Coral reef tipping point reached
It’s just 1.3 degrees, right?
When the planet warms by that amount, it may not seem like a big deal. But this rise in global temperature since the preindustrial era is now changing our natural world in devastating, heartbreaking ways.
We’ve reached the first “tipping” point — the point of virtually no return — for our coral reefs. A landmark report by 160 world-renowned scientists in 23 countries found that the world’s coral reef system has a 99% chance of dying due to the Earth’s warming.
This widespread damage won’t only affect 25% of marine life that depends on the reefs, but the livelihoods of fisherman and small businesses (think hotels, restaurants, tour companies) that depend on the ecotourism the reefs bring. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the commercial value of U.S. fisheries from coral reefs is more than $100 million.
The University of Exeter report found that rising ocean temperatures, acidification, overfishing and pollution are combining to cause coral bleaching and mortality. Virtually all of the planet’s coral reefs will be lost unless the global temperature quickly returns toward 1 degree C of warming or lower.
With our current political state of affairs, it begs the question, “Is this even possible?”
What’s causing the warming?
Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas has led to a major disruption to the Earth’s natural carbon cycle.
Burning these fuels to manufacture products, create electricity, drive our vehicles and warm our homes has led to an increased level of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which produces a destabilizing, warming effect on the planet. This is unequivocally clear.
Cutting down forests and eating higher on the food change also contribute to a warming planet.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History released a fantastic, short video titled, “How Carbon Impacts Nearly Everything on Earth.” I hope we are all open-minded enough to watch it.
Clearly, we all need to do more to lower our carbon footprints.
The easiest way to do this is to adopt a less materialistic lifestyle, since everything we manufacture uses power. Americans may also consider driving smaller cars and living in smaller homes.
Compared to Europeans, Americans drive cars that are 20% larger and less fuel efficient. In the U.S., homes are generally the largest in the world, often 800 feet square feet larger than those in other developed countries. This all drastically increases warming pollution.
People can lower their carbon footprints by consuming less, utilizing clean energy for electricity and transportation, planting native meadows, preserving forests and conserving organic farmland, but we need to understand that the most effective climate solutions require government action.
We are, unfortunately, beyond the point of solving this monumental issue of our time on the individual level.
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