Mike Quigley: “John Muir, a naturalist, author, and environmental philosopher, once said, ``When we try to pick out anything by itself…”

“John Muir, a naturalist, author, and environmental philosopher, once said, ``When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.'' This couldn't be truer when it comes to the effect climate change is having on the biodiversity of our planet. We can't solve the climate change crisis without realizing how interconnected its impacts truly are. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted, assuming that current trends in burning fossil fuel continue, by the year 2100, the surface of the Earth will warm on an average of 6 degrees Celsius. That kind of potential for rapid and lasting climate warming poses a significant challenge for biodiversity conservation. It may seem obvious, but the places that plants and animals can exist are limited by factors such as sunlight, precipitation, and temperature. A polar bear can't exist in Brazil, just as a lion can't exist in Antarctica. You won't find palm trees in Greenland, just like you won't find pine trees in Argentina. So, as climate changes, the abundance and distribution of plants and animals will also change. Climate change alone is expected to threaten approximately one-quarter, possibly more, of all species on land with extinction by the year 2050. That means climate change will surpass habitat loss as the biggest threat to life on land.…”