Climate Change
The last 25 years have seen the impact of global warming on our wildlife become real. But is this just the beginning?
Climate change caused by global warming is happening. The earth has warmed significantly over the last 130 years causing the arctic ice cap to shrink, glaciers to retreat, summers to become hotter and winters to become less cold. The reason is that levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere have been rising since the start of the industrialised world. CO2 is released into our atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.
People have said a warmer world could be a better world. A temperature rise of just 4C would give Birmingham a climate similar to Lisbon in Portugal. It may not be bad for sun-worshippers but it would change the landscape of England beyond recognition. Our lush, verdant countryside would be replaced by drought resistant shrubs and plants which are currently found in southern Europe and the Mediterranean areas. Deciduous trees such as birch, hazel, alder and beech would suffer and maybe vanish and many rivers, streams and lakes would become dry during the summer. Our beautiful bluebell woods could become a thing of the past.
The danger is not just from higher temperatures. Changes in the balance of the seasons are likely to benefit adaptable weeds and pest species more than the rare and scarce ones. There will be more extreme weather events - high winds that blow down trees and torrential rains that cause huge floods. Considerable effort will be needed to protect and manage wildlife so it can cope with these changes.
Warming of 4-5C over the next 50 – 100 years is probably inevitable, no matter what efforts are made. This level of warming will have its consequences but we need to take action to make sure that even greater changes are avoided, by reducing our carbon emissions. We also need to act to adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change, to make sure that the landscape remains a suitable place for wildlife and people.
| Ways we are reducing our Carbon Footprint include: |
Ways we are adapting to Climate Change include: |
| Switching to more efficient electrical devices - light bulbs, fridges. |
Promoting landscape scale nature conservation. |
| Turning down the heating. |
Encouraging the establishment of wildlife corridors. |
| Using Energy Star computer products and switching to LCD computer monitors. |
Taking climate change into account in the management of our nature reserves. |
| Using public transport, cycling and walking. |
Monitoring wildlife that could be affected by climate changes |
| Planning all our future premises to be as energy efficient as possible, ideally carbon neutral. |
Raising awareness of the effects of climate change on wildlife and encouraging others to act. |
| Running our vehicles on sustainably produced biodiesel. |
Promoting sustainable development and green infrastructure planning. |
| Educating young people about climate change and helping them learn how to save energy |
Making sure that adaptation to climate change is addressed in plans and policies for the future of Birmingham and the Black Country. |
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