Though there are many nay-sayers, most of us accept that humans have impacted the earth’s atmosphere to such an extent that the climate is changing. While the lives of many humans are affected by these changes, the greatest impact is reserved for wildlife.
This infographic offers insights into how climate change affects the habitat of the creatures that share our blue planet. When habitats change the creatures that depend on them are forced to adapt or move on to places where the conditions are more favourable.
Eco-systems across the globe are interconnected and as species move or die out, they may affect the balance of the entire ecosystem.
The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere has raised average temperatures by around 0.7° C since the start of the 20th century and the pace of temperature change is accelerating.
Greenhouse gases cause extremes of temperature, both hot and cold, and the winters are warming up. Satellite pictures show that the area of the earth under snow has decreased by 10% since the 1960s. The melting ice caps will bring billions of tons of water into the oceans and raise sea levels. The ocean currents are also changing as sea temperatures increase. The combined effect has been a rise in storm and hurricane severity.
This generation may be the last with the power to stop climate change before it’s too late. We owe the preservation of the earth’s magnificent biodiversity to the next generation. Let’s not wait until we reach the tipping point.
