http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/nyregion/amid-winter-blooms-wondering-what-that-means-for-spring.html?_r=1&ref=earth
I am certainly pleased by the absence of a full-scale winter
this year, but maybe we should think twice before cheering. As climate change has caused temperatures to
rise since January, flowers in the New York Botanical Garden have already
started to bloom. Although the site of
fully-bloomed flowers may please the common passerby, horticulturalists and meteorologists
take it as a critical sign. Japanese
camellias, which usually bloom in early spring, have done so in December. Around the United States, plants such as
daffodils, crocuses, and even magnolia trees have started to bloom about two to
four weeks ahead of schedule. For
plants, this means danger. If the United
States were to get a cold front, plants would be harmed and may not bloom
again. Many plants may also not be
pollinated because bees are not accustomed to pollinating this early in the
year. On a larger scale, if climate change
continues to worsen, we soon may have to think of ways to protect plants from
the damages of shifting temperatures and even rethink our entire agricultural structure
from the types of crops we grow to when we grow them.
Climate change is a fuzzy area in environmental anthropology
because we can discern that we are all actors in creating it and we are all
affected by it, yet it is difficult for anybody to claim responsibility and
take critical action. Humans play a part
in global warming with our large emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel
combustion and aerosols, as well as other climate affecting activities. Yet perhaps the change is coming too slowly
for people to consider it dangerous, or people may simply not know the possible
risk. The risk of sea levels rising to
destroy cities and freshwater supplies drying out is too far in the future for
us to take immediate action. Of course,
environmental groups such as the EPA are advising the use of less energy and
other activities that would lower greenhouse gas emissions. But we still see coal being used as a major
energy source and high-polluting cars driving in the street. Well, many scientists have already reasoned
that climate change is irreversible, so maybe we have just accepted or doom to
come.
I agree that there's often a proverbial elephant in the room that colors the casual passing conversations about the mild winter weather these days--Climate Change. Although warm winters and the recent spat of unseasonably temperate weather is a pleasant surprise welcomed by many, it seems seasonal temperature fluctuations have become increasingly erratic, and the changes have been noticeable even within my lifetime. It is scary to imagine that the flowers of the New York botanical gardens are blooming at an inappropriate time for survival, if flowers are threatened in a garden where horticulturalists manage them, a botanist may bear bad news for how the unmanaged wild flowers of the world will fare. The temperatures that create mistimed blooming dates are only one problem facing flowers, the recent 'save the bee's' campaign highlights the critical impact of these important pollinators in the flower reproductive cycle. The big picture illustrates how dynamic interactions between plants and animals (whether insects or humans) are critical to global health. I awoke this morning to a serenade of baby birds chirping outside my bedroom window, and although it was a sweet reminder that spring is around the corner, in retrospect there was this looming fearful notion that those chicks may have hatched too early. When i looked into the subject there is a wealth of research that documents how climate change has negatively affected avian reproductive cycles, mating habits, and migration patterns. Like bees, birds are also important pollinators, as well as natural gardeners that spread seeds of various plant species with their feet, they also boost tree growth by up to 30% (in some estimates) by reducing parasites and consuming insects that stall growth. If the human race plans to enjoy experiences like smelling dewy wildflowers in the air of a wet spring morning, tasting the honey of a busy bee colony in their breakfast tea, or hearing baby birds chirp in their nests when they awake, we all need to metaphorically wake up to the responsibility of our role as stewards in this planet. We are our environment, we are a dynamic integral part of it, just like the birds and the bees.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I’ll preface my comment by saying that I do agree that climate change is occurring and that it is largely a result of human activity and our increased carbon footprint. On the other hand, however, I think that it is an issue that should be seen in a greater context that acknowledges the overarching trends of thousands of years of climate fluctuation. The relative warming and cooling of our planet is nothing new, and sometimes it seems that articles such as this sometimes serve merely to sensationalize climate change through references to sentimental topics like “chirping birds” and “blooming flowers.” Conversely, however, maybe this is just the sort of press (the type that engages the general public and not just scientists and “environmentalists”) that we need in order to make the topic of personal responsibility for climate change better known and acknowledged.
ReplyDelete