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New Studies Show Global Warming Harm Wildlife



Hi - 

Thought this might be of interest to the list.  Those wildlife harmed include a
sustainable farmer's friends, the birds (that eat insects), the pollinators, and
likely other natural helpers, natural predators, the self-balancing natural
mechanism itself, etc....  

And, on the other side, pesticides are one of the things contributing to the
harmful process of global warming, like Methyl Bromide (as well, of course, as
driving, air pollution, etc.).  

Sometimes I sigh when I see how the inter-related assaults on the environment
harm us all, both directly and long-term, and about how many "fronts" there are.
And yet, it's only with a healthy ecosystem that we will all survive...

Hope you find this info interesting....

P. Dines

--- FORWARD---

Date: Mon, 28 Oct 96 18:42:14 
To: sc-action@igc.apc.org
From: sf.moderator@sfsierra.sierraclub.org
Subject: SC-Action #299 - Who's Who of Enviro Heroes

<OUTTAKE:>

IN THE AIR: New Studies Show Global Warming Affects Fish, Fowl 
and Butterflies

Warming Threatens Freshwater Fish Populations

The EPA just issued the results of a study on the impacts of 
global warming on freshwater fish.  The conclusion: changing 
climate could have drastic impacts on freshwater fish species.

The study found that a 2.5 degree Celsius rise in average 
temperatures over coming decades could devastate cold water fish 
species such as trout and salmon.  Maine, Massachusetts, 
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio, and Indiana could lose up to 100 
percent of their rainbow trout populations.  Brook trout could 
vanish entirely from Utah, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, 
Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and 
Massachusetts.

Already threatened salmon populations in the west and northwest 
would also suffer.  The chum salmon would probably disappear from 
California, as would the pink salmon in Idaho.  A total of 24 
states could expect to lose 50 to 100 percent of their cold water 
fish populations.  Cool water fish, such as walleye, pike, and 
muskie would also be severely impacted.

Climate Change Also Threatens Birds, Butterflies

At a separate Congressional Staff Briefing scientists detailed 
studies which show that global warming is already affecting 
butterflies and migratory birds.

One study focused on Edith's Checkerspot Butterfly.  It found 
that colonies of the butterfly had slowly moved north and higher 
in elevation over the last 100 years, consistent with predictions 
of global warming.  In fact, butterfly populations at the 
southern end of the species' range were 4 times more likely to go 
extinct than populations in the north.  Butterflies depend on 
more than just suitable temperature to survive.  If the plants on 
which they depend for food are unable to shift to cooler areas, 
or can't shift fast enough, both could disappear.

The study was carefully controlled to eliminate any possibility 
that factors such as habitat loss and pollution had affected the 
results.

The third study involved migrating birds and how temperature 
affects their movements.  It found that both the ranges and 
abundance of many birds shift regularly in concert with 
temperature changes.  It went on to detail the arrival date of 
one particular species of bird, the red wing blackbird, at a site 
in northern Michigan.  Drawing on a 36 year record, it found that 
the birds have been arriving earlier and earlier every year, and 
now appear 21 days earlier than they did in 1960.

While this may not present an immediate problem for the 
blackbird, other species could be drastically impacted.  Birds 
that depend on fixed sources of food to ?refuel? on their journey 
north in the spring would be hardest hit. An example is the a 
millions of shore birds that arrive at the Delaware Bay
every spring to feed on the eggs that are left the horseshoe crabs 
that arrive at the same time.  The bird's feed in order to build 
up energy and complete their migration northwards.  If the birds 
arrive early because of higher temperatures, but the crabs mating 
cycle is unchanged, shorebird populations could be devastated.

Don't Confuse Me With The Facts

As the mountain of evidence that global warming is already 
occurring continues to grow, some members of Congress still don't get it.

Dismissing concerns about global warming as liberal claptrap, 
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher  (R-CA) and his friends in Congress voted 
last year to cut funding for research into renewable energy, 
freeze fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks, and even 
restrict the EPA from researching climate change.  Unlike many 
environmental issues, the push to ignore global warming and 
sacrifice our children's future was led by coalition of 
Republicans and a number of powerful Democrats.

Perhaps these and other new studies documenting the onset of 
global warming will change Congress don't confuse me with the 
facts mentality about global warming.