Climate Change and Reptiles- February 2021

                                                    Climate Change and Reptiles

 Chapter One:  Introduction

How do you envision Antarctica?  Pretty cold, right?  Or maybe too cold.  Well, if you guessed one of those 30 years ago you would have been right.  Have you ever heard the words climate change or maybe global warming?  And if you have, do you know how it works? Well, it starts out with the sun and its rays.  There are two basic types of light:  ultraviolet and ultrared.  The ultraviolet runs straight into the earth’s atmosphere and bounces into space.  The ultrared goes straight inside the atmosphere and therefore is trapped inside.  This is called the greenhouse effect.  

Chapter Two:  Impact on Lizards

Lizards are impacted hard by climate change due to habitat loss and temperatures rising.  Nel Greenfield reports, “By the year 2080 20% of lizards will become extinct.” Lizards are an important part of the animal kingdom.  Lizards eat insects like malaria carrying mosquitos, flies or crickets.  That may seem gross but think of our benefits.  Climate change, habitat loss and global warming are just a few words to describe what is causing what is known to be dangerous and random animals into our homes in areas where people now live.  Almost half the population of lizards are being impacted by climate change.  

Chapter Three:  How you can Help

Now this is where you come in.  One:  ask someone in power to bring awareness to your neighborhood.  Two:  Donate money to animal shelters in and around your neighborhood.  Three:  Turn the lights out when you leave the house.  Four:  Take the bus or the BART instead of the car.  Five:  Bike, walk and run instead of taking the car.  This is also good for your health.  Six:  Eat less meat.  Seven:  Use more water fountains and don’t use plastic bottles.  Eight:  For any of you that live on the beach, at sea turtle breeding season, turn the lights out.  Nine:  Get more house plants for your home.  Ten:  Sweat more because you can turn it into energy.  

Chapter Four:  Conclusion

If you are ever outside on a hot day, think to yourself, can I make the world cooler?  Or maybe how did this happen?  What can I do about?  Bring awareness and think about the lizards and you have more room than you need.  Share your environment, adopt a pet, maybe he or she will be your best friend.