Free Flipper

CAMPAIGNERS have exposed Spain as the European country with the largest number of dolphins in captivity. NGO World Animal Protection has slammed the country for keeping 93 dolphins captive, some 30% of all those held in Europe.

The majority of these specimens (20) are at Valencia’s Oceanografic. Spain has almost 60 more dolphins in captivity than Portugal, the second European country on the list with 35 individuals.

Exceeding the limits will lead to climate disaster

avoid climate disaster.

Well, guess what, we have now crossed the line on seven out of the nine.

● Extra nutrients contributed to our earth by humans (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus used heavily in agricultural fertilisers)…. lim- it exceeded in large parts of the world

● Excessive extraction of surface water resources…. limit exceeded

● Air pollution caused by emissions…. limit exceeded in many parts of the world (Asia, Europe, America)

● Ocean acidification and pollution caused by chemicals, plastics, and microplastics…. limit exceeded

● Integrity of the biosphere…. compromised

● Overall climate change targets…. limit exceeded

● Injustice between countries in the developed world and emerging nations…. even more noticeable

The two points we haven’t failed on yet are:

● The growing hole in the ozone layer is for now under control

● 60% of the planet’s land surface needs to be kept free of human interference. To date we are up to 50%.... but that figure is increasing

Human beings are part of the global ecosystem

As I have said repeatedly in this column, we are a large part of the problem. We need to be a large part of the solution.

The majority of greenhouse gas emissions come from less than 10% of the global population. The 2015 Paris Agreement that all countries signed up to, set a limit of 1.5C increase in global temperature as a target.

It’s not a target…. it’s the limit. We are exceeding the limit. Every limit we exceed weakens the planet’s ability to resist the climate crisis.