Vote in favor of our eco-system

Parker Rose Opinion Columnist pdrose@uab.edu

In terms of damage, our coral reefs and Antarctic oceans have been among those who have suffered the most due to the effects of man-made climate change, and there are many reasons as to why we should care.

In his lecture on Nov. 30, 2018 entitled “The coral reef: a model of a stable insular community,” Dustin Kemp, Ph.D., of UAB Department of Biology spoke about the current condition of our coral reefs. Among one of the oldest ecosystems on earth, coral reefs have suffered intense bleaching due to ocean acidification caused by climate change.

This coral bleaching is caused by warmer temperatures which kill off single-celled algae called zooxanthellae, with which the coral has a symbiotic relationship.

When this relationship breaks down, it leaves the coral vulnerable as photosynthetic pigments reduce thus giving them their “bleached” appearance. As a result, the coral experience reduced growth and higher vulnerability to degradation and disease.

The coral reefs have immense aesthetic value and are good for tourism, but do we have an existential reason to put any effort into reducing these effects?

Absolutely. Coral reefs provide critical sea defenses against storms, flooding, and land erosion. When Hurricane Irma hit Cancun, the impact was equivalent to that of 2 Atomic bombs. However, if not for the coral reef cover to soften the blow, the impact likely would have been closer to 20.

And coral reefs are not the only ones affected by ocean acidification as a result of climate change. In his Nov. 26, 2018 lecture entitled “Neighborhood impacts of climate change in Antarctica,” James McClintock, Ph.D., of UAB Department of Biology impressed me with some grave problems facing Antarctic oceans due to man-made climate change.

There has been a dramatic glacier recession in the last 50 years, and recently on July 12. 2017, an ice shelf broke off and became one of the largest icebergs in history, with a whopping 5,700 km land mass, comparable to the size of Delaware, according to NASA.

Such events mean that it is becoming increasingly difficult for animals living on the Antarctic peninsula to find food and shelter, as so much of their previous hunting land is literally floating out into the ocean.

Coral reefs provide critical sea defenses against storms, flooding, and land erosion.

Photo from Wikipedia Media Commons

In recent years, extraordinary progress in cancer research has been made as a result of studying the organisms which live in our deep, mysterious oceans. However, acidification and warming will cause a significant decrease in our ability experience and behold these new findings.

Therefore, I think we have compelling reason to take action to reduce pollution and CO2 production in light of the damage it has done to our coral reefs and Antarctic oceans.

acknowledging the fact that our reefs and oceans are not simply part the environment upon which we act and inflict harm or not-harm.

We need to shift the rhetoric to show that reefs and oceans are members of our environment. They are living, breathing, sustaining things which have an effect on our lives in a more significant way than simply providing us with aesthetically pleasing scenery.

We can’t make people care about things which they see as external and unchanging, but if we make it such that the conversation is not about the environment as an external being, but the environment as a pact with ourselves and our community, it becomes a more meaningful conversation.

But even while changing our rhetoric is important, it’s also important to know that voting is a key aspect of how we will affect change in this world, and I’m not only talking about putting a ballot in box. You cast a vote every single day with what you buy and consume. Make sure you are doing so while keeping your fellow ecosystems in mind.