It is impossible to talk about threats to wildlife- - whether it be habitat loss, pollution, or extreme weather events like massive wildfires -- without mentioning climate change. In fact, any discussion of conservation without climate change is not just missing an important piece of the puzzle, it is downright unscientific. And yet over half of Australia's government documents outlining threats to endangered species, habitats, and plans for mitigation don't mention climate change once.
Sign now to demand that these conservation documents are amended to include the threats posed by climate change to endangered species!
The science is settled – climate change is real, humans are causing it, and we must act fast. But Australia's plans for endangered species management is apparently decades behind current scientific consensus.
It's fairly ironic, considering that the first mammal reported to have gone extinct as a direct result of climate change was the Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola) – a species native to Australia. And now, the IUCN estimates that over 10,000 species are at risk because of greenhouse gas emissions and increased global temperatures. Australia should be on the front lines of the fight for biodiversity, considering that the country is home to over half a million species, and it's estimated that up to 10% of all species on Earth are found in Australia.
There is no hope for the many species who are currently threatened to survive if conservation efforts don't factor in the role played by a warming planet. Sign the petition now if you agree! Australia's Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley must incorporate climate science into ecosystem and species management if there is any hope for conservation!