Can we save nature while ignoring climate change? Can we tackle climate change without addressing nature?
The evidence suggests the answer is no. Tackling climate change and defending nature go hand in hand.
A changing climate and dwindling nature – both driven by human action – is double trouble for sure. Trying to save nature without addressing climate change – or vice versa – is like standing on one leg.
We’re more agile and stable when we stand on both legs. That’s why Friends of the Earth has long worked on both nature and on climate change.
And it's why we're asking you to get behind our push to double tree cover in the UK. More trees will boost British wildlife and help us tackle the climate emergency. So please add your name to our petition now. Thank you.
We know nature is at risk
Most people in Britain are worried about the impacts of climate change on wildlife in the UK. In one sense that’s not surprising as we're animal lovers.
But an opinion survey found more people concerned about wildlife being affected by climate change than they were about risks to their home from climate-related flooding, or from heat waves and volatile food prices.
Of course, an unstable climate will bring all of these ills. But we're certainly stuffed if nature becomes so degraded that we are unable to draw on it for resilience, protection and stability.
Nature is our secret weapon
It’s often said that we can’t control the weather. But in many ways we can. Human activity is altering our climate and undermining nature’s ability to help deal with the effects of increasingly disruptive weather.
Flourishing, abundant nature and fully functioning natural systems – sometimes called ecosystems – are our secret multi-tool for dealing with climate change. They are our ally in building resilience and ability to cope when the weather turns.
From seas to soils, the diversity of wild species on land and in the seas maintains the stability of the food chain. And diversity keeps pests and disruptive species in check.
Why we should love sharks
Healthy shark numbers control squid and other voracious predators. It's estimated that a quarter of all shark and ray species are threatened with extinction from over-fishing.
Removing sharks from the oceans' ecosystem, as we are doing, is letting far more problematic species take over. It is altering the balance of the seas.
Soil and climate change
Our humble soils keep us supplied with plentiful, healthy food and hold back flood waters – if they are healthy. Healthy soils also lock in loads more carbon than trees do.
It’s easy to overlook soils and expect them always to be there. But the UK is actually losing more than 2 million tonnes of prime top soil every year. Our soils are being degraded. We are making them less fertile and more prone to being washed or blown away.
We're doing this through a combination of insensitive farming, the loss of trees, hedgerows and plants and the drenching of soils in chemicals, affecting their structure and ability to bind together.
Find out why trees are good for soil and please sign our petition to double tree cover in the UK:
Oceans and climate change
Our natural multi-tool has another great feature: oceans. The seas help to regulate the weather and absorb much of the carbon dioxide we’re pumping into our atmosphere.
But we're expecting oceans to absorb excessive amounts and they are warming too fast, turning them more acidic. This makes them inhospitable for corals and species which have nowhere else to go. Warmer seas add to more frequent stronger storms.
Shifting seasons and species
Wildlife in the UK and Europe is already being affected by climate change, as the RSPB shows in its report The Nature of Climate Change.
Some species are starting to be found outside their normal range. For example, Adonis blue butterflies are being located further north and at higher altitudes.
But not all species will be able to travel and adapt. Southern beech forests can't move to outpace changes in climate and weather patterns.
Timing is everything. Shifts in the seasons are disrupting flowering times and the availability of insects, putting things out of sync for bees, birds and other creatures seeking abundant food when they need it most.
Climate change and apples
A more disruptive climate is likely to affect where many bees and other pollinators are to be found. It is also likely to have an impact on and the suitability of different locations for growing different crops - such as the best locations for apples. This is according to a study by top bee and pollinator expert, Professor Simon Potts.
Potts has identified a possible ‘geographical mismatch’ between areas most suitable for orchards and areas richest in pollinators. The implication: fewer insects to pollinate trees to produce the apples.
Climate change, drought and flood
Disruptive weather also brings more frequent extremes of drought and flood. Where droughts make the ground harder for birds to probe into for food flooding washes away nests and inundates burrows.
Heavier rainfall in the spring disrupts life for bees and birds seeking plants and insects for food, including for their young. And along with loss of their habitats, unreliable summer rainfall is making life tough for frogs and toads.
Of course, some species may thrive in warmer weather and many new species may become familiar sights in the UK. But that can’t be taken as the natural order of things.
Protecting nature from climate change
Richard Black, Director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: "For wildlife to be able to cope with a changing climate, we'll need to manage more areas of land and sea for nature, in both protected areas and the wider countryside and seas.
There is good evidence that protected areas across the European Union, such as Special Protection Areas, are already helping wildlife to respond to the changing climate.
"Projections show that protected areas will remain important for wildlife in the future, even as species move due to climate change, and that we will need more of them.
"The laws they rely on, such as the [EU] Nature Directives, need to be maintained and better implemented. This means designating more areas on land and at sea and managing them to a high standard for wildlife."
Helping nature and tackling change
We can restore nature and curb climate change.
Here at Friends of the Earth we're working to double tree cover in the UK by:
- Making sure the right trees are planted in the right places.
- Boosting our wild species.
- Reviving our native trees.
The benefits to nature and the climate would be huge.
Like our vision? Make it happen by adding your name to our petition: