Tuesday, June 23, 2009

No More Reindeer Games? Global Warming Claiming another Victim

Now it's the Caribou suffering because of global warming. They've experienced a 60% decline in the last 30 years, and the future looks even worse. The reasons:

Earlier spring green-ups now occur before migrating herds arrive north. This deprives mothers and calves of quality feeding.

Warmer summers cause more intense insect activity, harassing animals and affecting their feeding.

The impact of more freezing rain, in place of snow, has negatively impacted lichens that animals feed on during the colder months.


One can only wonder how many extinctions it will take before the denialists wake up to what is becoming increasingly obvious to everyone else.

7 comments:

parakeet said...

If I had read only your post and not clicked on the link, I would've thought that the caribou are suffering only due to global warming. However, the article said: "due to climate change and habitat disturbance caused by humans, a new study finds...
Global warming and industrial development are driving the dramatic decline."

When the article asked "what's causing the decline?", it listed the global warming causes, but not the more direct human causes. All it says about the effect of human causes is "Caribou are vulnerable to a number of threats."

Since it failed to quantify how much of the caribou decline is based on which causes, I'd say that all in all, I think the article left a lot to be desired.

ScienceAvenger said...

I guess I've gotten cynial in my increasing years. To me, habitat disturbance by humans is a given.

ScienceAvenger said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alex (dispensing with his "Parakeet" dishonsty) said: said...

...you take an article that BARELY blames global warming on wreaking havoc on something or other, and you magnify that blame and ignore the other causes. Why is that? GW on the brain?

ScienceAvenger said...

No, Alex, it's apparently you that's got global warming dishonesty and denial on the brain, that you cannot stand any mention of its reality or effects. Those effects were spelled out in detail in the article, prominantly, as the focus of the article, not barely mentioned as you dishonestly claim.

Global warming is real Alex, as are its effects (my god, how many do I have to document). Bury your head in the sand and deny it in contradiction to every scientific organization on the planet, if your psychology demands it, but don't expect anyone else to take you seriously. And don't expect me to allow you to pollute my blog with your foolishness, whatever name you choose this week.

Alex said...

You are trying to convince me of global warming? You think I don't think there is some evidence of it? You're wrong and wasting your time. I just don't think it's as great a problem as you do.

Fact is, you are using weak articles that mention global warming AND direct human causes, and in your post you eliminate mention of the direct human causes.

ScienceAvenger said...

I'm putting information out there that I come across that has good information about the effects global warming is having, right now, on the planet. It's tough to deny when it's happening right in front of you, and for people in full denial, they need a good dose of that. There is nothing weak about the articles except they don't tell you what you want to hear. Too bad, science doesn't conform to our desires.

Of course there are other mitigating factors. Nature is not as simple and black and white as denialists seem to think it is, and it isn't necessary when addressing an intelligent audience to remind them EVERY SINGLE TIME that when global warming is effecting something, there are other influeces as well. There almost always are, with anything. Everyone knows that already. That's why the earth's temperature doesn't go up in a uniformly increasing pattern the way the denialist simpletons want it to.

What you don't get Alex is that this blog isn't about you. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I'm aware of your position, but since it runs counter to 99% of the relevant world's scientists and scientific organizations, I don't give it much credance, and I'm not going to give it much of a forum here. This isn't a AGW denialist site. If you want one, best of luck, go start your own.