#environment – Care for the climate

How climate change increases the risk of species extinction

‘Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to be a major cause of species extinctions in the next 100 years’ – Cahill et al. (2013)

The word anthropogenic refers to the geological epoch which we are currently in, for the last 12,000 years of human history we have lived through the Holocene epoch which signified our balance with nature and human life on Earth. When exactly the anthropogenic epoch started is still debated but what is certain is that the increase in human population and use of fossil fuels has created an era of uncertain instability.

This instability has resulted in many foreseen and unforeseen consequences, one of which is the decline of certain marine, animal and plant species. A famous report released by the UN in 2019 stated that over 1 million species are at risk of extinction which was supported by hundreds of renowned scientists. The different factors which decrease certain species population can be both isolated incidents and connected through the negative consequences of human accelerated climate change. Outlined below are some the ways humans are threatening many different organisms with extinction.

Deforestation

The main causes of deforestation is often to make room for cattle farms, mining or illegal deforestation whereby people harvest exotic timbers for profit.

How deforestation decreases species populations is somewhat simple to understand. Forests are cut down leading to the loss of certain foods and shelter which animals rely on to survive. With the loss of habitats these animals either migrate or die due to their environment no longer being able to sustain them. Some struggle to adapt quick enough to a rapidly changing environment.

Deforestation also decreases the amount of biodiversity within that area, biodiversity is integral for wildlife to survive. With so many interconnected systems of plants, insects and mammals, without certain organisms able to survive others will die as a result.

Global warming

With temperatures rising each year due to the amount of carbon emissions in our atmosphere, many different species are having to adapt to rising temperatures. However, evolution is a slow process and many species cannot keep up with the rapid advances in temperature.

Rising temperatures has also affected certain species in unpredictable ways. Since the 1990s rising temperatures has caused many coral reefs to die, turning white as a result. This coral bleaching means that they can no longer support local marine life which relied on these areas for sustainable survival.

This is troubling as we are already seeing the affects of species extinction in relation to current temperatures, with predicted temperatures being a lot more severe, this issue can only spiral if we continue on our current trajectory.

Overfishing

One of the greatest threats to marine life is fishing, more specifically overfishing and illegal fishing. Not only do these hauls decrease populations massively, they disrupt other marine life dependable on those organisms to survive. Also, the practice of bottom trawling and the carbon emissions used to power these massive freighters damage the environment in numerous ways.

The integration of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) is not a quick fix to all problems involving marine life, especially when taking into account the livelihoods of local communities that rely on fishing as a main source of sustainability. However, with policies such as MPAs and sustainable fishing practices we can begin to repair the damage that has been done to marine life before it’s irreversible.

Monocrop agriculture

The demand for multi-purpose crops such as soy or palm oil is profitable but involves a questionable practice known as monocropping agriculture. This practice being so profitable makes it very popular but can damage the environment in numerous ways.

Generally, monocrop agriculture causes soil degradation so farmers need to use fertilizer to sustain the nutrients in the soil. This can lead to pollution and desertification. As seen by examples in Brazil with soy and in Indonesia with palm oil plantations, monocrop agriculture can lead to mass deforestation and reduce biodiversity due to large areas of land only containing one species of crop. This causes certain species to desert areas or struggle for survival in what was once an abundance of biodiverse wild landscape.

Illegal wildlife trade

How the illegal wildlife trade threatens species extinction is somewhat obvious, through the killing and trading of specific animals for ivory or exotic pelts reduces their numbers the more the demand for these materials increase. According the a report conducted by Interpol, the illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth approximately $20 billion, demonstrating the scale of the issue.

Water pollution

Water pollutants is another way many species are being threatened with extinction. Whether it involves dumping toxic waste into the ocean or the amount of plastic that is being found in our oceans, these destructive actions are seriously threatening other species as well as the characteristics of the world around us.

The dumping of toxic waste is often a practice used by countries or large corporations as a cheaper method of disposing of their waste. Not only does this practice pollute waterways in developing countries but it can also affect local communities which live nearby.

Plastic pollution in our oceans is now well-known and everywhere we look. Examples like the great garbage patch in the Pacific ocean or the increase in plastic waste recently due to people wearing disposable masks during the current pandemic.

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Guest Post by Amy Collett – Planet Plus Profit: How to Start a Conservation Business

Most businesses operate with one goal in mind: earning a profit. For a new generation of entrepreneurs, there’s a more important bottom line: the environment.

These entrepreneurs use private sector approaches to achieve conservation goals like raising awareness, reducing waste, protecting ecosystems, and developing innovative solutions to conservation problems.

What does it take to start a successful conservation business? Let these resources from Care for the Climate guide your next big idea.

Developing a profitable business model for your conservation
businesses

Balancing business interests and conservation is arguably the greatest challenge facing nature-based start-ups.

● First, validate your business idea. Business validation assesses the feasibility of your business idea by evaluating its industry, competitors, and market.

● Too many conservation start-ups fail because they fail to properly identify the end user. To overcome this, experts recommend a lean start-up approach to business model development.

● Do you have the capital and cash flow to meet your company’s financial needs? Project start-up costs, ongoing business expenses, and monthly revenues to ensure financial sustainability.

Learn what’s involved in starting a business

Beyond the business plan, starting a business involves a variety of legal and logistical steps.

● After selecting a business name during the market research process, register the business name in your state, purchase a domain name, and trademark your brand.

● Your choice of business structure has lasting tax implications. Talk to a business attorney or CPA to choose a legal structure for your start-up.

● After legally establishing your business, get an UTR number. Also known as a unique taxpayer reference number, this information needs to be provided when paying taxes and employees.

● Managing your accounting is also a crucial part of running your business. Invest in quality business software tools that offer an array of features like real-time financial reporting, insights and analytics, and inventory management.

Where to get help developing your conservation business

From funding to mentorship, here’s where to find help launching your start-up.

● Many conservation businesses rely on private finance. To attract investors, start-ups need a clear project pipeline and business plan.

● Crowdfunding through websites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo is another popular route, especially for small projects.

● Eco-friendly businesses may be eligible for green small business grants.

● The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy maintains a listing of business incubators and accelerators targeting green businesses.

Business gets a bad reputation when it comes to the environment. However, the business community has a big role to play in solving the planet’s environmental challenges. Use these resources to launch your conservation business and show that stewarding the planet makes economic sense.

If you would like to read more from Amy Collett, please visit her website at: www.bizwell.org

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The characteristics of a biodiverse ecosystem

‘Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter‘ – http://www.worldwildlife.org

Illegal deforestation and the consequences of global warming continue to destroy our planet, making biodiversity harder to find on Earth. The natural world is interconnected through millions of complex relationships which depend upon lots of different species. With less biodiverse landscapes these relationships become unstable, creating mass extinction events such as the one we are currently witnessing. However, rewilding projects strive to amend this issue by recreating natural and biodiverse landscapes to help stabilise what we have destroyed. Below I have outlined some of the characteristics that create a biodiverse landscape.

Genetic diversity
This focuses on the variety of different genetic material within a species population. Greater genetic diversity means a population will have an easier time adapting to environmental issues. This characteristic, like others, being essential for endangered species and conservation efforts. Although, some argue that due to the unpredictable climate, species cannot adapt fast enough to keep up with the environmental pressures.

Ecosystem diversity This is essentially the different biomes across the planet which hold specific climates with species directly related to that climate. For example, a tropical climate might hold more insects and exotic plants compared to a colder climate such as Antarctica.

Species diversity
This is the variety of different species found in the area which is being researched or maintained. This can range from a species of bird to a certain species of tree. Establishing a balance is key to maintaining a biodiverse landscape, without this the ecosystem becomes unstable. For example, palm oil plantations in Indonesia are detrimental to the local ecosystem as they only consist of one species of tree which creates an imbalance of species diversity.

Functional diversity
Can be summarised as the biological and chemical processes needed for the survival of species and ecosystems. For example, the nitrogen cycle or the carbon cycle.

Some of the most biodiverse places on Earth will share all these characteristics to varying degree. Unfortunately, due to the state of the natural world caused by human behaviour over the last two centuries these rich natural environments are declining at unprecedented rates. Therefore, It is important we understand what is meant by biodiversity and why it is needed if we are to aim at repairing the natural world.

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Sustainable ideas for homes

Making your home more sustainable can be achieved in various ways and can introduce some interesting and exciting new ideas. Below are some practical ideas as well as some experimental prototypes.

Sustainable heating systems: Switching from a gas boiler can improve the sustainability of your home and in some cases save you money. If you would like more detailed information then check the hyperlink above. Three alternative heating systems I found from the website were the electrical resistance heating, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps.

Sustainable water systems: Again, for more in-depth information follow the hyperlink in the title. One important point I found from the website was that two central branches for sustainable water involve introducing water-efficient devices and/or using alternative water sources to supply the household.

Tesla solar panel roofing: This involves replacing typical roof tiles with roof tiles that are also solar panels. Efficient as they maximise the space a roof can capture solar energy whilst demonstrating a modern style.

Solar panel windows: A new innovative design that replaces normal windows with clear solar panel windows. This idea is still in its infancy and being tested but could prove to be a valuable investment. Given time for transition, with enough buildings installing solar windows this could alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels for energy usage.

Growing your own food: This is a fun and relatively easy way to reduce your dependence on supermarkets, all it takes is a little patience and saves a little money. Plastic used by supermarkets creates a lot of waste and vegetables tend to always be packaged in plastic wrapping. If you’re growing food indoors, growing near a window seal is beneficial or using artificial lights. Regardless of where you decide to grow your plants, there are sustainable techniques to growing food that are universal. Different techniques involve composting green waste, saving seeds from vegetables and mulching. Growing your own food whether in little pots by your window or in big planters in the garden is a simple solution toward being more sustainable.

Hopefully this post offers some insight on how to make your home more sustainable, given you an activity to do during lockdown or at the very least been an interesting read.

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Why bees are integral to our ecosystems and how to restore their population

Whilst forests play an important part in maintaining habitats and provide carbon traps, bees help pollinate the food we eat as well as the trees and plants that make up forests. We rely on them to maintain a biodiverse landscape as well as pollinate 90% of food worldwide.

Photo by Ion Ceban @ionelceban on Pexels.com

We are experiencing a global decline in bee diversity and population which is a serious issue as they pollinate a large percentage of our food supply. The reasons for this loss can vary depending of geographical location. Generally, bee population decline is due to the use of pesticides, such as the ones recently allowed in the UK. Climate change also disrupts bee populations from unstable plant diversity and unpredictable weather patterns. Finally, monoculture such as palm oil plantations presents a lack of biodiversity and commercial development both impact bee populations and their chances of survival.

There are many different ways the bee population can be restored. For example, the National Wildlife Federation has comprised a list of six different solutions:

Plant natives – These are accustom to your local ecosystem, provide bees with sustainable food and do not require fertilizer.
New garden areas – Add new garden beds and encourage others to plant more flowers.
Organic – Refrain from using insecticides and chemicals in your garden.
Water – Place shallow pools of water in your garden for bees and other pollinators to thrive.
Nesting places – Create nesting places in your garden to increase the likelihood of the bee population increasing.
Responsibility – Raise awareness of the issue and inspire others to follow the same list of resolutions.

Others suggest planting bee friendly plants to adhere more to their needs or even going further and advocating for bee protection at different levels of government.

‘Slowing down and even reversing habitat destruction and land-conversion to intensive uses, implementation of environmentally friendly schemes in agricultural and urban settings, and programs to flower our world are urgently required. Bees cannot wait’ – Zattara, E. Aizen, M. (2021)

No matter what we decide to do in resolving this growing issue, it is undoubtedly vital that bees and other pollinators populations increase otherwise our food security and biodiversity of the planet will severely suffer.

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News: Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral since 1995

In a previous post I mentioned the continuing degradation of coral reefs and coral bleaching due to climate change which destroys marine habitats and the ecosystems which depend on them.

In recent news, Marine scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Queensland, Australia have discovered that from 1995 to 2017 an array of different coral has declined in the largest reef worldwide.

This demonstrates the impact global warming can have on marine life. With coral reefs disappearing, the natural cycles which are unseen for many of us are disrupted leading to more species decay and instability.

Coral bleaching does not only impact coral communities but human communities that depend on coral reefs as well. Therefore, the increased decline of biodiversity in our oceans as well as in our rainforests does not serve well against the mountain of issues climate change presents us with.

However, there are ways we can help coral reefs recover from extensive bleaching. Recognising the solutions to these problems help bring awareness to the fact that we can tackle these negative changes but only with enough care and attention to the important world around us which all life ultimately depends on.

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News: Jamaican beaches are degrading from climate change

It is now well known that global warming as a result of climate change is leading to the loss of many coastal regions on our planet. Often, the people least involved with causing climate change are also the ones impacted by it the most.

This has become apparent in places such as Jamaica, where beaches are starting to minimise and degrade due to rising tides. As a result, many of their Caribbean beaches are starting to lose its tourist attractions which they rely on as a source of income.

A recent news report stated that:

‘The beachfront has been swallowed by the surging tides, a result of decades of climate change and mismanagement‘

‘Coasts play a critical role in the economies of many Caribbean nations, whose population centers are close to the shore and who rely heavily on their ports and on tourists attracted to their picturesque waters. But beaches throughout the Caribbean are eroding as a result of rising sea levels and dangerous storms resulting from climate change‘.

This is especially worrying as places like Jamaica are starting to see the results of climate change whilst the US, which has a big impact on the climate and a lot of resources for potential solutions, are set to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement on November 4th. Therefore, if international unity toward climate change is not guaranteed, which the Paris Agreement set out to do, then the problems will only continue to worsen and certain countries will be left to fend for themselves over issues which they did not entirely cause.

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News: Leather material made using fungi

Recent researchers have invented a way to make leather out of fungi. As we know, many consumer products are made using leather which has a big impact on the way we treat certain animals and the environment. However, this biofabricated material using fungi can help reduce our impact on certain animals and also supplement a huge variety of consumer products.

A quote taken from the research article states:
‘While traditional leather and its alternatives are sourced from animals and synthetic polymers, these renewable sustainable leather substitutes are obtained through the upcycling of low-cost agricultural and forestry by-products into chitinous polymers and other polysaccharides using a natural and carbon-neutral biological fungal growth process‘.

Just as I have talked about certain items made from algae in a previous post, this fungi material may help solve some of the leading issues in fashion and consumerism. Helping to provide an alternative solution with less of an impact on the environment which in turn creates a healthier planet.

Of course, to get the most positive outcome everyone would need to stop buying products which harm the animals and environment as well as adopting more vegetarian diets. Unfortunately, due to climate denial and a lack of education provided on the subject, this is not a feasible solution even though it would yield the more efficient outcome.

Although change can be arduous, research breakthroughs such as these are a step in the right direction in terms of how we need to think but also how we make lifestyle choices. As we continue to learn how to live with nature and not have it exist for our benefit alone, we will begin to witness some of the transformations toward a more sustainable future.

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Why climate change is more of a concern now than ever before

Currently, climate change is a major issue for humanity and one that cannot be solved easily. The words ‘climate change’ are somewhat natural when looking at the Earth’s history but presently represent a host of different issues which are all interlinked in some way. From deforestation, pollution, carbon emissions to overfishing, meat consumption and consumerism all affect the planet’s sustainability and biodiversity.

A recent video which helps summarise my point further can be found below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sl28fkrozE&t=0s&ab_channel=TED

What will be looked at today is the history of global warming and the consequences melting ice and rising temperatures.

The first appearances of climate change occurred during the 1820s when Joseph Fourier discovered that atmospheric gases could trap heat emitted by the sun. Today, we now know this early discovery has degrading consequences, especially for those contributing least to the problem.

Two examples of the progression of our planet’s degradation I will draw from are the melting of ice and warming of the planet.

The melting of ice worsens with each passing year as the time-lapse below demonstrates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7x9leQqrkc&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=AGU

Some of the problems which follow the ice melting are associated with flooded coastal areas, disturbed marine ecosystems and the collapse of polar ecosystems. Each bring their own set of problems to the table and some of the consequences of these changes are yet unknown as our planet as never experienced such radical climate change in recent history.

The warming of the planet, which is interlinked with the melting of ice, brings a host of separate problems as well. As shown in the video below, global warming has considerably increased over the past 100 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sqdyEpklFU&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=NASAClimateChange

The consequences associated with global warming consist of longer breeding seasons for insects and this ultimately leads to population imbalances, such as locusts, taking place in parts of Africa and Asia leading to reduce crop yields. Global warming also causes permafrost to thaw, releasing ancient viruses and harmful gases, such as methane, back into the atmosphere.

The amalgamation of these two interlinked issues which fall under the umbrella of climate change demonstrate the complexity of the problem at hand. Demonstrating that as a collective we must take climate change seriously and invent efficient ways to deal with these complex issues.

In summary, these two main examples are clearly interlinked and disturb the planet’s natural systems. However, as mentioned earlier these are only two issues amongst a plethora of other concerns which are caused by human behaviour and affect the planet’s health. Therefore, in striving for solutions to these problems it is vital that we take a collective responsibility and not leave it in the hands of a minority of scientists and technological innovation.

Sources:

⦁ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sl28fkrozE&t=0s&ab_channel=TED
⦁ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225789568_Global_warming_and_state-corporate_crime_The_politicalization_of_global_warming_under_the_Bush_administration
⦁ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7x9leQqrkc&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=AGU
⦁ https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/11/e1700537
⦁ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.12337
⦁ https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/breaking-research/most-polar-bear-populations-likely-collapse-end-century-if-global-warming
⦁ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sqdyEpklFU&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=NASAClimateChange
⦁ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225789568_Global_warming_and_state-corporate_crime_The_politicalization_of_global_warming_under_the_Bush_administration
⦁ https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/08/rolling-emergency-of-locust-swarms-decimating-africa-asia-and-middle-east
⦁ https://arcticwwf.org/newsroom/the-circle/arctic-tipping-point/thawing-permafrost/

News: UN warn natural disasters caused by climate change are increasing

A press release published on the 12th October 2020 by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has claimed that there has been a dramatic rise in climate disasters over the last 20 years.

To summarise the report, it claimed that in the period between 1980 to 1999, 4,212 disasters occurred claiming approximately 1.19 million lives and affecting 3.25 billion people. In the US alone, this roughly cost $1.63 trillion in economic loss.

In the period between 2000 to 2019, 7,348 disasters were recorded claiming 1.23 million lives and affecting 4.2 billion people. Again in the US $2.97 trillion was lost due to these unfortunate events.

Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, stated: ‘More lives are being saved but more people are being affected by the expanding climate emergency. Disaster risk is becoming systemic with one event overlapping and influencing another in ways that are testing our resilience to the limit. The odds are being stacked against us when we fail to act on science and early warnings to invest in prevention, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction’.

It is clear that we must continue to transition toward solutions such as rewilding which increases biodiversity, cut carbon emissions to prevent further global warming and reduce polluting. Among many other solutions both big and small, collectively we can help prevent the loss of more life and money being invested to repair the damages.

Sources:

https://www.undrr.org/news/drrday-report-dramatic-rise-climate-disasters-over-last-20-years