From "sea parrots" that nest on the English coast to the march of penguins in Antarctica, monkeys in treetops in the Amazon and other species of animals, birds and plants that unite them is the danger to their continued existence and survival in a warming world. WWF declares existential danger for 12 well-known species known and loved by the general public
In honor of Environment Day, the Endangered Species Fund (WWF) published a list called "feeling the heat" And it details plant and animal species whose existence is threatened by global warming. At the same time, it is published on behalf of the "Food and Agriculture Organization" of the United Nations (FAO) A survey showing how climate change is causing pest outbreaks that endanger food production.
From "sea parrots" that nest on the English coast to the march of penguins in Antarctica, monkeys in treetops in the Amazon and other species of animals, birds and plants that unite them is the danger to their continued existence and survival in a warming world. The WWF organization indicates an existential danger for 12 well-known species known and loved by the general public in order to raise awareness and public opinion in an attempt to prevent the approaching disaster if the temperature rises above the threshold set by the Paris Convention in 2015 above 1.5 degrees Celsius. Scientists warn that the world is fast approaching this threshold. The warming oceans cause the water level to rise and extreme climate phenomena such as heat waves, floods, droughts, fires and more, phenomena that make it difficult for animals and plants to adapt to changes.
The natural environment is the system that supports life, when the destruction of the systems continues - the damage is all-encompassing, not just local damage but causing the instability of the Earth's systems to the point of risking the survival of animals and people.
If the average temperature rises by two degrees or is two degrees higher than the threshold set in the Paris Convention (compared to the pre-industrial era), environmental systems will be fatally damaged beyond repair, more and more species will become extinct and millions of people around the world will be in constant danger.
The food of many species of animals has disappeared
Limiting warming will not be possible without immediately stopping the damage to the natural environment worldwide. To raise awareness and public opinion of the need for green activity, the WWF publishes photos of well-known and beloved species that are already suffering from warming today:
Puffins - overfishing harms the ability to collect food, strong winds and unseasonal rains make it difficult for the parrots to dive and fish, extreme weather during the nesting period harms the eggs and chicks.
Emperor penguin, the largest of its kind, is vulnerable due to changes in the ice layers, the penguin needs stable ice surfaces for nesting and spaces that will allow access to open water, due to the warming there is a lack of both requirements.
The bumble bee is considered an important pollinator. The bee is active in cold weather and the warming affects its ability to fly, gather food and survive, so it disappears from significant areas where it was common. In addition to the warming, the bees are harmed by the excessive use of insecticides (see below the common use of insecticides).
A snow leopard that was common in the highlands of South and Central Asia is threatened by poaching, habitat destruction and killing by predation on farm animals. It is estimated that without effective prevention and protection activities, by 2070 the areas of its habitat will be reduced by 70% and its population, which currently numbers about 4000 individuals, will become extinct.
A hippopotamus (horse) that used to be in our surroundings, is now in danger due to the drying up of bodies of water (swamps). "Hippos are considered environmental shapers in bodies of water so that many species that live in water depend on them. Wild hunting, habitat loss, friction with people and above all warming put the species in danger.
A squirrel monkey that lives in the Amazon like many other primates has an important environmental role mainly in the distribution of tree seeds. Like many other animals, the monkey also suffers from the destruction of the forests. There are plans to build dams in the area where the monkeys live, dams that will prevent the seasonal floods that are an essential part of the life cycle of the monkeys and other animals.
A danger to the coffee plant as well
Not only well-known and beloved animals are in danger, but also plants. An example of a well-known and well-loved plant that is in danger is coffee. Arabica coffee is indeed one of nine known types of coffee, but it is also the most common, well-known and consumed. The other species is Robusta coffee. Both species and especially the Arabica are suffering from the warming. Coffee needs a constant temperature range, not less than 18 and not more than 25 degrees, coffee needs an equal distribution of rainfall in the seasons. When the temperatures rise and the rains are not constant - the bushes suffer and there is no fruit. In addition to this, the heat and humidity cause a proliferation of pests and diseases. Although there are attempts and searches for resistant coffee varieties, but the damage has already been done.
In addition to well-known and loved ones, the WWF publishes many other endangered species, among them: mountain hare, loggerhead turtle, Darwin's frog, the bell plant, and of course - corals. The advertisement is supposed to cause awareness and be a warning call, but will it be helpful?
To illustrate the danger of warming and at the same time as the WWF's announcement, the World Food Organization (FAO) publishes a survey that shows that various pests destroy 40% of all food plant growth in the world, a damage estimated at about $220 billion every year. Because of the warming, the pests grow stronger and multiply and cause more and more damage by damaging important food crops. The damage is widespread in expanding areas and regions and thus endangers the existence of a natural and healthy environment and the supply of food to large populations in the entire world.
From the publication of the main finding in an extensive survey conducted by FAO scientists, it becomes clear that climate change affects the spread of diseases and pests around the world in a way that poses a challenge for everyone involved.
It was found that the climate changes will increase the danger of widespread distribution of pests in many vegetation systems and especially in agriculture. For example, one summer hotter than usual in temperate or cold regions is enough to "support" a wide distribution and invasion of new pests. For example, two pests, a larva of the midge Spodoptera frugiperda damages corn, sorghum and other grain crops, which is joined by a Tephritid fruit fly that mainly damages fruits but also other parts of the crop. Because of the warming, both are spreading to areas where they were not before. It is expected that the well-known pest that is considered the most destructive - the desert locust, will change its migration routes and geographic distribution due to warming.
It should be noted that invasive pests are a threat and cause significant damage to many environmental systems. The researchers who analyzed 15 species of plant pests that may expand their distribution areas due to climate change, showed how half of all plant diseases are spread due to the movement of goods that has tripled in the last decade. While climate change is the second most important factor.
The researchers emphasize that the eradication or even just the management of many pests after they have established themselves in a new area is almost impossible, while attempts at management and eradication are very expensive. The spread of pests inspired by climate change threatens food production: small farmers in "developing" countries who make their living solely from the field, depend on the health of the crops and are at immediate risk of starvation.
The reviewers suggest ways to mitigate the impact of climate change on plant health. The main recommendation is to increase international cooperation in the effective management and extermination of pests, limiting the spread of pests by supervising trade and tourism. The reviewers emphasize the need for more studies that will provide information on the combined effect of pests and warming.
Keeping plants healthy is the basis for sustainable development. The Food and Agriculture Organization publishes following an extension The International Year of Plant Health Until July 2021, a call for cooperation between all countries and industrial bodies to mitigate global warming, to preserve the natural environment and to cooperate in mitigating the impact of pests in agriculture and plants in order to prevent serious damage to food production capacity.
After the publication of surveys by the UN bodies, it is important for me to add that in recent decades I have joined environmental writers in warnings about the need to slow the warming and stop the damage to the natural environment, when in my opinion one of the main means for this is control of the human population. In recent years, more and more private bodies, researchers, scientists, public figures and even politicians join the call to control the population or as I often end my articles:
It is appropriate that instead of controlling the environment for the sake of the human population, there should be control of the human population for the sake of the environment!
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