The most familiar plea made by environmentalists warning us of the immanent disappearance of this or that species is a question: how will we explain the absence of the polar bear, or the manatee, or a certain species of eagle, to our children?
It ...
Scientists believe that hibernation cycles of species including marmots, chipmunks, and brown bears may be affected by climate change. A reduced hibernation period may be a result, causing significant impacts such as starvation.
The World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Index currently tracks around 4,000 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians around the world. WWF reports that there has been a one-third decline in world biodiversity over the past 35 years as a result of habitat loss and wildlife trade. WWF also warns that climate change may accentuate this trend.
The Globe and Mail
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper urged other leaders at the UN Conference on Biological Diversity to do more to reduce the rate of disappearing species in order to achieve a 2010 international objective. He stated that the world’s flora and fauna are “disappearing at a disturbing rate.”