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The first World Climate Conference was held from February 12th to 23rd in 1979 in Geneva. It was one of the first international meetings on climate change. NASA states, since the late nineteenth century, carbon dioxide and human-made emissions were, and still are being released into the atmosphere which has taken a toll on the planet’s surface temperature. Temperatures have risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. From 2010 to now, has had five of the warmest years recorded with 2016 being the warmest year on record. In return, oceans face the consequences of this increased heat by becoming 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer since 1969. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica have been decreasing in size. From 1993 to 2016, Greenland lost about an average of 286 billion tons of ice while Antarctica lost an average of about 127 billion tons of ice, both per year. Satellite observations have indicated that through the last 50 years, spring snow that covers the Northern Hemisphere has decreased and that the snow is melting earlier than usual. Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last 100 years, which indicates glaciers are melting. All of these changes on the earth’s surface and the earth’s climate have taken a toll on many species that rely on certain habitats that are changing or being destroyed because of the current stance of our planet. A specific species and very controversial topic are honey bees. The majority of plants needed for food rely on pollen which honey bees provide. There are public and political concerns about the decline of honey bees. According to Friends of the Earth, this decline is caused by a loss of their habitat and food while being exposed to pesticides, and the temperature changes of climate change. When an important species like bees decline, it can cause an entire ecosystem to have complications whether an increasing population or declining population in one organism, destroying the habitats of the wildlife residing there. That is why the campaign, “Save the Bees” has made protecting this species a priority as well as a global concern. Recognizing the importance of honey bees may ensure that they thrive in our ecosystem. While most of the general population focuses on a popular topic, saving the bees because of climate change they do not realize they can prevent the loss of bees in climate change by saving the whales. Whales are at the top of the ecological food chain and have importance in all aspects of marine life. They do not only have importance towards marine life, but an important to our fight against climate change, and economical benefits to many countries that appreciate the presence of these beautiful large mammals.
Whales establish themselves in an ecological chain that keeps the marine system equilibrium. Charles Darwin believed that species adapt and change by natural selection with the best-suited mutations becoming dominant. This indicates that if whales become extinct it is because they are unequipped and weak for change therefore, they would not be needed in the ecosystem. According to Whales Online, in the ocean, they serve as predators of smaller fish and prey to other whales, sharks, and even men. This indicates that they face both a dual purpose as predators and as prey. According to Animal Welfare Institute, “Whale falls, according to the scientific literature, create habitat islands, benefiting scavengers like sharks and hagfish, crustaceans, gastropods, bivalves, clams, shrimp, anemones, bacteria, and a litany of other marine organisms, including some species heretofore unknown… In addition to storing carbon, whale carcasses feed an array of marine and terrestrial species. When whales strand on land, bears, other mammals, scavenging birds, and marine and terrestrial invertebrates benefit from the massive windfall of food and nutrients and, in turn, expand the nutrient flow from the sea to land.” Therefore when whales die, their carcasses sink and serve as nourishment to organisms that decompose them. This explains that even when the whale carcass strands on land there is still some type of benefit regardless if their carcass sinks or not. As whales are at the top of the food chain, any decrease or increase in their population is an indication of a change in the ecosystem. This indicates that whales are a significant part of the food chain in abling to give other organisms survival in their own species. Whales should be sustained because of the positive effects given to the marine ecological system that always maintains balance in the life cycle of a whale. For example, whalefacts.org states, “When one species of animal that is important to the food chain dies it allows other species to thrive.” When a predator such as whales, are not part of an ecosystem anymore, other species do not benefit because it leads to populations which leads to competition. Whales play an important role because without them there will be a surplus or lack of certain species because of an unbalanced ecosystem. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, “By the time a global moratorium on commercial whaling, approved by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), went into effect in 1986, scientists estimated that whale numbers had plummeted from 66 to 90 percent of their pre-whaling abundance, with some populations, like blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere, declining by 99 percent. While the moratorium remains intact today—saving countless whales—commercial and “scientific” whaling continues, with Iceland, Norway, and Japan killing more than 43,000 whales since 1986. A previously ignored consequence of the slaughter was that it prevented whales from fulfilling their evolutionary role in the ecosystem. In every ecosystem, every native species has a role in the ecology of their habitat, from the smallest microorganisms to the most dominant predator. In a properly functioning ecosystem, they collaborate in a symbiotic dance that maximizes productivity and abundance within nature’s parameters.” (Paragraph 4, Animal Institute Welfare). This indicates that the lack of whales in 1986, unraveled the marine ecosystem which only proves if we do not protect the whales now we will face the same issue when it is far too late. If we protect the whales and allowed them to breed, it would help decrease carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere.
The main reason why the general population needs to focus on whales is that they can help fight against climate change. Even though, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about an increase of 30 percent. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which allows more carbon to be absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year. According to the International Monetary Fund, whales can help can limit greenhouse gases and global warming. The act of carbon dioxide released into the Earth’s atmosphere contributes to global warming that threatens future life on the planet. Whales can help with the limit of greenhouse gases because of the amount of carbon dioxide consumed within one single whale with the additional help of phytoplankton. According to Google, “Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community and a key part of oceans, seas, and freshwater basin ecosystems.” Therefore instead of carbon being released into the ocean first hand it is stored with the whales and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton lives at the top of the water column, as far down as the sunlight can penetrate which works almost the same way as photosynthesis. Where whales are phytoplankton will be produced. There are two ways phytoplankton stimulates growth. National Geographic states, “… whales, help sequester carbon in a few ways. They hoard it in their fat and protein-rich bodies, stockpiling tons of carbon apiece like giant…whales feed on tiny marine organisms like plankton and krill in the ocean’s depths before surfacing to breathe, poop, and pee—and the latter activities release an enormous plume of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, into the water. So-called poo-games stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, marine algae that pull carbon out of the air via photosynthesis.” (Paragraph 6, National Geographic). Whales and phytoplankton help each other and the planet fight against climate change because phytoplankton alone captures 40 percent of the world’s CO2 and contributes to 50 percent of the world’s oxygen to the atmosphere, and as stated above wherever whales are phytoplankton grows. National Geographic also states, “When a whale dies and its carcass descends to the bottom of the sea, that stored carbon is taken out of the atmospheric cycle for hundreds to thousands of years, a literal carbon sink…” When they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean; each great whale sequesters 33 tons of CO2 on average, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. A tree, meanwhile, absorbs only up to 48 pounds of CO2 a year.” (Paragraph 6, International Monetary Fund). As stated above, one whale can sequester 33 tons of CO2 on average which does not include the extra amount of CO2 phytoplankton sequester. Even a one percent increase in phytoplankton productivity because of an increase in whale productivity would capture hundreds of millions of tons of additional CO2 a year which is equivalent to the consumption of 2 billion mature trees. While one whale accumulates 33 tons of CO2 on average in one lifetime it does do a better job than thousands of trees, it should indicate that the Earth would have a better chance of limiting greenhouse gases by sustaining and breeding more whales. The breeding and protection of whales would help lessen the amount of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere, but that does not mean that they should stop planting trees. It would add a benefit for both to sequester carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere. As stated, whales can help the earth by limiting greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, but they also help economies globally.
Whales help economies globally by helping jobs for the unemployed, money to economists, and joy to tourists. Although, there are many short-term and long-term effects on the habitat where vessels go whale watching. According to the International Whaling Commission, Pinnacle Travel states, “Whale watching as an organized activity dates back to 1950 when the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego was declared a public spot for the observation of Gray Whales. In 1955 the first water-based whale watching commenced in the same area, charging customers $1 per trip to view the whales at closer quarters.” Since 1950, whale watching has brought jobs for the unemployed, money to economists, and joy to tourists, therefore whale watching has been a success since then and prices are rising every year. According to the International Whaling Commission, “Whale watching tourism is rapidly growing around the world, estimated to generate over 2 billion US dollars and provide employment for over 13,000 people in 2009. A number of coastal communities have been transformed by the introduction of whale-watching tourism, such as Kaikoura, New Zealand, where annual visitor numbers rose from 3,400 to an estimated 873,000 over a period of roughly 10 years. Whale watching also makes significant and long-term contributions to employment and the economy in Scotland, and many other coastal communities around the world where whale watching is growing more rapidly than other forms of tourism…” Overall, whale watching brings in money economically worldwide, especially to industries that attract tourists. Whale watching does not only bring entertainment, but it also brings education and research to those who are trying to study marine life or whales in general. According to the International Whaling Commission it also states, “…generating income and employment in coastal communities, responsible whale watching that includes an educational element has the potential to foster an appreciation for wildlife in its natural habitat and raise awareness of whale and dolphin conservation needs among participating tourists. These inspired tourists may become active proponents of environmental and conservation actions.” Whale watching brings employment and income to areas that provide whale watching. Whale watching usually intrigues those who enjoy wildlife either involved with education or deciding to become activists of environmental and conservation actions. While whales do bring many benefits in the aspect of conserving them, there are many individuals who believe that whales are a burden, and are used for benefits in death.
Throughout the centuries, most whale species have been endangered such as; the blue whale, humpback whale, and the North Atlantic right whale. According to LeisurePro, these are the three whale species that were nearly hunted to extinction in 1970. Although, there is a benefit for whale deaths in the need for many items such as; oil, blubber, and meat which was used to produce a variety of materials such as Oil – Lamp oil, soap, perfume, candles, and cosmetics. Food – Cooking oil, margarine, and whale meat. Clothing – corsets and umbrellas. These species are easier to hunt for these materials which is why they are a main target and were put on the brink of extinction. These three were one of the many species under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970, and again in the Endangered Species Act in 1973. According to WorldWildLife.org, threats to whales are industries, commercial whaling, and climate change. Industries along the coast that affect whales or their habitats are impacted between ships, exposed fishing gear, and ocean pollution. Shipping activity by oil rigging and gas development causes noise that can disrupt or even damage whales’ hearing which can prevent whales from moving into their migratory paths, their critical feeding, and breeding grounds. By the late 1930s, more than 50,000 whales were killed annually. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling because of the lack of whales in the ocean. The United States and other International Whaling Commission member countries have tried for years to persuade Iceland to end its commercial whaling—which includes hunting of the endangered fin whale—as it undermines the effectiveness of the IWC’s commercial whaling ban. In 2011, after pressure from WWF and others, the US government officially declared Iceland in defiance of the IWC ban. Although no sanctions were implemented, the President urged Iceland to cease its commercial whaling activities. In 2013, Iceland resumed its fin whale hunt. Climate change is a threat to these huge mammals because warming oceans and loss of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic can affect the habitats and food of whales. Large patches of tiny plants and animals that they feed on will likely move or change in abundance as climate change alters seawater temperature, winds, and ocean currents. These changes can mean whales such as humpbacks and blues may have to migrate much further to reach feeding grounds, leaving them with less time to forage for food. The shift in food availability due to climate fluctuations has already hurt the reproductive rates of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. We need to; reduce industrialized industries along the coast which affect their habitats, ban commercial whaling globally to fulfill the balance of the ecosystem, and reduce pollution and waste. Reducing and limiting such activities towards whale killings will allow their population to thrive, and help with the benefits stated previously.
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