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Climate Change Killing Species

If you want to see evolution at work, have a look at what global warming is doing to many of the Earth’s already-endangered species.

Researchers say the planet’s warming temperatures are causing problems much faster than expected for some species -- such as polar bears, mountain frogs and Emperor Penguins -- which are struggling to keep up with the pace. Those species that can do so are moving northward, while others are actually dying out. Evolutionary adaptations can take millions of years; global warming has rendered changes to the environment in just a few decades.

As the planet warms, shifts occur that change the balance of numerous ecosystems. For example, food supplies may become less plentiful; seasons shift, forcing changes in migration; pests and predators can live longer and thereby grow more dangerous to their prey; and climates can become too warm for cold-weather animals to survive. A summary of the problems facing hundreds of plant and animals species was recently published in the journal Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. The report reviewed 866 scientific studies of the effects of global warming.

For example, at least 70 species of mountain-dwelling frogs died out because of rising temperatures in their habitat. Arctic polar bears are steadily losing weight and dropping in numbers as food supplies diminish. Emperor Penguins, the largest species of penguin on Earth, face a major crisis: Where once there were 300 breeding pairs in the western Antarctic Peninsula, there are now just nine.

Efforts to slow climate change are underway, though global debate continues over how best to achieve these goals and who should take responsibility. New technologies are entering the market that help to reduce greenhouse gases and ideas about how to adapt are increasingly bandied about. Whether any of this will come to fruition in time to save the world’s stately Emperor Penguins, however, remains to be seen.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org