By Greg Gorman • ggorman@embargmail.com
Nature’s ability to adapt to environmental changes never ceases to amaze me. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive swirl of floating plastic debris, is a thriving community of coastal creatures thousands of miles from their natural homes. Scientists were surprised to find thriving sponge communities under inhospitable conditions below the Antarctic Sea ice. Life is found in boiling water, sanitized clean rooms, radioactive waste, and hot tar. Life can be found nearly everywhere on Earth.
This broad distribution of life and the ability of species to survive has resulted in a great variety of living organisms. We often attribute this biodiversity to principles of genetics and evolution, as species adapt to their environment over time. Those species who fail to adapt become extinct. “Scientists predict that more than 1 million species could face extinction in the coming decades—and we lose about one species every hour,” according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
“More than a century of habitat destruction, pollution, the spread of invasive species, wildlife exploitation, climate change, population growth, and other human activities has frayed the web of life,” the group said in a 2020 proposal for actions that the president and Congress can, and should, implement to stem the extinction crisis at a scale necessary to achieve lasting results. This plan is consistent with Sierra Club’s initiatives regarding land, air, water, and wildlife.
Specifically, Sierra Club calls for protecting 30% of lands by 2030 to fight the climate and extinction crisis. Protecting wild places will prevent pollution from drilling and logging, sequester emissions, protect against extreme weather, and provide habitat for wildlife and opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors together. Strong enforcement of the Endangered Species Act, protection of wild and scenic rivers and wetlands, and pollution abatement (particularly fossil fuel emissions and “forever” chemicals) are Club objectives.
The climate crisis imposes unique challenges for adaptation for New Jersey. Heatwaves, flooding, droughts, crop failures, and wildfires affect all life. The warming climate worsens air quality (ozone and particulate material), which aggravates lung diseases and leads to premature death. It will be more difficult for communities to protect water quality and maintain healthy environments. New Jersey forecasts a rise in sea level of up to 2.1 feet by 2050, an increase in the state’s average annual temperature by as much as 5.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, and a jump in precipitation of up to 11% by the middle of this century. Climate change will have a profound effect on New Jersey.
To integrate climate change impacts and risks in our decision making, we need the best information available. Resources to assist us in this task include the Environmental Protection Agency’s Adaptation Resource Center (bit.ly/3Wc6E7X ), NJ Department of Environmental Protection climate change programs and initiatives (bit.ly/2O4OZje), the NJ Climate Resource Center at Rutgers University (bit.ly/433PFHj), and NJ Future for guidance on climate adaptation and resilience planning (bit.ly/3MkIXWO). These resources provide excellent information for communities, businesses, and families to prepare for the future.