Ways You Can Save the Enviorment

If everyone would do some of these things everyday, we would be stopping the global warming process.

At home:

Recycle everything

newspapers, bottles and cans, aluminum foil, etc.

Don't leave water running needlessly.

Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out of a room.

Flush the toilet less often.

Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you leave for vacation.

In the yard:

Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.

Put up birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.

Use only organic fertilizers.

In the car:

Recycle your engine oil.

Keep your tires properly inflated.

Carpool, if possible.

http://www.justgive.org/html/guide/50waysenvironment.html

What Scientist Say about Endangered Species

A major international study shows that global warming may drive a quarter of land animals and plants to the edge of extinction by 2050. Between a third and half of land animal and plant species will face extermination. "The news is not very encouraging", it suggests that species' extinctions following on from global change will broadly be in the same order of magnitude as species lost due to habitat destruction", said Stuart Pimm, an expert in extinctions and biodiversity at Duke University, North Carolina. Chris Thomas, from the University of Leeds, said "the effects of climate change should be considered as great a threat to biodiversity as the "Big Three" - habitat destruction, invasions by alien species and over exploitation by humans".
Both Thomas and Pimm agree that to change climate change, serious and immediate action must betaken at the highest level. This includes cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, employing new energy efficient technologies and using strategies to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4545

Any Solutions? Who Wants to Help?

The World Wildlife Fund has been doing a lot to help animals who are victims to global warming. The WWF is working with governments, power companies, and individuals and communities to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming. They made the Climate Savers Act which allows companies to take a part in helping the environment of animals.The seven companies the WWF are working with are IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Polaroid, Nike, Lafarge, The Collins Companies and Sagawa Express. With the help of these companies the plan is to customize progressive business plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially focusing on carbon dioxide emissions. Today the WWF is the largest independent member-based conservation organization in the world. It has 4.7 million supporters, and projects in almost 100 countries. WWF invites many companies to come and join them in fighting global warming. WWF also has staff working around the world on climate programs and research projects.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/results/moreResults.cfm#savers

Climate Change Affect on Wildlife

Most species that live int he water such as amphibians will be hit the hardest, thus resulting in the global mean temperature of the earth rising changes in salinity, water temperature, increases in sun exposure in areas due to evaporation, melting ice, and other problems. For example: the Golden Toad use to be found in the Monteverde in Costa Rica. This animal is thought o be extinct due to the the high temperature which results in drought. The Golden Toad was also in wet climates but the growing period of drought made it immune to diseases and infections.

This toad may have been the one of the first victims of global warming. Another example is trout and salmon. These fish live in cold water, but due to global warming ( the rise of temperatures) they are losing a very important habitat. Many animals eat trout and salmon, but what would happen if they were to become non-existent? There will prove to be an even BIGGER problem because these animals will either die or eat other animal which will mess up the food chain.

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/globalwarming/wildlife.html

Impacts on WIldlife

All organisms depend on habitats for food, water and shelter. Climate changes can effect this. It can alter behavior population sizes, species distributions, plant and animal communities, and ecosystem functions and stability. Species that have a small population are most at risk because they are not able to move to different habitats.
Egg laying, flowering, and spawning are occurring earlier in many species and in some cases it disrupts the delicate cycles that ensure that insects and other food are available for young animals.
Global warming increases droughts and is already causing extictions in vulnerable species. About 70 species of harlequin frogs in Central and South America have been driven to extinction by a disease that is linked with global warming. This is due to warmer temperatures that can cause increased cloud cover that creates conditions for a fungus that kills the frogs. Can you see how global warming can affect the ecosystem?

http://www.audubon.org/globalWarming/ImpactsBirdsWildlife.php#affects

Adapting to Rapid Climate Change

Some species of animals are changing their behavioral patterns in order to adapt to the rapid climate change, scientist believe. Examples are Canadian red squirrels. They are staring to reproduce earlier int he year, German blackcap birds are migrating and are arriving earlier at their nesting grounds, and northern American mosquitoes living in water-filled leaves of carnivorous plants which can also adjust their life cycles. Professor of biology at Oregon, William Bradshaw, said that global warming is going at a faster rate at more northerly latitudes which is causing longer growing seasons. "Over the part 40 years animal species and populations have been migrating, developing or reproducing earlier", says Professor Bradshaw.

www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0609-02.htm

What Can I Do To Help Stop the Effects of Global Warming?

Well when we start to burn fossil fuels, which are gasses, oil, and coal, we produce the heat trapping gas's that causes the rising temperatures in animals environment, in order words global warming. The more fossil fuels we burn the faster the change of global climate. So the most important things is to save energy. First you can start by just changing the way you live. Maybe you can buy a hybrid car, which is a car that runs on electricity and not oil. You can buy fluorescent light bulbs instead of regular light bulbs. These fluorescent bulbs will actually lower your energy bill and will also keep half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air. Refrigerators consume the most energy in a home, but refrigerators made today consume less than 1/4 the models built 30 years ago, so if you up-grade your refrigerator it could mean big energy savings on your home. These are just some examples in which you can start changing the way you live so many animals will be able to live. It only takes a few changes but their worth it. The biggest change you can made is to raise your voice and tell others about global warming and send a message to your elected officials, letting them know the effects that global warming is causing and the changes they can make to save animals and their environment.

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/gsteps.asp

Melting Glaciers Mean No Habitat for Animals

This picture shows that alot of the ice has already melted in this part of the Arctic. You can see the glarier in the backgroung is quickly melting, causing hardships for animal who live there. Most of the animals migrated to other locations that where no yet affected, but if humans don't try to fix the problem of global warming more areas are going to be affected, if that happens where are the animal going to go? Animal should not have to leave the habitat because of the kind of cheimal humans are using, that just not fair. When you look at this picture you have to actually think that some animals use to live here but they had to leave and find somewhere else to live.

www.coolantarctica.com/.../global_warming.htm

Global Warming Threatens Biodiversity In Australia's Wet Tropics

The findings of Dr. Stephen Williams shows that wildlife populations in Australia's Wet Tropics will vulnerable to the local warming trend. Dr. Williams said that climate changes in Wet Tropics will likely result in species ranges shifting up mountains, to maintain their habitat needs. But most of these animals are restricted to mountain ranges. There is not enough room for those animals to live. Only some animals will be able to adapt to those cool climates. Lee Hannah, a co-author of the study and senior fellow for climate change at Conservation International, says "The hotspots studied in this paper are essentially refugee camps for many of our planet's most unique plant and animal species. If those areas are no longer habitable due to global warming then we will quite literally be destroying the last sanctuaries many of these species have left." So we really have to stop this trend of global warming before we lose precious habitats of animals and habitats.

http://www.sciencedaily.com

Polar Bears and Global Warming

Melting Ice caps causes rough conditions for polar bears. Melting glaciers and land based ice sheets also contribute to rising sea levels which can cause coastal flooding and contamination of fresh water supplies. Average temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast and the ice is getting thinner, melting and rupturing. An example of this is the largest single block of ice in the Arctic called the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, it has been around for 3,000 years and in the year 2000 it started cracking. Within 2 years it has split all the way through and is now breaking into pieces.
Polar bears, whales, walrus, and seals are changing thier feeding and migration patterns. Which means that they will have to find some other way to obtain food and a place to live. As you can see in this picture the polar bear is traveling through some area that most likely was overcome by ice, but due to global warming all the ice melted.

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/qthinice.asp

Global Warming in Alaska

The Arctic is thawing rapidly! Reports from Greenland show that outlet glaciers are moving meters per hour and rapidly thinning. The Arctic Ocean ice cap is shrinking to the smallest measurements ever, and during the winter the temperatures are not even extremely cold like they were a couple years ago. This sea ice is habitat for the polar bear. Declines in bear nutrition, birth weight and survival have moved the U.S. government (who was urged by three environmental groups) to propose the polar bear be named a species threatened with extinction. This is a very serious matter! Did you know that Polar Bears face serious threats from global warming. As more sea ice melts and polar bears are left with rocky ground like that shown in the picture, hunting for food becomes more and more difficult for these large mammals.

http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/

Global Warming and It's Affect on Animals

Global Warming has a HUGE effect on Wildlife. "Global warming is having a significant impact on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world. Birds are laying their eggs earlier than they are suppose to", says Stanford College. "Our study shows that recent temperature change has already had an influence on many species," they wrote, a rapid temperature rise in combination with other environmental pressures "could easily disrupt the unity among species" and possibly lead to numerous extinctions. No one really thinks about how global warming can affect animals, especially animals in the Arctic. Due to the high temperatures most of the ice is melting which is causing rapid rising in water levels. Although Arctic animals love freezing water, they still need some kind of habitat( land) where they can hide their young from predators or hide their prey.

www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/03/root18.html