Today more than one billion people from around the world will take part in Earth Day

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

I wanted to take this opportunity to address the most important home of all. It is the home we share together and often take for granted.

We all need to educate ourselves to the facts and act responsibly. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Earth Day 2013 - Climate Change

Today more than one billion people from around the world will take part in Earth Day, an annual event which celebrates our amazing planet and encourages people to take positive actions to protect it.



It is easy to think of climate change as a remote problem but the reality is that it is impacting people, places and species all over the world, and the numbers are increasing. The theme of Earth Day 2013 is ‘The Face of Climate Change’, which was chosen to highlight the increasing impacts of climate change on individuals around the world.This year to mark Earth Day we have selected our own ‘Faces of Climate Change’ in order to raise awareness about some of the many species affected by climate change.

Polar bears

Climate change is the biggest threat facing the polar bear, the world’s largest living land carnivore. The polar bear is dependent on sea ice for its survival, but climate change is causing drastic reductions in the extent of ice cover across the Arctic region. This reduces the polar bear’s access to prey, forcing them to spend more time on land and rely on stored fat reserves. Less food also means bears will give birth to fewer, smaller young.

Coral reefs

Climate change is already having measurable impacts on coral reefs worldwide.Coral bleaching, a process where corals lose their symbiotic algae due to the stress of being exposed to extreme temperatures, is becoming more frequent as the sea temperatures rise.

Climate change is also responsible for ocean acidification, a term used to describe the decrease in pH of the world’s seas as more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is absorbed into the ocean. This increase in acidity reduces the ability of corals to build their limestone skeletons.

North Atlantic right whale

Despite its large size, the North Atlantic right whale has a relatively narrow diet, comprising of tiny planktonic prey. As sea temperatures increase and ocean currents are altered due to climate change, the prey of the North Atlantic right whale is likely to move location or reduce in quantity. This could have devastating consequences for the species, with the change in food availability already affecting the reproductive rates of this highly endangered whale.

Sea turtles

The gender of sea turtle hatchlings is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated in the nest, with cooler temperatures producing more males and warmer temperatures more females. Increasing temperatures, due to climate change, will result in a disproportionate number of females in a given population. Sea turtle’s nesting beaches are also at risk with rising sea levels and increased storm activity threatening the beaches.

Golden Toad

  



The extinction of the golden toad is thought to have been caused mainly by climate change and the disease chytridiomycosis. Amphibians are sensitive to even small changes in temperature and moisture, with changes in global weather patterns altering breeding behaviour and affecting reproductive success. Climate induced changes in habitat may also decrease amphibians’ immunity to disease, as well as increasing their sensitivity to chemical contaminants.


Here is a song from one of my favourite documentary's. Carpe Diem!