Climate Change- Emperor Pengiun
Penguins keep their money in snow banks (well, not for long)
What is Climate Change?
Climate Change is , according to Webster's Dictionary, a long- term change in earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature. To put it more scientifically it means that naturally occurring green house gases trap heat inside earths atmosphere. Some heat is radiated back out to space. Adding in more green house gases from human activity intensifies the greenhouse effect and traps more heat than normal. The four gases that contribute to Climate Change are CO2 (from human's altering the carbon cycle), Methane (from industry, agriculture, and waste management), Nitrous Oxide (from the use of synthetic fertilizer), and Fluorinated Gases (from human activities, there's no natural source). It's a huge issue, and needs to be given more attention to. Some easy ways you can help are:
- Changing 5 light bulbs in your home to Energy Star approved one's.
- Seal and insulate your home, this way you use less heating and cooling.
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
- Use water efficiently, it takes lots of energy to pump, treat, and heat water.
- When driving go easy on the gas, and brake pedal.
Impacts of climate change on Emperor Penguins.
How Climate Change Affects the Emperor Penguin
Where do penguins keep their money? In the snow bank. Except, they won't be able to anymore because there will be no more snow banks... The Emperor Penguin is Antarctica's largest sea bird, it is also the most iconic animal on the continent due to "Happy Feet" and "March of The Penguins". If the sea ice keeps melting, this animal could easily disappear. Penguins breed and raise their babies on sea ice, and if there is none they could stop reproducing. The mortality rate is already low, only 50% survive.
Sources
- https://www.whoi.edu/news-release/melting-sea-ice-threatens-emperor-penguins--study-finds
- http://www.dictionary.com/browse/climate-change
- I used my notes to describe climate change