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Knowledge of Climate Change

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The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication has just released the results of their study on Americans’ knowledge of climate change.

Among the important findings are that, when it comes to climate change, many Americans “misunderstand the causes and therefore the solutions.” Large majorities, however, correctly understand that planting trees and reducing tropical deforestation would reduce global warming if they were done worldwide. We hope this means that more people will support our efforts to mitigate climate change through reforestation efforts in Nicaragua.

The especially good news is that “Americans also recognize their own limited understanding. Only 1 in 10 say that they are ‘very well informed’ about climate change, and 75 percent say they would like to know more about the issue.” As an organization dedicated to advancing scientific understanding, we are glad to know that people are eager to learn and understand.

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To fill the gaps in knowledge used to determine conservation status, says Eimear Lic Lughadha in the October 1st issue of Science, “plants may be more representative of what’s happening to the whole of biodiversity.” The reliance of so many species on various plants has led to a new technique called the Sampled Red List Index, using statistical sampling for estimating the risk of extinction within a particular geographic location. This method confirms patterns already observed in conservation science; like the fact that birds are less likely to go extinct than mammals and amphibians.

Further evidence that wings are advantageous underscores the importance of migratory corridors. Birds are not as reliant on connectivity as other wildlife, so they are able to survive better when their habitat is fragmented. As we conduct our biodiversity monitoring and reforestation projects, we’ll keep the Sampled Red List Index in mind. In the meantime, we’ll maintain our commitment to working with various stakeholders to ensure maximum connectivity for our umbrella species, the endangered (and arboreal) black-handed Spider monkey, and for other Nicaraguan wildlife.

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In light of the global warming, which some today feel is just a myth, the reality is coming home sooner to others in a more radical way. In Australia, one of the most treasured environmental icons, the Great Barrier Reef is under siege.

Read more from our friend Greg Reitman: http://www.the-environmentalist.org/2010/09/climate-war-comes-home-to-australia.html

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From the AAAS Science Roundup:

In October 2010, scientists, nongovernmental organizations, and politicians will meet at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to assess the current condition of global biodiversity and to agree on priorities for its future conservation. In the 10 Sep 2010 Science, a Review article and special News Focus section discussed the issues at stake. Rands et al. reviewed recent patterns of biodiversity conservation, highlighting successes, as well as current and future threats. They argue that biodiversity should be treated as a public good — with responsibility for its conservation integrated across sectors of society and government — rather than be confined to the business of environmental agencies. 

We agree, which is why we work with local landowners and businesses, municipal governments, and other NGOs, to restore and protect biodiversity and wildlife habitat in Nicaragua.

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New from Science:

The Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest offshore oil spill in history. Both the depth and magnitude of the event pose challenges to assessing the biological effects and the expected fate of the spilled oil. The first peer-reviewed studies of the spill — published online, ahead-of-print in Science Express this month — now offer some details about the scope of the subsurface oil plume and its impact on marine microbes.

Their digest of the oil spill situation is here: www.sciencemag.org//hottopics/oilspill/

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It’s that time of year again. In just over one month, Nicaragua will join the world in saying no to garbage and yes to clean waterways and beaches!

The International Coastal Clean-up is September 25th, 2010 at a beach or river near you!

Did you know that in only its second year participating in the International Coastal Clean-up, Nicaragua had the eleventh highest number of volunteers in the world? Sign up today by calling our Nicaragua office or signing up on-line through our partners at the Ocean Conservancy

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This month marks a major milestone for Paso Pacífico, our FIVE YEAR anniversary! We started modestly, and though we have grown, we continue to place emphasis on working at the grass-roots level.

By believing in the little non-profit that could, YOU have helped to make this achievement possible. Thank you.

Together, we have made an impact by empowering local communities through jobs in conservation and incentives for good stewardship. We have protected wildlife by educating youth and partnering with landowners to establish protected areas. We have reduced the impact of climate change by restoring native forests. Paso Pacífico asks you to continue being a part of this change by sharing our story with your friends and making a donation today.

Thanks again for helping us to protect one of the most ecologically diverse corners of our planet!

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In partnership with farmers and local communities, Paso Pacífico has recently reforested four new sites at key locations across the Paso del Istmo. Reforestation took place within areas of tropical dry forest, which is the most endangered forest ecosystem in Nicaragua and one of the most threatened worldwide. Sixteen thousand trees, composed of fourteen native species, were planted across areas totaling more than sixty acres. To reforest these properties, Paso Pacífico employed native tree management techniques similar to those used in our Return to Forest forest-based carbon mitigation project. Though carbon sequestered from this reforestation will not be sold in carbon markets, this years efforts will reduce over 5,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The restoration of the natural ecosystem on these properties takes Paso Pacífico one step closer to our goal of connecting forest ecosystems across the Paso del Istmo.

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We’ve already posted about the Changing Oceans special issue of Science, but we think it’s important to focus on how climate change is affecting marine wildlife habitat.

Marine ecosystems are centrally important to the biology of the planet, yet a comprehensive understanding of how anthropogenic climate change is affecting them has been poorly developed. Recent studies indicate that rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation. The impacts of anthropogenic climate change so far include decreased ocean productivity, altered food web dynamics, reduced abundance of habitat-forming species, shifting species distributions, and a greater incidence of disease. Although there is considerable uncertainty about the spatial and temporal details, climate change is clearly and fundamentally altering ocean ecosystems. Further change will continue to create enormous challenges and costs for societies worldwide, particularly those in developing countries.

Authors Hoegh-Guldberg and Bruno acknowledge that “change has been the norm as Earth has swung through a variety of states in which life has prospered, dwindled, or experienced calamitous declines” as well as the fact that “long-term studies of climate change in the oceans are rare by comparison to those on land.” They go on to cite study after study indicating that there is plenty of evidence that change is rapid and driven, at least in part, by human activity. Changing ocean temperatures and composition mean changing currents and nutrient cycles.

Especially visible are the effects of climate change on “habitat-forming species such as corals, sea grass, mangroves, salt marsh grasses, and oysters.” When these species are at risk, so are the many species dependent on them. Of course, warmer oceans expands the potential habitat for some. We see warm-water species ranging from sea turtles to sea urchins expanding beyond their normal ranges, but the expansion of warm waters also means the expansion of marine-based diseases and parasites.

Over all, it’s important that the conservation community to continue its research as we try to understand more about our changing oceans. We remain committed to playing our role in contributing to scientific understanding. We also continue to take cutting-edge science to the field as we work to mitigate climate change and restore and conserve wildlife habitat from ridge to reef.

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“The ocean is a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment, a long-appreciated truth which becomes increasingly apparent as we observe it ever more carefully.”

Last month, Science magazine ran a special issue on ocean science and ocean conservation. We especially liked the updates on new technologies for studying the ocean. Two such examples are buoys and fiber-optic cables.

  • Buoys: There are now over 4000 science buoys in the world’s oceans, gathering temperatures, wave heights, wind speeds, water conductivity profiles, and helping scientists understand ocean dynamics better than ever before.
  • Fiber-Optic Cables: Strung from shore and across the ocean floor, fiber-optic cables are gathering data on crustal dynamics and deep-sea ecosystems.

We were also interested in the piece on ocean garbage patches:

Chances are you’ve heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the vast mass of floating debris midway between Hawaii and California that is twice the size of Texas. Although many media stories conjure up a chunky soup of bottles and tires, it is mostly an unstrained consommé of small bits of floating plastic. And it isn’t the only one. A similar accumulation of plastic particles—which include weathered fishing line, Styrofoam, wrappers, and raw resin pellets—has shown up in the North Atlantic Ocean. But the potential harm to marine life is far from clear.

Most of the floating debris is small enough that it’s difficult to determine what happens to it. It’s also small enough to be ingested by marine life low on the food chain. Further study is necessary to understand what is happening to plastic particulate and how much of its chemicals are absorbed into animal tissue.

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