ICareClimate

🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️ Myth surrounding the topic of climate change.

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“The problem is the speed at which things are changing.” Bill Noe, The Science Guy.

Limiting global warming could reduce human risk by 85%. If global warning could be limited to 1.5 degree Celsius, the risks to humans could be reduced by up to 85 percent.

The difference between 1.5, 2, and 3 degree Celsius average global warming can sound marginal. But, in fact, these temperature rises represent vastly different scenarios for the future.

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Thanks for your interest in helping save the planet.

PLASTIC BAG DIET MOVEMENT

The Plastic Bag Diet is an Indonesian movement that encourages people to rethink their use of plastic bags while fighting for government and policy change. Their solutions-oriented campaign reached a massive milestone in 2019, after 6 years of successful campaigning. The the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association changed their policy on free plastic bags and now charge for plastic bags in all their retail establishments. They continue their advocacy through organising beach cleans, holding public protests and educating people on consumer choices.

https://icareclimate.com/collections/aop-tote-bag



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What is the Global Plastic Action Partnership?

The Global Plastic Action Partnership or GPAP, is an initiative by the World Economic Forum to shape a more sustainable future through the eradication of plastic pollution. They work with organisations, partners and governments in Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam and Nigeria to create conservations and provide funding for actionable solutions. GPAP is dedicated to creating a circular economy and closing the loop in the plastic lifecycle by supporting grassroots plastic recycling initiatives in the Global South.

The physical manifestations of climate change, especially as it impacts underwriting, pricing, and portfolio management, are already here. We see it perhaps most clearly with wildfire risk in California and coastal flood risk in many low-lying regions of the U.S. and UK, where public or regulatory measures have been necessary to keep the risk insurable.

https://www.air-worldwide.com/publications/perspectives/a-forward-looking-perspective-on-the-interconnectedness-of-climate-risks/

Researchers have high confidence that climate change will likely lead to worsening floods. Increasing rainfall is compounded by the emerging trend of storms getting stronger and moving more slowly, and coastal flooding will also likely worsen from increases in cyclone intensity and sea level. At the same time, regions that are prone to droughts will likely experience longer and more intense ones, contributing to heat stress, pressure on food and water availability, and more frequent and intense wildfires. As (re)insurers attempt to form a picture of what these changes mean for underwriting, there are associated larger-scale economic trends that will have a material impact on portfolios. For example, we may see mass migration of populations due to loss of dwellings or employment, making certain regions that haven’t historically experienced certain types of extreme events less economically viable and driving down the number of insured properties and property values. At the same time, on the investment side, climate change can have a significant impact on assets such as mortgage-backed securities and municipal bonds.

https://www.air-worldwide.com/publications/perspectives/a-forward-looking-perspective-on-the-interconnectedness-of-climate-risks/

A dish of freshly boiled, juicy & tasty, red & good looking Maine Lobster at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Taken on March 28, 2010. Photo courtesy Bernt Rostad via Flickr. Used under a CC license.

Though it’s as tasty as ever, the lobster on your plate is coming from a different location than it did just 20 years ago. Warming sea surface temperatures from climate change are forcing populations of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) to higher latitudes than ever before—and upending fishing communities on the New England coast. 

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-lobsters

The problem is political. A fascinating analysis by the social science professor Kevin MacKay contends that oligarchy has been a more fundamental cause of the collapse of civilisations than social complexity or energy demand. Control by oligarchs, he argues, thwarts rational decision-making, because the short-term interests of the elite are radically different to the long-term interests of society. This explains why past civilisations have collapsed “despite possessing the cultural and technological know-how needed to resolve their crises”. Economic elites, which benefit from social dysfunction, block the necessary solutions.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/earth-death-spiral-radical-action-climate-breakdown?CMP=twt_gu

The Earth Is in a Death Spiral. It Will Take Radical Action to Save Us.

Climate breakdown could be rapid and unpredictable. We can no longer tinker around the edges and hope minor changes will avert collapse.

Social and economic impacts of climate change.

Image by: Eco Roots Foundation.

This is how climate change hurts human health and well-being.

Image by: World Health Organization (WHO).

Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge. Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age, economic resources, and location.

https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm

How can you help?

We all eat so we can all be part of the solution mitigating impact of climate change. Here’s a few of the things you can do:

Choose to eat healthy, diverse diets, and try to avoid heavily processed and packaged foods;

Vote with our dollars and with our voices for more sustainably sourced and developed products;

Avoid overbuying and overconsuming;

Eliminate waste from our kitchens and habits and applaud those friends, companies, and food service establishments who join this fight along with us;

Compost what you can’t prevent or reuse;

Know your food sources, both by getting to know your farmers and ranchers and by choosing brands that emphasize transparent supply chains with sustainable producers.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/the-food-climate-connection

The food-climate connection:

It seems obvious, but sometimes we need a reminder. Food comes from nature. So everything we eat has an impact on the planet—from how it's grown, to how it's packaged, to how it gets where it’s going, how it's cooked, and at the end of the meal, where it winds up (say, your tummy, the trash or a compost pile).

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/the-food-climate-connection

Glaciers are a crucial element of the world's ecosystem. But like many aspects of the natural world, they are becoming increasingly threatened by the consequences of human industry and activity.

Though there are efforts being made to stymie the gradual melting of these large ice bodies, it remains unclear if what is being done will be enough. Indeed, it might already be too late. But even though things seem dire right now, they could be much worse if society gives up the fight.

Climate change is now affecting bird species’ behaviour, ranges and population dynamics; Some bird species are already experiencing negative impacts; and In the future, climate change will put large numbers of birds at risk of extinction.

https://naturecanada.ca/discover-nature/about-our-birds/how-climate-change-is-affecting-birds/

Climate change threatens to disrupt the monarch butterfly’s annual migration pattern by affecting weather conditions in both wintering grounds and summer breeding grounds. Colder, wetter winters could be lethal to these creatures and hotter, drier summers could shift suitable habitats north. WWF’s 2013 report from Mexico showed that the number of monarch butterflies wintering there was at its lowest in 20 years. The number is measured by the amount of forest they occupy, and in 2013 the number of butterfly acres decreased from approximately seven to three. Abnormal patterns of drought and rainfall in the U.S. and Canada breeding sites may have caused adult butterfly deaths and less plant food for caterpillars. Fewer butterflies up north mean fewer then migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/monarch-butterfly

CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASES FOOD WASTE.

Ng’ikario Ekiru with her mother-in-law Nakode and three of her children, Aukot, Ekuwom and Apua. The family live in Turkana, a part of northwestern Kenya plagued by drought. Photo: Gavin Douglas / Concern Worldwide.

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION.

Animals drink water trucked into drought stricken areas of Somaliland by Concern Worldwide. Severe drought across the Horn of Africa has forced thousands of families to leave their homes in the countryside and seek help near urban centers.

CLIMATE CHANGE LIMITS ACCESS TO FOOD.

Francoise Kakuji, 70, and her vegetables for sale at the central market of the town of Manono, Tanganyika Province. Products grown on rural farmland as part of Concern Worldwide’s Food for Peace program are often destined to be transported to, and sold at this market.

Climate change and global warming are reducing the amount of Arctic sea ice. This ice is important because it’s what polar bears live on and where they hunt for seals.
So, as more ice melts, polar bears have less access to food, and their habitats are becoming smaller.

Original photo: “Polar Bears on Thin Ice” by Christopher Michel is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The cheetah is currently listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species.
Cheetah population numbers are declining dramatically in the face of climate change. And in some areas, cheetahs’ prey populations are declining, too. As a result, cheetahs have had to change their diets and prey on other animals that live in the same environment. Often, these animals don’t have the same nutritional value as cheetahs’ usual prey – affecting its ability to produce healthy s***m.
In fact, cheetahs s***m counts are ten times lower than your average house cat. And this is due to higher temperatures caused by global warming, which have led to the development of abnormal coils in cheetahs’ s***m.
And, rising temperatures also affect the big cat’s ability to reproduce by causing lowered testosterone levels in male cheetahs.
Because the number of cheetahs in the wild is declining steadily, conservationists are calling on the global community to lend support. One of the best ways to help is learning about cheetahs and adding to conservation efforts. For example, you can join GVI volunteers and gather data in Karongwe Private Game Reserve on projects that contribute towards cheetah conservation.

Green turtles, like many animal species, are sensitive to the changes in temperature caused by global warming.
And, because a baby turtle’s s*x depends on the temperature of the sand where their egg is laid, climate change has an impact on turtles’ development, too.
The warmer areas produce female turtles. So, with climate change causing an increase in temperatures, more females than males are hatching. And this reduces the number of male green turtles around.
This may affect the population growth of green turtles in the future since it means fewer mating partners for female turtles.
You can support the conservation of this endangered species by joining GVI’s Endangered Turtle Conservation and Research program in Greece.
Or, you can travel to Seychelles and add to the conservation of hawksbill and green sea turtles.

While studies have shown that jaguars are fairly resilient to extreme drought and flood over the short term, the jaguar population will crash if there are a number of extreme droughts or floods in a short time period, which is extremely likely due to climate change.
In addition, jaguars are already under pressure from hunting both of themselves and of their prey as well as habitat loss through deforestation, which is a key concern in Central and Latin America where these cats live.
If you want to get involved in monitoring this beautiful species’ activities and helping to preserve their habitat, you can join GVI in Costa Rica.

These birds live on the Antarctic continent and feed on krill – shrimp-like creatures that live under the ice sheets.
Climate change is causing the ice in this area to melt. And, as the ice melts, krill populations decrease and the penguins have to migrate from their natural habitat to find alternative food sources.
This makes it harder for them to settle down and mate during the breeding season because they sometimes run short of food.

Original photo: “Antartica” by nomis-simon is licensed under CC BY 2.0

This two-toned tree enthusiast, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) trademark bear, feeds exclusively on bamboo.
But, climate change is reducing the amount of bamboo that grows in pandas’ natural habitats in China.
Apart from being the bears’ staple diet, bamboo also provides them with shelter from the elements, leaving pandas vulnerable on every front.

Original photo: “Panda bear mammal” by wal_172619 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Elephants are particularly affected by high temperatures. This is because they need to drink a lot of fresh water to survive. So, climate change and global warming – which can cause droughts and water shortages – make it more difficult for elephants to get all the water they need every day.
Warmer conditions also make it easier for invasive plants to thrive, and outgrow the elephants’ regular food sources like bamboo leaves and bananas.
You can join GVI and build on efforts aimed at safeguarding Asian elephants while volunteering in Thailand.