Climate Change Versus the Animals

By Emma Sealey

By the year 2050, climate change will reduce thirty five percent of Earth’s nonhuman animals and plants to extinction. Global warming and climate change as a whole have become such politically charged topics that, when assessing the impact, it is important to recall proven facts. According to the largely respected scientific agency, NASA, evidence for rapid climate change include: a rise in global temperature, retreating glaciers, rising sea levels, increased ocean acidification and more. These proven and undeniable observations are evidence that climate change is slowly contributing to the ruination of our planet and the species occupying it. To save and preserve a multitude of animal species, humans need to do more to prevent climate change and the negative consequences that accompany it.

​One such negative consequence of climate change is the large and ever looming threat of lessened biodiversity in animal populations. The U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) claims there has been “... a 3.7 percent average annual decline in the proportion of sites occupied by amphibians within ARMI study areas''. While this rate of decline may seem small, it means that in less than twenty years, the average amphibian species will be gone from half of the places they now reside. A severe decline in amphibian biodiversity is a serious threat that affects ecosystem function, commerce, and biodiversity as a whole. Because amphibians are cold-blooded, they are especially susceptible to changes in 

Photo by Mat on Unsplash

temperature. This means that the shifting seasons, extended droughts, changing precipitation patterns, and increased extreme weather events occurring due to climate change are a severe threat to these vulnerable nonhuman animals. Without humans doing our part to end climate change, amphibian biodiversity will rapidly continue to decline.

However, amphibians are not the only animal group susceptible to extinction via climate change. Up to 54% of species are under speculation to become extinct from climate change. According to Earthday.org, by 2100, an estimated 50% of species will go extinct due to climate change. Their article covering this topic also provides a list of nonhuman animals threatened by climate change. This list includes, but is not limited to: bumblebees, Asian elephants, giraffes, oceanic birds, great apes, and monarch butterflies, among others. The majority of these species are breaching endangerment due to climate change induced habitat loss. As a willing and able species, the human population has an obligation to pick up the slack and provide these species with safe and protected environments without making them spectacles to observe. After all, humans are the primary producers for the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change. Why should so many species pay the price for our mistakes?

How has climate change gotten to this point and why aren’t people taking action to stop it?  According to a Harvard Business Review it is because ignoring it is easier and more cost effective: “Ignoring climate change in the short term has benefits both to individuals and to organizations. Individuals do not have to make changes in the cars they drive, the products they buy, or the homes they live in… Companies can keep manufacturing cheaper if they don’t have to develop new processes to limit carbon emissions”. We need to look beyond immediate profits and comfort.  If humans are not willing to solve climate change for nonhuman animals, we must do it for ourselves. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), “Individuals may experience greater risk from climate-related health effects because: they have greater exposure to climate-related hazards; [or] they are more sensitive to the effects of climate stressors…”. With all of this in consideration, it is clear that there are no long-term positives to ignoring climate change. There are only short-term positives that will develop into extreme and possibly even deadly blunders.

While all this information may appear overwhelming and the thought of switching to a new, sustainable lifestyle can seem daunting, there are a variety of things that you can do in your daily life to help reduce your contribution to climate change.Possibly the most important is spreading the word. This includes not only sharing the dangers of climate change with other people, but also making sure you keep yourself informed and up to date. After you’ve gained and shared accurate and timely knowledge, take action! The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) states that transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. By simply walking, carpooling or riding a bike to your next destination, you are contributing to the conservation of the planet. Another quick and easy action is to not waste your food. The US EPA also points out that the decomposition and waste of food produces copious amounts of methane that then contributes to and quickens the constant heating of our planet. By making accurate portions and composting any waste, you are reducing your output of greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the planet you call home.
         Overall, several types of species are growing closer to extinction each day due to climate change. If humans cannot be motivated by this fact alone, there needs to be a dependence on our innate selfishness in order for change to be initiated. Animals alone cannot save themselves from the misery of our actions. We need to do more to prevent climate change and save non-human and human species alike.

REFERENCES
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Ecosystems Mission Area Species Management Research Program. (N.D.) “The State of Amphibians in the United States.” USGS. Retrieved on Oct. 18, 2023 from https://armi.usgs.gov/sota/.

Markman, Art. (2018, Oct. 11). “Why People Aren’t Motivated to Address Climate Change.” Harvard Business Review. Retrieved on Oct. 18, 2023 from https://hbr.org/2018/10/why-people-arent-motivated-to-address-climate-change.

Urban, Mark C. (2015, May 1). “Accelerating extinction risk from climate change.” Science. Retrieved on Oct. 18, 2023 from https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaa4984.

(2023, Oct. 31). “Fast Facts On Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on Dec. 2, 2023 from Fast Facts on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions | US EPA.

(2023, Oct. 26). “Quantifying Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste.” United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on Dec. 2, 2023 from Quantifying Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste | US EPA.

(2022, Nov. 07). “Human Health Impacts of Climate Change”. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved on Oct. 30, 2023 from Human Health Impacts of Climate Change (nih.gov).

(2020, Mar. 25). “Climate Change Endangers Wildlife.” U.S. National Park Services. Retrieved on Oct. 31, 2023 from Climate Change Endangers Wildlife - Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

(2019, Feb. 07). “10 Animals Threatened By Climate Change.” Earthday.org. Retrieved on Oct 25, 2023 from 10 Animals Threatened by Climate Change - Earth Day.

(N.D.) “How Do We Know Climate Change is Real?” NASA. Retrieved on Oct 20, 2023 from Evidence | Facts – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet (nasa.gov).

Author Bio

Emma Sealey is a first-year student at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is currently studying biochemistry and plans to, eventually, obtain a career in the medical field. Her favorite non-human animal is her cat companion, Seymour