Animals & Climate change
There is already undeniable evidence that animals, birds and plants are being affected by climate change and global warming in both their distribution and behaviour. Distribution of animals is also affected; with many species moving closer to the poles as a response to the rise in global temperatures.
Scholes, a systems ecologist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, South Africa, and Pörtner, an animal physiologist and marine biologist based at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, highlighted six species that are already in decline due to climate change:
- Orange-spotted filefish (Oxymonacanthus longirostris).
- Quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma).
- Polar bear.
- Adélie penguin.
- North Atlantic cod.
- Acropora cervicornis and coral worldwide.
- EXTINCT: Golden toad (Bufo periglenes).
A polar bear stands on an ice floe near Manitoba, Canada, in 2012. Polar beards depend on sea ice,
which is forming later in the fall and disappearing earlier in the spring. Photography by Paul Souders, Corbis.
Animals used for experimentation
Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside barren cages in laboratories across the country. They languish in pain, ache with loneliness, and long to be free. Instead, all they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them. (Peta)
Animals as surprise Christmas presents
We've all seen it in movies and on TV shows: overjoyed children tearing into a perfectly wrapped present, only to discover a smiling puppy jumping out of the box. While it seems cute in theory, it can end up being a huge disaster — for the animal as well as the owner. Whether you're considering springing a pup on your kids or giving your significant other a cute kitten you should think twice. While many shelters report an increase in adoptions leading up to the holiday season (whether due to people wanting to give the gift of an animal or just feeling more generous in spirit during this period), many more report an increase in abandonment in the weeks after. All over the world shelters are swamped with dogs and cats being returned by owners who weren't fully prepared for raising an animal. Sadly, abandoned pets in shelters are often euthanized.
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