![]() Maybe your community is experiencing more severe flooding or wildfires. You may have noticed how weather patterns near you are shifting or how more frequent and severe storms are developing in the spring. Here at The Nature Conservancy, we use science to identify such locations and work with local partners and communities to do everything we can to protect them.įrom reducing agricultural productivity to threatening livelihoods and homes, climate change is affecting people everywhere. However, strongholds are not an option for all species, and some plants and animals are blocked from reaching these areas by human development like cities, highways and farmland. These strongholds serve as breeding grounds and seed banks for many plants and animals that otherwise may be unable to find habitat due to climate change. There are some natural places with enough topographical diversity such that, even as the planet warms, they can be resilient strongholds for plant and animal species. For instance, in North America, species are shifting their ranges an average of 11 miles north and 36 feet higher in elevation each decade to find more favorable conditions. The Central Appalachians are one resilient climate escape route that may help species adapt to changing conditions. This change in salmon population affects many species that rely on salmon like orcas or grizzly bears.Ĭhanges in temperature and moisture are causing some species to migrate in search of new places to live. As climate change alters the temperature and flow of these waterways, some salmon populations are dwindling. In western North America, salmon rely on steady-flowing cold rivers to spawn. and Canada, moose are being affected by an increase in ticks and parasites that are surviving the shorter, milder winters. It’s not just how climate change affects an animal directly it’s about how the warming climate affects the ecosystem and food chain to which an animal has adapted. In the polar regions, animals like polar bears that live on sea ice are now struggling to survive as that ice melts. Many species are approaching-or have already reached-the limit of where they can go to find hospitable climates. Rapid changes in climate can directly and indirectly impact animals across the world. What are the main risks of climate change? Scientists have looked at every other possible reason why climate might be changing today, and their conclusions are clear. ![]() As a result, temperature in the air and ocean is now increasing faster than at any time in human history. ancient climate data measured through ice sheets, tree rings, sediments and more) of the earth. The human-caused increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is much greater than any observed in the paleoclimate history (i.e. Today, however, by burning fossil fuels, causing deforestation ( forests are key parts of the planet’s natural carbon management systems), and operating large-scale industrial agriculture, humans are rapidly increasing levels of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Over Earth’s history, heat-trapping gas levels have gone up and down due to natural factors. The more heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the warmer it gets. Greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide and methane, trap some of the Earth’s heat that would otherwise escape to space. Without this blanket, our Earth would be a frozen ball of ice. ![]() This blanket keeps the Earth more than 30 degrees Celsius (over 60 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it would be otherwise. ![]() Scientists have known for centuries that the Earth has a natural blanket of greenhouse or heat-trapping gases. Whatever you choose to call it, the most important thing is that we act to stop it. Left unchecked, these impacts will spread and worsen, affecting our homes and cities, economies, food and water supplies as well as the species, ecosystems, and biodiversity of this planet we all call home.Īll of these terms are accurate, and there’s no perfect one that will make everyone realize the urgency of action. Many types of extreme weather, including heatwaves, heavy downpours, hurricanes and wildfires are becoming stronger and more dangerous. As the planet heats up (global warming), we see broad impacts on Earth’s climate, such as shifting seasons, rising sea level, and melting ice.Īs the impacts of climate change become more frequent and more severe, they will create-and in many cases they already are creating-crises for people and nature around the world. Each of these terms describes parts of the same problem-the fact that the average temperature of Earth is rising. ![]()
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