The polar bear has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act effective May 14, 2008—the first species to be listed due to the impacts of global warming, a bittersweet victory for wildlife conservationists.
Like the popular trivia game based on connecting film actors in as few links as possible, the effects of global warming can be associated with an increasing number of wildlife issues, some more directly than others. Polar bears’ impaired ability to find food as a result of melting sea-ice would be one degree of separation, while the case of already threatened marine turtles losing more nesting sites due to beach erosion caused by rising sea levels triggered by global warming, presents a less direct yet equally harmful series of connections. Of course global warming isn’t a game. The negative effects of climate change on wildlife and the environment we share are very real. This is why the Philadelphia Zoo is going even greener and stepping up its efforts to advocate for action on behalf of wildlife.
Footprints, the Zoo’s newly launched sustainability initiative, allows people to offset their carbon footprint through a contribution to reforestation projects the Zoo supports. Footprints is a comprehensive program designed to allow us to lead by example and engage others along the way.
Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas has resulted in the emission of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of several naturally occurring greenhouse gases (GHG) found in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap solar heat and warm the planet. We need GHG because without them the planet would be uninhabitable, but too much of a good thing can also spell disaster. Decades of unsustainable human activity has caught up with us and we’re now feeling the heat of consequences once far-removed. By creating Footprints, a multi-layered sustainability initiative with a focus on taking action, the Philadelphia Zoo hopes to help mitigate climate change and protect wildlife. We began by looking in the mirror.
A recent sustainability audit of Zoo-wide operations conducted by outside experts served to paint a picture of our strengths and weaknesses, and to provide guidance on ways we can improve and expand our current green practices. Part of the assessment also included calculating the carbon footprint of the Zoo’s buildings, many of which house our animals. Our “carbon footprint” is the measure of how much CO2 is emitted by our electricity and heating use. Finding ways to reduce this number while maintaining the highest standard of animal care and meeting the needs of temperature-sensitive species will certainly be topping our list of things to do as we delve deeper into the audit results and create a plan for implementation.
Sharing our progress and inviting others to join us in the fight against climate change by reducing their own footprint is also an important part of the Footprints program. The Zoo’s Sustainability Program Manager will work proactively to facilitate change on Zoo grounds and will also develop opportunities to take personal action that parallel Zoo green practices and policies.
Taking action to reduce your carbon footprint will have the most immediate impact on climate change by removing the source of the problem; less fossil fuel use = less CO2 emissions. Though sometimes difficult at first (old habits can be hard to break) changing your behavior is the most sustainable way to protect the planet. Offsetting your emissions is also important.
Once you’ve done all you can to reduce
your carbon footprint, you’ll likely find that you’re still not “carbon neutral,” meaning you’re still emitting CO2 in spite your efforts to reduce. This is where you can
make a contribution to the Footprints
portfolio of carbon offset projects. By planting trees to absorb CO2 already in the atmosphere, Footprints offset projects are helping to reduce global warming and providing habitat for wildlife such as migratory bird species and endangered orangutans and pygmy elephants.
Community leaders who have already come out in support of Footprints include founding “Sustainability Stakeholders,” Corporate Synergies and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Their investment contributes to the Philadelphia Zoo’s capacity to model behavior, and provide information, that leads to positive environmental change. We’re proud to work in partnership with local leaders as we become more sustainable in our Zoo operations and build on our long history of wildlife conservation.
The Zoo has been a supporter of
Polar Bears International (PBI) for three years. The PBI project that we’re most closely aligned with is a study taking place on Wrangel Island, one of two islands that are key reproductive sites for the Chukchi-Alaskan polar bear population. Wrangel Island is known for its large number of polar bears as well as for having the highest density of polar bear dens in the world. Researchers here are looking at the polar bears’ social interactions and the effects that social and environmental factors are having on their population. Two out of three reasons cited to explain a recently documented decline in Wrangel Island numbers--mortality due to reduction in sea-ice and distribution shifts due to changes in ice cover, are attributed to climate change.
Animals have an amazing ability to adapt to their environment; often developing physiological traits specialized to their niche (i.e. polar bears’ powerful claws for catching seals, their primary food source). These adaptations traditionally occur over hundreds of years, not overnight. Due to increasing greenhouse gas levels an accelerated rate of global warming is causing climatic conditions to shift and intensify around the world. In the face of these changes, wildlife’s primary defense thus far has been to move to new habitat similar to their own, putting other species at risk by displacing them and upsetting the delicate balance of ecosystems. Those who can’t move have no choice but to stay and do their best to survive in an environment suddenly less in sync with their adaptations.
Degrees of separation from the effects of global warming also apply to solutions. Though some actions are more immediate to the problem, all will make a difference. The most important thing is that we do act, because wildlife can’t.
Free for Zoo members; $10 per non-member.
Defenders Of Wildlife Members are free with membership card.
Refreshments will be provided.