Global Warming and Its Effect on Animals | Teen Ink

Global Warming and Its Effect on Animals

May 12, 2011
By shipley21 BRONZE, Wilsonville, Oregon
shipley21 BRONZE, Wilsonville, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

We as a human race are killing off the nature that once thrived on planet earth. We need to do something about it, or we will soon see little to no nature on our planet.

Rainforests and grasslands are homes to many organisms. When forests are cleared out to create more land for construction, housing, and farming, most of these animals have to adapt themselves to live in these new areas. If they don’t adapt quick enough the animals could die. The loss of habitat makes these animals vulnerable to being hunted down, and killed. With the loss of many trees, and other plants, in our forests (which are providing food to many animals) is no longer existing, causing death to the starving animals. When one animal is out of the cycle (the Omnivores) it leaves the others with no food (The Predators). This is happening because of us, and it’s happening more and more.

As global warming causes climate change, Loss of habitat is mostly seen in the Arctic, where global warming is melting the glaciers. The loss of hunting and breeding grounds is creating devastation for many animals, including polar bears. It’s pushing them into extinction. The melting glaciers have caused water levels to rise in all of our oceans, threatening to drown many tropical islands and forests, which are home to many species of life. All of the oil spills that have been occurring have devastated a large number of aquatic lives. More and more fisherman are starting to see the effects of these spills. In my opinion we will start to see sea food products go up in price. More and more animals near and in the oceans are turning up dead, covered in oil. I’ve seen the oil covered birds. It’s sad to see how humans have hurt the precious life on earth.

Changes in weather patterns affect the feeding patterns of many creatures. It’s now clear to see that the weather is messing up the hibernation, breeding, and migration patterns of animals. It is believed that hibernation and animal birth, which are important aspects of animal life, are now happening many days earlier than it used to. This pattern affects quite a few newborns with many defects. Early egg laying is one of the reasons why insects like butterflies, and small birds, are disappearing fast in North America, where higher temperatures lead to earlier spring seasons. Another example of the heat affecting animals is; penguins and flamingos, which travel long distances to warmer climates, for breeding. There migratory routes and habitat changes, has forced many of them to change route or not migrate at all. These different routes have animals competing for new foods and shelter with other migratory animals. The same is also happening with sea mammals, which prefer warmer waters to breed and hibernate in. These animals that migrate depending on seasonal formation of ice/ temperature, and the availability of seasonal foods, also suffer, when the conditions around their migratory Spots change.

I believe this is mainly the government’s fault. They have the power to create the right solutions, that will help the nature on are earth. But if it’s not making money for them, they choose to shrug it off.

Global warming affects us all. The only difference from animals, we humans can have a positive effect on the way global warming issues are solved. The global warming effects on animals will have serious affects on the entire life cycle. Life on the planet thrives, because we thrive on each other. And if that cycle is broken, there is no turning it back around. So we humans better figure out something quick, before we really start to see the damage.


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