Dropping Like Flies
The heightening threat to Earth’s rich biodiversity
As reported by researchers at the CHGE-Harvard (Harvard Center for Health & Global Environment), by the year 2050, climate change will be the sole cause of the extinction for more than a quarter of all species on land, exceeding habitat destruction as the major threat to biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms on earth — the different plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems of which they are a part of. Both terrestrial and aquatic life forms are at monumental risk due to climate change, however, species that reside in ecosystems sensitive to rising temperatures, such as coral reefs, are more susceptible to the effects of climate change immediately.
Furthermore, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a UN sanctioned organization, also claims that the major proponent behind the continual loss of biodiversity is climate change. Granted, Earth’s history shows us that with climate change species and ecosystems tend to come and go, however, rapid and sudden increases in climate change deters the ability of the ecosystems’ and species’ to hastily adapt. This failure to adapt is the reason why our biodiversity continues to dwindle.
Now that it is established that climate change is the culprit, lets divulge into what climate change is, its causes, how its effects are threatening our biodiversity, and ways for us to combat it, one way, specifically, has been in front of our eyes the entire time.
Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss this. *Tom Bergeron voice
What is climate change?
Climate change adverts to any substantial changes to Earth’s climate for an elongated period of time (over several decades). Changes in temperature, wind patterns, precipitation, along with other effects is the basis of what climate change pertains to. In regards to the change in temperature specifically, a phenomena that can spur from this increase in temperature is referred to as global warming. Global warming, essentially, is the rise in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. As the average temperature of the atmosphere gradually increases, a plethora of complications can begin to occur and intensify. For instance, since 2002, the Earth’s mean temperature has increased slowly every year, which has been correlated to the occurrence of a much shorter and warmer winter season year by year.
However, one cannot completely grasp the idea of climate change and global warming without being knowledgeable on the phenomena that it revolves around, the Greenhouse Effect. This effect basically outlines how the Greenhouse gases amass in the atmosphere and mimic a blanket-like effect where the gasses trap all the heat in the atmosphere, which would otherwise have been released into space. This buildup of heat in the atmosphere is the reason why the global temperature continues to gradually rise.
Knowing that climate change, global warming, and the greenhouse effect all work in conjunction to create havoc on Earth, we now need to examine how these specific effects of climate change are causing such disastrous outcomes on our biodiversity.
One well known cause of climate change is the increase in global temperature. In the event that the global temperature continues to increase, a plethora of different species will be affected tremendously. Take the Green Ringtail Possum of Australia for example. Biologically, the Ringtail Possum cannot regulate its body temperature when the atmospheric temperature rises above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In the event that Australia experiences a prolonged heat wave, the Ringtail Possums will be forced to adapt to these changing conditions, conditions that are biologically impossible, and if not, well, we all know how that story ends.
Furthermore, it is not only the atmospheric temperatures that climate change is affecting, but it is also the temperature of our oceans that are being targeted. Specifically, in the oceans, coral reefs are threatened. Rising oceanic temperatures are responsible for an event known as coral bleaching. This occurs when rising temperature cause the corals to abridge their symbiotic relationship with the algae Zooxanthellae. These algae are responsible for providing essential nutrients and support, in addition to displaying a wide range of colors that corals are known for. Once these algae are released, the coral takes on a white-ish appearance, hence, coral bleaching.
Intensified Natural Disasters
Increased intensity and frequency of natural events such as fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and more are as detrimental to humans as they are to our plants and animals. Events like droughts place insurmountable levels of stress on vegetation and animals that reside in such environments to adapt and assimilate. Not only are terrestrial species a target, but also marine species can be affected by such natural occurrences as well. For example, the drought during the summer of 2010 in Australia. The prolonged duration of warm temperatures forced many aquatic species, such as Manta Rays and Whale sharks, to migrate to areas of suitable conditions. This creates a plethora of issues within the oceans’ ecosystems and food web.
It is no secret that climate change is responsible for an excess of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, and being a major ingredient in photosynthesis, plants begin to experience rapid increases in growth rates. To the normal Joe it may sound as if that’s a good thing, bigger plants = more food = cure for global hunger, however, the world doesn’t seem to work like that. For instance, Koalas’ diets consist mainly of foliage which are different assortments of plant leaves. With increased levels of CO2, these plants begin to over-photosynthesize which results in a minimized nutritional value.
Furthermore, oceans have also been a victim of increased percentages of atmospheric CO2. Oceans have a tendency to absorb atmospheric CO2, which results in the basification of these marine systems. This decrease in pH targets the development of aquatic organisms’ skeletons, which in turn affects how coral reefs recover from coral bleaching.
By mentioning a few specific effects of climate change on biodiversity, it becomes evident that our species are indeed being negatively affected by this phenomena. The only sensible thing left to do is discover and propose ways to combat this full on assault launched by climate change. In order to successfully combat climate change,we first must identify major contributors to the overall climate change and find ways to eliminate it. Kind of like removing the star player on the team, no star player(s) = no wins (ideally speaking).
Fossil Fuels
According to the EPA, the burning of fossil fuels has been linked as the lead contributor for climate change and global warming. This is because in the realm of serviceable energy, fossil fuels are paramount. Nearly 87% of total fossil fuels produced are utilized for electric utilities worldwide. In the United States alone, fossil fuels produce nearly half of all electricity generated. Fossil fuels are undoubtedly one of the most used and effective resources for electricity on our planet, however; the damaging effects it has on our planet and biodiversity is detrimental. Planet-friendly substitutes for fossil fuels have been researched for years with great success, yet, there are no planetary efforts made toward transitioning into these substitutes.
Human Impact
As mentioned in the Fourth Assessment Report, a in-depth global climate assessment carried out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a scientific study group of over 1,000 qualified and independent scientific experts from across the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded that there is a more than 90 percent chance that the direct results of human activities accumulated over the past 60 years have warmed our planet. 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming. That means that plants and animals we had an opportunity to appreciate and admire during our lifetime will be unknown to our future generations, and it’s because of our actions.
The industrial activities that humans are reliant on have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years. The panel of scientists also concluded there’s a better than 90 percent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have caused much of the observed increase in Earth’s temperatures over the past 50 years.
Now that we know fossil fuels and ourselves are somewhat responsible for climate change and the loss of biodiversity, we need to focus on ways to move forward in an environment-friendly way. Good news, the solution has been glaring into our eyes the entire time.
El Sol
For those that don’t speak Spanish, that means ‘The Sun’, which happens to be our ticket out of this nightmare of climate change and the loss of life forms here on Earth. Solar energy, has the ability to replace fossil fuels completely, but there seems to be some hesitation when pushing for the switch.
The biggest reason why this switch is needed is because fossil fuels are deteriorating our planet, which results in a major decline in our biodiversity. For instance, the IPCC has predicted that by the year 2100, assuming that current trends in burning fossil fuels continue, the surface of the Earth will warm on average by as much as 6 degrees Celsius. To put the increase in perspective, since the late 19th century, the Earth’s atmospheric temperature only increased by a single degree. This single degree played a role in the effects of global warming we witness today (loss in biodiversity, sea-level increase, etc.).
Furthermore, the setbacks of fossil fuels do not simply stop there. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy resources, which means that it is possible to run out of this resource completely. Fossil fuels are derived from the remnants of plants and animals from centuries ago, but this limited nature of the resource makes it difficult to rely on indefinitely since it will eventually diminish. In addition, fossil fuels are the main contributors to air pollution on Earth. When converting fossil fuels to an energy source, the emissions from the conversions have undeniable effects to our planet’s air and water.
Efforts have been made to move toward healthier alternatives, solar and wind, since the early 20th century. Since 2010, the United States government has allocated a colossal $240 million in funding toward global warming related research, however; these efforts are being minimized by the mammoth daily production and use of these fossil fuels.The only questions that are left to ask are: How is solar energy better, and why hasn’t it replaced fossil fuels completely if it’s better for our planet?
Solar energy, energy generated from the sun’s radiation, is one of the most abundant and sustainable resources we have in our universe. According to NASA, we will have access to solar energy for as long as the sun is alive — another 6.5 billion years. Furthermore, the most important reason for the switch toward solar alternatives is the fact that solar energy is environmental-friendly and does not result in the direct loss of our precious life-forms here on Earth. According to UCSUSA, solar energy has no negative effects toward our atmosphere and does not contribute toward major issues such as global warming. From this, it is clear that solar energy reduces our dependence on non-renewable energy sources and is a much healthier alternative, which is an important step in fighting the climate crisis.
If solar resources are so much better than fossil fuels and are better for our planet, why are we still using fossil fuels? Although solar energy carries a plethora of pros, it harbors many cons as well. For example, cost is the biggest problem facing the universal utilization of solar energy. On average, solar energy panels cost a mere $2 per watt on a solar panel system. This leads to an average of $18,500 for a residential solar panel. In comparison, regular fossil fuels costs 10.59 cents per watt, giving a monthly electric bill average around $113. Although the solar panel is a one time cost, it is a far inferior option to fossil fuels in terms of cost and affordability. Furthermore, solar energy requires space, space we don’t seem to have. The global mean power density for solar radiation is 170 W/m². This is more than any other renewable energy source, but not comparable to oil, gas and nuclear power. Although solar energy has its setbacks, it is a proven and effective way to combat the use of fossil fuels and, in turn, useful in the fight against climate change.
There are a number of reasons why I advocate for the worldwide elimination of fossil fuels, and the thought of our planet one day withering away is the main one. We cannot continue to ignore the effects fossil fuels has on our Earth and be ignorant to the idea of leaving future generations with a “beat down” and used planet. Solar energy is our future and we need to make a more collective effort in moving toward it. If we continue to use solar energy on a minuscule scale and use fossil fuels abundantly, as humankind, we are moving toward a very dangerous era. An era in which global warming will be playing a lead role and we are just sitting in the background.
The whole scenario we are faced with can be condensed into the following, very complicated math formula:
Human activity=burning of fossil fuels=greenhouse effect=global warming=climate change=loss of biodiversity.
As one can see, it all spurs from the activity of humans which we can quickly move the blame to, however, the majority of these “non-planet-friendly” practices are out of necessity rather than choice. According to The Guardian, a British national newspaper, out of a survey of 2,884 people, 90% of the people in the survey want to use renewable energy sources after being educated on the impacts non-renewable sources have on our planet. Knowing this, the strongest tool to use in order to combat the equation above is education.
By educating and urging others to use more environment-friendly products and practice mannerisms that are associated with being “green”, we can help eliminate the copious steps that lead to the loss of our biodiversity.
In the end, if we get rid of burning fossil fuels, and move to solar resources, we are inevitably eliminating the support of climatic changing activities thus making the loss of biodiversity something of the past. Like I aforementioned, no star player = no wins. It is not ideal nor fair that Earth’s life forms have to adapt to climate change, as we owe it to mother nature to leave the Earth the same way we were give it. Don’t ask what mother nature can do for you, rather, what can you do for mother nature?
