Effects of Climate Change Stories

Countries have a long way to go in reducing carbon emissions to curb the worst impacts of global warming. Fortunately, climate action works, and evidence of it can be seen in the elimination of several gigatons of emissions per year.

Increases in extreme weather events are surpassing the resilience of some human and natural systems. Here’s a look at some of the takeaways from the report—and what we can do to address the climate emergency.

Laila Sanjida of Bangladesh, Pragya Motiwal of India, and Ruwanthi Jayasekara of Sri Lanka all experienced devastating floods in their home countries that inspired them to enter the field of flood management.

Alexandria Abuzanuq Ivanoff, who is from Unalakleet, Alaska, a small hunting and fishing community on the northwest coast, discusses how warming waters and increased shipping could impact Indigenous peoples and wildlife. 

 

My hope for the future is we look back and see the summer of 2021 as the turning point in the climate crisis—the moment when humanity took account of what we are doing and changed course.

A new comprehensive report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessing the latest state of global climate science reveals that global temperatures now hover around 1.1°C above preindustrial levels and our actions have already irreversibly altered the Earth.

WWF is launching a new project to make wildlife like tapirs less vulnerable to drought during the dry season by installing and monitoring artificial water sources in Mexico’s Calakmul Biosphere Reserve through the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund.

Sixty percent of Fortune 500 companies have set goals to act on the climate crisis and address energy use, yet those ambitions vary dramatically—and are not happening at the speed or scale needed to stave off the worst impacts of a warming planet, according to a new WWF report.

As more and more people take to the skies, scientists project that without advances in airplane efficiency and industry-wide regulations, commercial aviation emissions could triple by 2050.

In other words: As ocean temperatures rise and habitats change, will whales, sharks, rays, dolphins, turtles, and other sea creatures adapt or go extinct?

With climate change driving more extreme heat events in Australia, species across the country are at heightened risk. Flying foxes, in particular, can suffer fatal heat stress when temperatures climb to over 108 degrees, an occurrence growing more and more common across the country. But a successful trial of a system of atmospheric cooling sprinklers has given hope to researchers working to protect this vulnerable species.

On Earth Day 2021, President Biden will host an international Leaders Climate Summit to rally world leaders around climate change. The goal is for countries to commit to strong measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also strengthening their climate resilience plans. 

Thermal emissions are the greenhouse gases released from the processes of heating and cooling. Here are four things you need to know about them and what WWF is doing to tackle this challenge.

If humans are unable to limit carbon pollution, Cincinnati’s average temperature could climb by as much as seven degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. From a local grassroots movement to engagement at the national level, this city is taking the fight against the climate crisis into its own hands.

Every fall, the Ryrkaipiy polar bear patrol, with the support of WWF Russia, works to protect the community and prevent human-wildlife conflict. Tatyana Minenko has been leading the patrol team since 2006. That’s when the climate crisis increased conflict in her village.

Tackling the climate crisis will be one of the biggest challenges of our time, and nature itself can contribute to the fight. 

Learn four steps to rebuild air travel in a way that protects us against dangerous climate change.

Apocalyptic scenes have multiplied in recent weeks, as fires claim lives and incinerate communities across the West Coast. The flames are fueled by a confluence of interwoven drivers, including decades of fire management practices focused on fire suppression paired with the worsening climate crisis.

Park City, Utah is the U.S. National Winner of WWF’s One Planet City Challenge in recognition of its leadership addressing the climate crisis.

A new WWF report details a vibrant diversity of plants and vertebrate animals in Southeast Asia that have never been scientifically identified.

The Arctic Refuge has been a place undisturbed by development. But in 2017 Congress approved opening the Coastal Plain of the Refuge to allow for oil and gas drilling. WWF has been vocal in its opposition for a host of reasons, and there is one significant bit of logic even Fish and Wildlife agrees with—the climate crisis makes the future of the region uncertain. Oil and gas development only compounds the problem.

Australia’s bushfire crisis was one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history. New WWF research reveals that the toll on wildlife was around three times higher than an earlier study estimated.

As flames engulfed parts of the world last year, WWF sent emergency support to help local firefighters and communities in need.

Sharks and rays are some of the most enigmatic and misunderstood creatures of the ocean. They are crucial for the health of our planet. This blog describes five incredible ways in which sharks and rays help the world, from fighting climate change to digging through sand for their neighbors to feeding phytoplankton.