Spreading Awareness, Encouraging Action
Evolution Shift: Speeding Of Life Cycles
Rodents, insects, and birds are programmed to win. Humans, polar bears and whales, which are species that take a long time to reproduce, are not. What is happening is that climate change is impacting the evolution of animals. This dramatic event is worrisome because it is unpredictable and unwelcome in regions where millions of people live. More research is being done to see how species will adapt to a projected 3.2-7.2 degree rise in world’s average annual temperature by the end of the century. This could help prepare for outbreaks of diseases spread by insects and rodents. Species that take longer than two years to reproduce (this includes humans) will not be able to keep up with the current pace of climate change. Resource: In Mosquito, Climate Change Is Writ Small, by Beth Daley, The Boston Sunday Globe, 29 April 2007, Pg. B6 and GWEN. EIGHT NORTHBROOK PARK - LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420 USA TELEPHONE (781) 863-1400 - info@gwenet.org - FACSIMILE (781) 863-1441 |
