Simply put – it is barely understandable. Climate Change and Global Warming- the terms simply do not convey what the problem is and how to reverse the trend. They are catchphrases that make us shake our head, shrug our shoulders and move on to the next interesting news bit that floats our way. Here is another phrase I do not understand but it was on a McDonalds sign in Pearland on my way to work so it must be true: Cheddar Bacon and Peppermint Shake. Is that two separate flavors or just one? This is what catches my attention at 6:10am, not atmospheric carbon dioxide. I do know that they serve their regular shakes in recyclable plastic and not styrofoam like other drive-thru food chains so they are inadvertenty trying to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide while making you drink a Cheddar Bacon and Peppermint Shake. Good for them.

We all are led to believe that Coke is the preferred beverage of polar bears during the holidays, but they may be persuaded to try a Cheddar Bacon and Peppermint Shake

I copied this from an article on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) website so you will understand why I think we do not understand: Overwhelming international scientific consensus confirms that human activities are disturbing Earth’s climate [1,3,4]. Science has demonstrated that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased by 35% (currently ~ 387ppm) and that Earth, as a whole, has warmed about 1.5o F in the past century alone. Effects from climate change are already threatening biodiversity and human health and are expected to increase [1,3,4,6,9]. 

Sub-arctic tundra and its inhabitants are affected by changing weather patterns

They used 5 references to write that one paragraph but what does it mean to most of us and how do we convey such a message so that humans understand – 1) The earth may be heating up a bit 2) Even a bit of heating up is way beyond what our planet can handle 3) Things are changing and not for the better unless we slow down our pace of consumption of earth’s resources. At least this is how I think we should start the conversation.

I found this on another site: Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have exceeded their relatively safe planetary boundary of 350 parts per million (ppm) and urgently need returning below this level if disastrous and unmanageable climate change impacts are to be avoided. I cannot tell what a part per million is but I do understand disastrous and unmanageable and I prefer neither to occur.

Why does it matter? Texas is always hot and humid. Short term memory has just showed us that we had a fairly decent weather year in Houston; rain, heat but not brain-melting, hurricane hitting our beaches-not this year, but we have nearly forgotten the ground scorching drought of 2011? Worst in a century? Fires all over the state, agriculture affected. The climate is changing and I understand just enough to know we are not doing anything about it here or in other countries.

Polar Bears, Seals, Walrus and migratory birds might be the species most affected by Climate Change – the poster “children” on what happens when our seas and atmosphere get too warm. We do not have Polar Bears here at the Houston Zoo. Wrong climate for them. A warm front for a Polar Bear is 50 degrees. A cold front 40 degrees below zero, so no matter how you look at it, we are always 50 degrees too warm for them.

Polar Bear just biding his time in Churchill, Canada, waiting for the November sea ice on Hudson Bay to hunt for seals

From the AZA site http://www.aza.org/climate-disruption/:  Polar Bears are arctic inhabitants which require sea ice for their critical habitat. Polar bears rely on winter ice formation to mate and to hunt seals in order to build up their own supply of body fat to sustain them while on land throughout the summer when the ice recedes. The polar bear’s ability to meet its fat requirements directly depends on the existence of ice habitat.

It would read like this: Loss of sea ice = loss of ability for Polar Bears to feed themselves  = potential for starving bears July-November until the next sea ice forms = decline of species. If you knew just this one fact – would you care enough to use less electricity, get better gas mileage, and waste less natural resources in order to protect a species?

This is not about animals being hunted to extinction – the weather patterns are dictating their survival from this point forward and only we can make the committment to change. It is not just about Polar Bears; migratory birds, marine mammals, fish, coral reefs, amphibians – a multitude of species will be affected by these changes.

It’s the holiday season – care just a little more about our planet, we are the only ones who can.

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