Why Should I Worry About Conservation of Native Species?

There are thousands upon thousands of resources, scientific research, and publicly available data that proves the seriousness of the climate crisis. Journalists, scientists, activists, politicians, and everyday citizens have been speaking up on the topic of environmentalism and climate change for decades. Once again I have to recommend the authors that contributed to the Penguin Publishing Green Ideas Collection. If you want to know the reality of the climate crisis, the short, immediately accessible version, that is the purpose of this post. 

Human Impact

"The Story of Stuff "currently has 8.1 Million views on Youtube. This video explains the process and problems of the mass consumption system in our society, and it's very real impact on the environment. I have watched this video a few different times, and every time it is shockingly candid and educational. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend that you stop reading this post RIGHT NOW and watch The Story of Stuff.

Science and Facts

The main facts of the climate crisis can be found in The 10 facts that prove we're in a climate emergency by WIRED. This article is a brief breakdown of the sixth IPCC climate change report that underlines the main problems we face with the climate crisis.

The science of the climate crisis is solid and agreed upon by scientists, journalists, philosophers, etc, but disinformation and the weight of the topic make it hard for many to realize the seriousness behind the climate crisis. The New York Times article "The Science of Climate Change Explained: Facts, Evidence and Proof" is a condensed and easily understood piece of work that lays out the answers to the most common climate change questions and worries. The article answers the following questions:

How do we know climate change is really happening?
How much agreement is there among scientists about climate change?
Do we really only have 150 years of climate data? How is that enough to tell us about centuries of change?
How do we know climate change is caused by humans?
Since greenhouse gases occur naturally, how do we know they’re causing Earth’s temperature to rise?
Why should we be worried that the planet has warmed 2°F since the 1800s?
Is climate change a part of the planet’s natural warming and cooling cycles?
How do we know global warming is not because of the sun or volcanoes?
How can winters and certain places be getting colder if the planet is warming?
Wildfires and bad weather have always happened. How do we know there’s a connection to climate change?
How bad are the effects of climate change going to be?
What will it cost to do something about climate change, versus doing nothing?

If you don't have a subscription to The New York Times or ran out of free articles before you finished getting all the facts, check out this report, The Truth About Climate Change. This work discusses not only the truth of the climate crisis, but also the Paris Agreement and why it has been so difficult to take action to help the environment.

What Will Happen

What will happen if we continue to ignore the all-encompassing issue that is the climate crisis? Well, two sources that outline the devastating future we currently face are TIME's article What the World Will Look Like in 2050 If We Don't Cut Carbon Emissions in Half and World Wildlife Fund's Our planet is warming, here's what's at stake if we don't act now.

In short, the air will become polluted across every corner of the world. Entire areas of the planet will be inhospitable to humans and most wildlife. The rising sea levels and shifted climate will increase the number of massive hurricanes and tropical storms. New diseases will be released by melted permafrost. Heat waves will kill humans, wildlife, and the plants we all depend on. Coral reefs will be nonexistent, and most aquatic life will diminish or disappear entirely. Habitats will dissipate across the world until the planet is nothing more than barren land, devoid of all life and resources. 

What We Can Do

What can we do about the climate crisis? Well, if you go through the rest of my blog, you will find posts and resources primarily on converting urban areas from turfgrass into native species. There are also other resources on how to live a more eco-friendly life every day, small and big changes you can make to help the planet, and videos on how I propose these changes. So, get out there and learn, grow, and change the world for the better. 

Sources: 

https://youtu.be/9GorqroigqM

https://www.nytimes.com/article/climate-change-global-warming-faq.html#link-77e98c1e

https://www.broward.org/Climate/Documents/Climate_Website/Climate%20News/The%20Truth%20About%20Climate%20Change.pdf

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/climate-change-facts-2019

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/our-planet-is-warming-here-s-what-s-at-stake-if-we-don-t-act-now