Climate Adaptation

Humans are talented at adapting to their surroundings. We modernize, create new technology and change our habits according to our living situation. To assume that Global Climate Change is solely a natural cycle would be a mistake, considering we contribute a massive amount of greenhouse gases each year. Not only is the US being effected, the whole world is changing. That is why it is important to help not only us, but also developing countries. The video below tells about Climate Adaptation and how we can prevent disasters happening not only in our own country but also to those who are in greater need.
Global Climate Change affects everyone on earth. It affects plants, animals, human beings and even things unknown to man. Our planet has experienced ice ages to stages of prolonged heat. Icecaps, glaciers and permafrost are melting, plant growth seasons are changing, trees are blooming earlier and society is trying to adapt to the unknown. The debate of whether the effects are caused by natural or man-made events is a heated debate but those arguments put aside, the world is changing. US scientists predict that temperatures will continue to rise and that moisture will gather along the outside of the US while the middle parts become drier. Alaska is predicted to have the biggest change in climate. Alaska’s temperatures are rising; glaciers are melting and animals such as the polar bear are losing their hunting grounds as the ice deteriorates. Many animals are losing numbers quickly, which could eventually have a disastrous chain effect.

What Is Climate Adaptation? from AmericanProgress on Vimeo.

sources:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/eco_animals.html
http://vimeo.com/4530136

Bears on Thin Ice

Over 200,000 years ago, Polar Bears evolved from the Brown Bear (Ursus actos) found in Asia. It is thought that a group of these bears became isolated from the majority of the population by glaciers and ice in Siberia. They adapted to the freezing weather and hunting grounds (seals are their number one source of food). Their light colored fur allows them to camouflage themselves in order to sneak on unsuspecting prey. Polar Bears are designed to live in harsh weather conditions. They can even enter a state of hibernation at any time in the year (unlike other bears who can only do this in the winter).
Polar bears rely on the sea ice as their hunting grounds. 1.5% of this ice is disappearing every decade that passes by. 10% of the pack ice is decreasing each decade as well (this is where the Polar Bear makes his den). Increased ice drift can be very dangerous for these animals, especially for the cubs. Polar bears have to spend more and more time swimming and even though they are avid swimmers, the prolonged time in the water can chill the small cubs and even lead to the drowning of the polar bear. Some Polar Bears off the coast of Alaska have already resulted to Cannibalism.
With the sea ice gone, the Polar Bear's natural habitat will have disappeared along with their way of life. Moving northward is not an option because the polar basin is "deep, cold and unproductive". The sea ice isn't just a hunting ground for Polar Bears. It is a colossal marine ecosystem that supports countless different species of animals from small phytoplankton to Orca Whales.




http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/essay_schliebe.html

http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/derocher.html

http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/bear-facts/climate-change/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article767459.ece

Boiling Water

Global climate change not only effects specific animals and habitats, but also large ecosystems. The world’s oceans as a whole are constantly changing due to rising temperatures. There are two factors effecting the ocean: melting land ice (like polar ice caps and glaciers) and “thermal expansion” of the ocean water.

Mount Kilimanjaro ice cap is predicted to melt within twenty years. 82% of this colossal ice cap has disappeared since it was measured in 1912. Ice in the artic that lines the ocean is also melting and thinning. Not only does this lead to ocean expansion, which is harmful to many environments, but it is also threatening to different animals such as the polar bear. Polar bears use the sea ice to hunt for sea lions and other prey. Not only does the sea ice provide hunting grounds for polar bears, it also provides sanction for animals such as the ribbon seal.

As temperatures rise, sea levels follow. This is because increased temperatures cause oceans to become less dense and in turn, they spread out. Sea level today has already risen over 120 meters since then last ice age, which was 18,000 years ago. Studies show that global sea level in the 20^th century rises at a rate of 1 to 2 mm/yr. For many coastlines, this means that there is an average 1.5 meters of land being submerged each year.

Small pacific islands are also being affected. It’s predicted that the small islands known as Tuvalu will be submerged within 50 years. Its water and food production is already being effected today due to the invading saltwater. Global climate change effects a wide variety of ecosystems, but one as large as the ocean is sure to have a devastating chain reaction. There’s no immediate fix to global warming but there are many different ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Source: http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/chanton.html

Coral Reefs Turn White

Global Climate Change affects a variety of different habitats. As I talked about in my previous post, rain forests are greatly affected. Another important ecosystem that is affected is coral reefs. These delicate habitats are home to thousands of fish and other marine life. Coral reefs are made up of algal symbionts that produce enough calcium carbonate to produce the reef structure (almost like an exoskeleton).

As the earth warms it in turn warms the seawater. Coral bleaching is an effect of global climate change and the warming seawater. Have you ever been to a beach and found white pieces of coral along the shore? Those small pieces of coral are a result of coral bleaching; when the coral releases the algae from its tissues. It is predicted by scientists that over half of the world’s coral reefs may die by 2050. 20% of the world’s reefs have already been destroyed without much hope of revival. Even the Great Barrier Reef, considered to be one of the healthiest coral reefs in the world, is in serious danger due to rising temperatures. It is located in Australia and is the largest coral reef system. You can even see it from outer space!

Not only will the destruction of coral reefs affect the marine life in them but it will also affect a number of other things. Coral reefs protect shores from the crashing waves and storms, provide food and medicine, and also provide an income for local communities with tourism. It is clear that if something isn’t done about global climate change and rising temperatures, these beautiful ecosystems will fade away.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/173/coral-reefs

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/coral_change.html

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_reef

The Foggy Future

Humans are known for their adaptability. We have proven that we can survive in harsh temperatures but the same cannot be said for animals. Changing temperatures causes changing habitats, which in turn can cause extinction for many animal species. Numerous changes are happening because of increasing temperatures; birds lay eggs earlier in the year, plants bloom sooner and mammals are come out of hibernation before expected. These changes are causing a chain reaction affecting anything from migration patterns to nesting grounds.

The Golden Toad once made it’s home in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. This habitat became unlivable for the creature because of Global Warming and the toad is now extinct. The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change anticipates that if global temperatures increase more than two to three degrees, one-third of all the species on earth are at risk for extinction. All efforts of conserving wildlife in national parks and conservations will be futile if those habitats aren’t supportive to the organisms that live in them.

With the human impacts already directly and indirectly affecting many of the organisms in the word, the future life for all living organisms is unknown. Whether carbon emissions are the key cause of global warming, or it is a natural cycle is a question that is widely researched, but yet to be answered.

http://www.climateandweather.net/global_warming/effects_on_animals.htm

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1849698,00.html