Weekly Climate News

Updates for August 3rd

• Are you taking daily sustainable action? Read this article on how to stay eco-friendly during a pandemic. 

• A study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, revealed that up to 171 million people today face the risks of coastal flooding from extreme high tides and storm surges, linked to rising sea levels resulting from climate change. Not only are the inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas in harm's way but trillions of dollars in economic assets worldwide are currently at risk. 

• At least a quarter of Bangladesh is submerged from heavy rainfall, highlighting how those who have the least impact on climate change are often those who are the worst affected. 

• Lockdowns as a result of COVID-19 have cut energy-related CO2 emissions by 17 percent, a new study finds.

• But as countries and states reopen, global greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise. Read this article (with infographics!) on what this increase implies. 

• Due to climate change, poor governance and the coronavirus pandemic millions of Zimbabweans have gone hungry, but a community in Mwenezi, Zimbabwe, has a reliable food source. This resulted from an innovative plan initiated six years ago by a group of 200 women. Read this article to hear their story!

• A new push in the UK to promote and fund active travel has benefits for people’s health and the environment in curbing pollution. Read about it here! 

• 10 Indigenous guardian projects across the country will be receiving federal funding for a third year. These Indigenous communities will allocate the funds towards monitoring and protecting the environment. 

• COVID-19 shutdowns have produced cleaner air which has increased the effectiveness of solar panels around the world. 

• Read this investigation into how the fossil fuel industry finances police groups in major U.S. cities! 

• Monarchs show us that with climate change, small actions can have world-altering results. Read this article about the butterfly effect.  

New study gives hope for the restoration marine life

Photo by Trinity Kendrick ‘21

by Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Marine species are rapidly heading towards extinction due to overfishing and climate change. The UK World Wildlife Fund (WWF-UK) reported in 2015 that marine species declined by 49% between 1970 and 2012. Marine life and ecosystems play an essential role in the lives of both people and animals. Not only are over 800 million people reliant on the fishing industry as their livelihood, but marine life constitutes the foundation of countless animal food chains. Marine life is also a cornerstone of many cultures around the world, at the current rate of decline, traditions such as the Italian-American tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes will soon be symbols of an abundant past. 

While current trends predict a rapid decline in ocean life, a recent review published in the scientific journal Nature claims that with the right policies, marine life can be fully restored in as little as thirty years. The review points to the recovery of humpback whales and other endangered species as a source of hope for the rest of marine life. It identified several policy changes that will help achieve this restoration, such as making 20-30% of the ocean into marine protected zones, enacting more restrictive fishing guidelines and reducing ocean pollution. 

Protecting the ocean comes with a price tag. It is estimated that restoring marine life would cost at least $20 billion per year. However, the payoff of implementing stronger marine policy will far outweigh the costs. An increase in environmental protection will revive the declining fishing industry and create new jobs. A less obvious financial incentive for the restoration of wetlands and coastal ecosystems is their ability to buffer severe storms and decrease resulting damage done to coastal towns, protection that almost 200 million people rely on.

Protecting the ocean has a myriad of benefits to people and the environment alike, but it cannot succeed alone. Climate change caused by events on land contributes to the decline in ocean health by causing ocean acidification and warming, which are detrimental to marine life. Ocean acidification lowers the levels of calcium carbonates in the sea, which organisms like clams need to build strong shells and skeletons. Ocean warming pushes species who can no longer tolerate the water temperature towards deeper waters, emptying out coastal ecosystems and disturbing food chains throughout the ocean. International collaboration to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions is necessary. For the policy changes suggested by the scientific review to succeed, international collaboration to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions is necessary. 

The ocean still has a chance to rebound from decline, but the window of opportunity is closing fast. The report states that if we do not act soon it will be too late to reverse the damage done to oceans. Restoring marine life will require what the authors of the review refer to as a “Grand Challenge for humanity,” an international collaboration that is unprecedented in environmental policy.