'DRAMATIC DECLINE' WARNING FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS

CLIMATE CHANGE MAY BE CATASTROPHIC
TO A THIRD OF ALL ANIMALS ON EARTH

www.sciencerecorder.com - A new study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that if nothing is done to curb climate change, the impact on animal and plant life could be catastrophic. The study, which comprises of researchers from the U.K., Columbia and Australia, examined the impact of climate change (specifically rising temperature) on nearly 50, 000 different species. The team carried out climate modeling and examined three main factors: climate sensitivity, ocean mixing and climate-carbon feedback that amplifies the temperature.
By mapping the areas that would remain suitable for species habitation scientists were able to determine that there would be a great habitat loss unless mitigating factors emerge. 

According to the report, global warming will destroy over half the habitat of plant life and a third of the habitat of animal life, a transition that may occur as a tipping point or over long periods. Temperatures are predicted to rise seven degrees Fahrenheit by 2100 due to global warming, according the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The rise in temperature is largely due to burning fossil fuels, which retain heat and warm the atmosphere.
Over the past century, global temperatures have risen about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, according data presented by the National Academy of Sciences. If this temperature rise happens at the rate predicated, large range contractions can be expected among common and widespread species. The changes would likely lead to the extinction of some 34 % of animal species and 57 % of plant species, say scientists.

More than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change. The reason for the massive decline is largely due to the rapid change in temperature, which many species will struggle to adapt to over the course of just a few years. “Global-scale biodiversity will be significantly reduced if temperatures rise more than 2C and it would impoverish the biosphere and the ecosystem services it provides,” says Rachel Warren. We must respect and protect our Mother Earth. The sacred texts of the Hinduism contains many references to the worship of the Divine in Nature. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Millions of Hindus recite Sanskrit mantras daily to revere their rivers, mountains, trees, animals and the earth.  Hinduism is a remarkably diverse religious and cultural phenomenon, with many local and regional manifestations. Within this universe of beliefs, several important themes emerge:  • The earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess, and must be treated with respect.  • The five elements - space, air, fire, water and earth - are the foundation of an interconnected web of life.  • Dharma - often translated as “duty” - can be reinterpreted to include our responsibility to care for the earth.  • Simple living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.  • Our treatment of nature directly affects our karma. 

Pankaj Jain, Ph.D. :
‘Sustenance and Sustainability -
Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities’
http://fore.research.yale.edu/news/item/10-hindu-environmental-teachings/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/religious-freedom/message/3325

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/