Mankind is primarily responsible for climate changes that are affecting the natural functioning of the planet. The industrial activity, with the relative polluting emissions; the deforestation of ever larger areas to recover spaces for agriculture, intensive livestock farming or urban settlements; the pollution of water and soils have profoundly altered the entire ecosystem, contributing to a rise in temperature that seems unstoppable. The awareness that all this is really happening, apart from episodes of blatant denial, fortunately today there is the main national and international institutions, for now more in words than with concrete facts, are trying to adopt strategies to slow down this degenerative process. However, mankind also has unexpected allies at its side: the animals. Which perhaps cannot contribute much to contain greenhouse gases. But they can give a great help in countering the destruction of nature and the loss of biodiversity, which are the other side, not always sufficiently addressed, of the devastating impact that the last two centuries of progress have had on the health of the Earth.
The example of nature
This is explained by the new WWF Italy report Nature 4 Climate, released on the occasion of the Heart Hour 2021, which explains in detail how nature can come to our rescue. Even if we humans succeeded with virtuous actions in significantly reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – the association points out -, we would not solve the climate crisis if we did not carry out in parallel the commitment to stop the destruction of nature. Not that the institutions cannot do their part on this aspect too, quite the contrary. However, it would be useful to take an example from nature which, in a work of constant and uninterrupted reconstruction, allows the planet to survive even where man has done damage. Also because there is not much time available. Suffice it to say that the indications of the international scientific community have warned of the need to do everything possible to reduce to less than 1.5 degrees centigrade mean increase in global temperature by 2030 to avoid dramatic consequences, such as melting ice at the poles, rising temperatures and the flooding of numerous coastal cities. This means – underlines the Wwf – that we have less than a decade left to reduce the global net carbon emissions of met. But even if this goal, as we all hope, is achieved, we will not be able to solve the climate crisis without protecting and, where necessary, restoring natural ecosystems.
Small big daily actions
This is why it is necessary to act on several fronts. And this is why the example that comes from animals is important: in the world of wild nature everyone does their part, everyone contributes with small actions to the balance of the whole. Small actions, in fact, apparently even insignificant, but which put together are like the gears of a complex and efficient machine. And what, sinful of speciesism, we could identify as the main gear, mankind, seems more likely to contribute to the jamming of the machine. But luckily there are others who contribute, as long as they can, to keep things going.
The animal reserve army
Researchers have estimated that animals, by directly or indirectly affecting their habitats, can increase or decrease rates of biogeochemical processes, such as CO2 uptake, from 15% to 250%. Examples are the ants, whose presence seems to accelerate the natural absorption of CO2 in soils, by well 335 times compared to environments in which these insects are absent. Another example, that of gnu of Serengeti: their decimation in the past has led to a significant increase in vegetation. Which might seem good, considering the benefits to the atmosphere. In reality, what occurred in the new disproportionate situation was an increase in fires which, with their strength, alone consumed 80% of the ecosystem every year, destroying not only the new vegetation but also the pre-existing one, with an increase in the release of carbon dioxide into the air. When wildebeest disease management and anti-poaching efforts, along with some local reintroduction interventions, helped animal populations recover, the WWF notes – fires decreased and a greater share of carbon stored in vegetation was reduced. consumed by wildebeest and released as manure, rather than carbon dioxide during fires, keeping carbon in the system and restoring the Serengeti ecosystem as an important CO2 reservoir. These are just two examples but we could go on and on, talking about both terrestrial and aquatic species.
The disappearance of wild animals seems to reinforce the climate crisis, reducing the ability of ecosystems to adapt to the very rapid changes underway. Alessandra Prampolini, general manager of WWF Italy -. In this context, Nature-based solutions, nature-based solutions, aim to protect, manage in a sustainable way and restore natural ecosystems to produce well-being for the Planet and people and are the solution to the fight against the climate crisis. Each of us is called to give his contribution to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss in which we have entered for decades.
March 28, 2021 (change March 29, 2021 | 19:46)
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