IMPORTANT NOTICE!
WELCOME, You are in the old website section up to 2011, please click HOME to view the website in the new 2012 design and system. THANK YOU!
SAVING OUR PLANET
Could you ever imagine a world where elephants are no longer roaming on the Africa savannah, where orangutans are only found in captivity or where a polar bear running along ice caps can only be seen in
film archives?
Such a world is more likely than you might think!
95% of the Great Barrier Reef corals gone by 2050, 75% of Antarctic’s Adelie penguins could disappear by 2050, polar bears wiped out entirely before the end of the century.
Surely this is not a future that any of us can accept? Individuals, companies and governments must do everything in their power to address the issue of climate change and mitigate their impact on bio-diversity and rich natural habitats upon which we all depend.
Earth Hour was an opportunity for everyone to voice their concern about climate change. On 28 March, more than one billion people around the world turned out their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to send a signal to decision-makers that they want to see action on climate change.
It is not too late to stop the tide of extinction, but we must act quickly. 2009 is a critical year for setting the world on a new course – one that safe guards these species and our planet.
The impact of climate change is placing enormous pressure on the earths most fragile ecosystems pushing many of the earth’s animals and plants perilously close to extinction. Scientific modelling and analyses predict it will cause catastrophic losses of species across the planet.
Few species will be immune to the effects of global warming, but some are particularly at risk, such as those in areas of higher than average warming (Polar Regions), those that cannot adapt and those whose populations are already too small to cope with rapid changes.
For species like orangutans, tigers and whales, which have been at risk of extinction for decades due to over-exploitation by humans and habitat loss; climate change threatens to put the final nail in the coffin. Threats like the widespread loss and fragmentation of habitat, illegal hunting and trade, and uncontrolled, unsustainable human development have already drastically depleted many species’ populations worldwide. Six of the seven species of marine turtles are threatened or endangered and one-third of Australia and New Guinea’s kangaroo and wallaby species are at risk of extinction. In combination with the existing threats, global warming will push some species over the edge unless drastic measures are taken now.
For many species it is unknown how – or if – they will adapt to climate change. Some adapt easily to their environment, while others have very specific needs.
For species like orangutans in Indonesia or Malaysia and African elephants, food shortages as a result of changed rainfall patterns may be one of the first signs of climate change. In the dwindling Indonesian forests where orangutans live, the frequency and intensity of flooding and wild fires are predicted to increase in wet and dry seasons respectively, changing the life cycles of their food plants and nesting trees and reducing food supply.
In sub-Saharan Africa, extreme weather events such as droughts are predicted to become more frequent and intense.
Some climate projections suggest that 20% of the protected areas in which African elephants live may no longer be suitable for them by 2080, including possibly national parks like Kruger National Park.
For other species the effects of climate change are already being felt as their environments respond to global warming. Populations of polar bears and emperor penguins at the North and South poles respectively are beginning to decline due to the loss of vital sea ice, which is essential for their survival.
Important food sources for whales such as squid may be affected by rising levels of ocean acidity as a result of global warming. Some coral reefs have almost been destroyed by the bleaching events caused by global warming in the latter part of last century, and such events are predicted to grow more severe and frequent in the future.
A changing climate will change the geography and in some cases, biology of certain species, so existing measures put in place to conserve them may no longer be enough.
Climate change will also change human behaviours. Sea level rises and the need for alternative fuel sources will increase competition for land, placing greater pressures on the habitats of some species.
It is not too late to turn the tide of extinction around, but there is no time to waste. If we want to share our future with tigers, turtles and polar bears, urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. Simultaneously, steps must be taken to increase the resilience of ecosystems to climate change by reducing all other threats to species, allowing them to adapt to the changes in their habitats. The future of the world’s most charismatic species are in our hands. Inaction is not an option.
We are appealing to all of you to do your part to secure the survival of our planet. Please visit: www.panda.org to learn more about what WWF is doing for the conservation of these species and their habitats, and how you can help.
Such a world is more likely than you might think!
95% of the Great Barrier Reef corals gone by 2050, 75% of Antarctic’s Adelie penguins could disappear by 2050, polar bears wiped out entirely before the end of the century.
Surely this is not a future that any of us can accept? Individuals, companies and governments must do everything in their power to address the issue of climate change and mitigate their impact on bio-diversity and rich natural habitats upon which we all depend.
Earth Hour was an opportunity for everyone to voice their concern about climate change. On 28 March, more than one billion people around the world turned out their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to send a signal to decision-makers that they want to see action on climate change.
It is not too late to stop the tide of extinction, but we must act quickly. 2009 is a critical year for setting the world on a new course – one that safe guards these species and our planet.
The impact of climate change is placing enormous pressure on the earths most fragile ecosystems pushing many of the earth’s animals and plants perilously close to extinction. Scientific modelling and analyses predict it will cause catastrophic losses of species across the planet.
Few species will be immune to the effects of global warming, but some are particularly at risk, such as those in areas of higher than average warming (Polar Regions), those that cannot adapt and those whose populations are already too small to cope with rapid changes.
For species like orangutans, tigers and whales, which have been at risk of extinction for decades due to over-exploitation by humans and habitat loss; climate change threatens to put the final nail in the coffin. Threats like the widespread loss and fragmentation of habitat, illegal hunting and trade, and uncontrolled, unsustainable human development have already drastically depleted many species’ populations worldwide. Six of the seven species of marine turtles are threatened or endangered and one-third of Australia and New Guinea’s kangaroo and wallaby species are at risk of extinction. In combination with the existing threats, global warming will push some species over the edge unless drastic measures are taken now.
For many species it is unknown how – or if – they will adapt to climate change. Some adapt easily to their environment, while others have very specific needs.
For species like orangutans in Indonesia or Malaysia and African elephants, food shortages as a result of changed rainfall patterns may be one of the first signs of climate change. In the dwindling Indonesian forests where orangutans live, the frequency and intensity of flooding and wild fires are predicted to increase in wet and dry seasons respectively, changing the life cycles of their food plants and nesting trees and reducing food supply.
In sub-Saharan Africa, extreme weather events such as droughts are predicted to become more frequent and intense.
Some climate projections suggest that 20% of the protected areas in which African elephants live may no longer be suitable for them by 2080, including possibly national parks like Kruger National Park.
For other species the effects of climate change are already being felt as their environments respond to global warming. Populations of polar bears and emperor penguins at the North and South poles respectively are beginning to decline due to the loss of vital sea ice, which is essential for their survival.
Important food sources for whales such as squid may be affected by rising levels of ocean acidity as a result of global warming. Some coral reefs have almost been destroyed by the bleaching events caused by global warming in the latter part of last century, and such events are predicted to grow more severe and frequent in the future.
A changing climate will change the geography and in some cases, biology of certain species, so existing measures put in place to conserve them may no longer be enough.
Climate change will also change human behaviours. Sea level rises and the need for alternative fuel sources will increase competition for land, placing greater pressures on the habitats of some species.
It is not too late to turn the tide of extinction around, but there is no time to waste. If we want to share our future with tigers, turtles and polar bears, urgent action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. Simultaneously, steps must be taken to increase the resilience of ecosystems to climate change by reducing all other threats to species, allowing them to adapt to the changes in their habitats. The future of the world’s most charismatic species are in our hands. Inaction is not an option.
We are appealing to all of you to do your part to secure the survival of our planet. Please visit: www.panda.org to learn more about what WWF is doing for the conservation of these species and their habitats, and how you can help.
Images (1)
Prev
Next
