Plummeting bee populations. Bears coming out of hibernation a month early. Birds altering their migration. These are just a few of the scary ways we've seen the natural world respond to human-induced global climate change. But the weather service in Florida is warning of a bizarre and alarming trend you may not have heard of: iguanas getting so cold that they become paralyzed and rain down from from trees.
Sign now to demand Florida's Department of Environmental Protection take action!
Yes, you read that right. Pedestrians could be hit by fast-falling iguanas, unable to cling to trees. When temperatures approach freezing in the Sunshine State, iguanas -- which are cold blooded animals and rely on the sun and other natural heat sources from their environment to stay warm – become immobilized. But in the past, these uncharacteristically low temperatures have been rare. Now, climate scientists warn that with increasingly unpredictable weather, we may see more unexpected cold snaps. And the cold snaps can either temporarily immobilize the reptiles, causing them to painfully fall onto the ground, or permanently injure them. In fact, previous bouts of freezing temperatures have been correlated with large population declines.
While many understandably associate climate change with warmth, a warming planet can cause erratic and dangerous weather in winter, too. This is just one of the many ways we've seen winter storms -- which climate change tends to increase in frequency and severity -- affect innocent animals. A giant snowstorm that affected northwestern Greece just this week caused hundreds of thousands of fish to die from thermal shock in local lagoons.
Florida must demonstrate care for the animals, people and environment in its beautiful, tropical state! Sign the petition now to put pressure on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to pass aggressive climate policy!
