Climate Change: Animals and loss of biodiversity The impact of climate change has dominated earth since the eighteenth century, negatively affecting not only our planet, but also the organisms that live and thrive on it. Temperature and Rainfall patterns are just two examples of the specific climate conditions organisms require to develop and flourish in their own individualized ecosystems, and as these change, biodiversity is dying off. In fact, if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C, up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction. (Shah, 2014, para.
3). Factors such as latitude, ocean currents, wind and air masses, elevation, relief, and proximity to ocean, come into play when determining the countries most affected by this global impact. Dominica, India, and Chile are just a few of the countries that come under the 10 most affected countries due to Climate change, as of 2015. Rehabilitating biodiversity efforts should focus on negative impacts of climate change as it would allow most citizens to contribute to global efforts and care about the outcome. Concern for these animals and plants due to climate change has been justified through the environmentally threatening aspects, impacts affecting the economy and other organisms, and the ongoing movements to find a solution for this concerning issue.Firstly, there are many causes of climate change that have destructed the environment on the earth that affect the habitats of organisms that live in them and the structure of an ecosystem itself.
Worldwide, there is a recurring pattern of rising temperatures affecting the biodiversity settled in areas such as New Dehli, Mount Elgon National Park, the Alps, and Castiglione di Cervia. A more specific example of this trend is evident in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that faces coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is a condition in which the change of light, nutrients, and temperature, can lead to the whitening of coral due to the bleaching effect. This greatly affects the ecosystem in which the coral lives, as it increases sea level and temperature, while also impacting ocean acidity and currents of the overall ecosystem. Many parts of Canada also face problems similar to those in other countries due to the same cause of constantly changing temperatures. However, another impact of climate change that mainly takes over Canada, is the uptake of greenhouse gases. This is evident in Prince Albert, Old Crow, Lennox Island, and Newfoundland, where ocean acidification, caused by carbon dioxide pollution, dramatically affects species underwater.
This can make species die off, as well as making the marine animals dangerous to consume for humans. More than third of what we have produced since the Industrial Revolution has been absorbed by the oceans, where it reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid (Addario, n.d., para. 7). And as this trend continues, oceans are continually becoming more acidic, and impacting the movement and occurrence of currents, also evident in the Great Barrier Reef. Not only do Canada and Australia showcase these impacts, but so do other countries around the world, with similar impacts caused by climate change such as increasing temperatures.Additionally, there are many varying social and economic impacts related to how climate change affects biodiversity.
An example of a social impact is the disadvantage climate change poses to farmers. Climate change acts as a barrier for farmers due to the change in their crop production patterns that are caused by the change in precipitation patterns. This serves as a disadvantage to farmers, as it causes a decline in their income and greatly affects communities that rely on the crops provided by these farmers.
This can essentially cause food prices to rise because of the labor required. Another social impact is the destruction of FNMI culture, spiritual beliefs, and traditions. The Aboriginal people depend on the natural environment because of their survival and hold a special connection with how it works due to their extensive traditional ecological knowledge. Due to this matter, in the beginning of 1701, in what was to eventually become Canada, the British Crown entered into solemn treaties to encourage peaceful relations between First Nations and non-Aboriginal people, and allow non-Aboriginal people to use and enjoy lands that Aboriginal people traditionally occupied (Government of Canada, 2010, para. 2). On the other hand, an example of an economic impact is the rise in food prices.
That’s because corn and soybean yields in the United States plummet precipitously when temperatures rise above 84 degrees Fahrenheit (The Balance, n.d., para 7). And food sources such as corn, are cheap and make up the large majority of the diets in the meat market for animals such as cows and fish. And because these plants are needed for the growth of these animals, the meat and dairy prices will rise.
Not only that but sea level rise will also dominate long-term costs. Global sea levels may rise by as much as 69 cm during the next 100 years due to melting of glaciers and polar ice, and thermal expansion of warmer water. (World Wide Fund, n.d.
, para 12). Sea level rise dramatically affects not only marine ecosystems, but also marine life such as plankton, fish, walruses, seals, and seabirds. This effect is caused by warming temperatures from climate change that can eventually wipe out these species leading to extinction. This will then cause a low number of marine animals to exist, again making the prices for it skyrocket, especially in the long run. Lastly, scientists are moving towards finding viable solutions and technologies that may benefit us from this unearthly impact.
To ultimately get rid of the decrease in biodiversity due to climate change, we must get rid of the issue at the root, and work towards depleting climate change as a whole. This would require an immediate cause of action from not only individuals and families but also governments and companies. Simple everyday activities include following the rule of thumb of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Also, driving hybrid/electric cars, or better yet carpooling, using public transit, biking, or even walking, can help reduce carbon emissions. Other things we can participate in include buying local produce, decreasing A/C use, voting for environmentally aware politicians, and using Eco-friendly products. Some larger scale actions would include using alternative energy (such as Solar, Wind, Tidal, etc) instead of Coal, and planting more trees (another simple rule of thumb is to plant two for every one cut down).
To conclude, climate change is currently a dominating world problem contributing to the concern for many animals and plants. The organisms on the earth are suffering due to climate change and the adverse effect should no longer be tolerated. As a result, from the places on the earth that display evidence of negative climate change aspects, geographic impacts, and the movements towards improving these major problems in order to reduce the impact of climate change on the environment and inhabitants.
