans, but all life on earth. That's plants and animals - everything.
The planet doesn't need saving
But before we all run for the hills or hide under our beds, there is some hope: if we act now we might be able to avert calamity and save ourselves - and other creatures. After all, we humans created this situation in the first place, right?
Now, maybe you are thinking that this 'the sky is falling in' doom-and-gloom scenario is a conspiracy dreamed up by some tree-hugging greenies who are anti-progress and want us to give up things to save the planet. Well, if truth be told, the fight against climate change is not to save the planet - it's to save our skins and our butts. You see, the planet will continue to spin regardless of whether we are on it or not. What we are now trying to do is to ensure that we can continue to live on Earth. But for our species to survive - along with other animals we need to do something about our life support systems. What on earth is happening?
Before we delve into the links between the environment, animals and us, let's briefly go over the basics. The atmosphere surrounding our planet is a layer of gases which does two things: it lets in light and heat from the sun; and traps some of that heat so we can have life on Earth. Without that blanket of gases the globe would be a chilly - 180oC at night. OK, end of the science lesson. You know how weather changes from day to day? In some places you get four seasons in a day. That's normal. Similarly, climate varies over time. In times gone by the earth has experienced heat waves and long periods of drought, along with ice ages. It might help if you look at it like this: if your moods are like the weather, then your personality is like the climate. However, over the 20th century the climate has changed drastically. The current rate of temperature change is the fastest it's been over the last 10,000 years. Studies show temperatures have risen an average of 0.740C over 100 years. An increase of three-quarters of a degree doesn't sound very much, but in the last Ice Age, it was only 4° to 6°C cooler than it is today. What's more, 11 of the last 12 years (1995-2006) rank among the dozen warmest years since monitoring first began in 1850. While most places are getting warmer, a few areas are cooling. Many dry regions are in drought, and while increased temperatures evaporate more water, changing wind patterns and ocean currents are depositing it in bucket-loads in the wrong places. We've upset the fragile balance, says respected scientist David Suzuki. "In the late '80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a 'slow-motion catastrophe,' one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly." Think for a moment about what happens when an ice cube melts in your glass, and you'll understand why as glaciers retreat and melt, the warming oceans expand. It's a natural thing, right?
So couldn't this slight rise in temperatures and sea levels just be a natural thing? The weight of research suggests not. Apart from a handful of cranks and some scientists paid off by industry groups, almost all researchers who have looked at the facts agree that global warming is happening. What's more, they blame it fairly and squarely on the activities of one animal - humans. Back in 1990 the world's top scientists, including 49 Nobel Prize winners, put their names to a statement saying "Only by taking action now can we ensure that future generations will not be put at risk." On Christmas Day 1999, physicist Stephen Hawking said there was a danger that the warming process might be unstable. "It could be too late if we wait until the bad effects of warming become obvious. We need action now to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide."
Burning the past, our future up in smoke
Now I can't recall the last time I knowingly let off carbon emissions, but every time you or I use a car, eat meat (or even tofu) or switch on a light, we're indirectly adding to the carbon in the atmosphere. The main culprit is fossil fuels - the remains of ancient plants and animals buried in mud millions of years ago. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and these days there are fewer plants and trees to absorb those gases. More CO2 up there traps more heat. The result: it's getting toastier.  Animals feel the heat and scramble - if they can
While it has been known for some time that climate change influences animals' behaviour - such as when birds migrate - new studies show it is slashing animal gene pools. Warming is disrupting seasonal migration and the available food, and also forcing animals to seek new homes. "As Earth and its atmosphere grow warmer," says Patrick O'Driscoll in USA Today, "the planet's wild inhabitants take cover where they can: cooler waters, deeper forests and canyons, higher slopes or nearer the poles, north and south."
Polar bears are drowning because they can't swim far enough to reach scarce Arctic sea ice. Butterflies in Europe are heading north to cooler climes. University of Texas researcher Camille Parmesan reviewed 866 different studies and found many species numbers - and their health - were declining. The only things thriving in the fast-changing conditions were 'pest' species such as fleas, roaches, ticks and tree-killing beetles. Humans are wiping out three animal or plant species EVERY HOUR, according to the UN's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). "Nature is sending us a warning signal," says Patty Glick, a climate-change specialist at the US National Wildlife Federation. "These species aren't just going extinct because they're weak. The ecosystem in which they live is changing." With many animal habitats already destroyed by a growing human population, rapid climate change will cause severe damage, says University of California paleobiologist Anthony D. Barnosky. "Climate change affects the little guy first and then, through them, the big guys. So we can expect to see some dramatic changes in the ecosystem." Already some species are trapped atop 'mountain islands' and in 'refugee camps' with nowhere to go. A quarter of the mammal, bird, amphibian, fish and insect species could begin to begin to disappear by 2050, according to Conservation International estimates. 'The end is nigh'
So are we all doomed? Not necessarily. Sure, we all contribute to climate change. But there are some practical things you can do to lessen your impact. For starters, you probably know that driving an SUV (gas-guzzling Sports Utility Vehicle) isn't going to save the earth - even if it has a 'Save the Animals' bumper sticker. If you care about the future of the earth and the animals living upon it, there's something which will reduce your carbon footprint and help other animals: don't eat them. As you've seen elsewhere in this magazine, a vegetarian diet uses less energy and contributes the least amount of greenhouse gases. A University of Chicago study found a plant based diet is better for your health - and that of the planet. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand climate change or some solutions. Though one great scientist, Einstein, did say this: "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chance of survival of life on Earth as much as evolution to a vegetarian diet." Last year, the year when the world finally woke up to the issue of climate change, a United Nations study confirmed again that the typical diet adds significantly to pollution, water scarcity, land degradation and climate change. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) drew attention to the strong link between meat eating and environmental destruction. Farmed animals produce about 1/6th of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But behind those animals belching us to oblivion, there's another animal. That's you. Think Big
Now if you care about animals, you can take another step and widen your concern to include their homes and the Earth. Take a few moments to examine your life and lifestyle. Look for energy efficient ways to reduce your energy consumption. Re-use and recycle. Buy less. I bet you can come up with a long list of things you can do. And take some encouragement from another veggie, Mahatma Gandhi: "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
|
