Endangered By Climate Change

Western Glacier Stonefly, Zapada glacier Photo: Joe Giersch /USGS

In a previous post, I discussed the Western Glacier Stonefly, Zapada glacier that is threatened with extinction from climate change. The USGS has not made a final ruling placing this species on the endangered species list because they have no solution for protecting it. Now the Center for Biological Diversity has filed suit asking a judge to force a decision. The Center does not have solutions to add. There may be none. One purpose of the suit is to draw attention to the effects of climate change on species distributions and extinctions. When climate changes, habitats will change. Species currently living in those habitats may not be adapted to the future changes. Those species will be forced to relocate, evolve or go extinct. We are in a period of great changes, many made by man, that are leading to historically large numbers of extinctions. Most of the effects of man-made actions are local, but climate change will likely have large effects. Doing nothing is not likely to produce good outcomes.