A small step for koalas

I have been following certain developments on the koala front in Australia. The marsupial is an icon associated with Australia- and is also well known for its predilection for eucalyptus and sleep.

After a decline in the wild population (to approx. around 200,000 according to government figures), Tony Burke (Australia’s Environment Minister), following a Senate report, has listed koalas as ‘vulnerable’ species last week. However, the tag will be restricted to certain areas- i.e Queensland, New South Wales (both states experienced a heavy decline in population), and Australian Capital Territory (which now has no wild koalas), which is another example of effective lobbying by the industries concerned as both Victoria (which has the distinct Strzelecki koalas, most of which are in private properties) and South Australia are not included (Burke claims that there are large koala populations in these two states). Whilst NSW welcomed this development, the Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, is disgruntled, labelling the move as a ‘mindless green tape’ and threat to the employment market and development in the state.

The Senate report associated the population decline with habitat destruction (mainly by coal mining, logging, and housing developments), climate change (drought and extreme weather resulting in bushfires), accidents (road-kill), attacks by dogs (especially in summer when they venture into gardens to drink from swimming pools and water bowls), and disease (notably: Chlamydia). In the case of bushfires, koalas’ slow-moving nature prevents them from escaping from fires.

The question now remains as to what will be done proactively to ensure that the koala isn’t driven to extinction.


Image source: BSPI/Corbis
Sources:


http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/koalas-to-be-listed-as-threatened-amid-rapid-decline-20120426-1xo22.html

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/youd-be-lucky-to-see-one-bid-to-protect-the-koala-20120430-1xv64.html#ixzz1tXMalDBm

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/koalas-get-some-protections-from-developers-20120430-1xtps.html#ixzz1tXMresPs

http://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/business_leaders/mining-boom-contributing-to-koala-decline

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/30/australian-govt-to-protect-koala-bears/#ixzz1tXLgGhYn

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/koala-listing-another-example-of-government-greentape-says-campbell-newman/story-fn59niix-1226342948508

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/pubs/guidelines-species.pdf

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/koalas-protected-in-north-but-need-managing-in-south-20120430-1xu13.html#ixzz1tXM4mhNF

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/qld-slams-koala-move-as-mindless-green-tape-20120430-1xvfm.html#ixzz1tXN8svj7

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2012/04/30/3491805.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/04/30/3492033.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/koala-listed-as-vulnerable/3980216/?site=sydney
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/no-protection-for-victoria27s-koalas/3981160?section=vic

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victorian-koalas-left-out-in-the-cold-20120430-1xv2b.html#ixzz1tXMRlXGf

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8459541/nsw-govt-welcomes-koala-listing

Effect of climate change on human morbidity and mortality and sea levels

Climate change has been resulting in quite a many detrimental manifestations which tend to have a domino effect: fluctuations in temperature and precipitation (resulting in climate variability), as well as extreme manifestations such as drought, storms, rise in sea levels, and frequent severe weather events.

Consider the research by Grinsted et al (2009) who used a ‘physically plausible four parameter linear response equation’ to relate nearly 2,000 years of global temperatures and sea level. Assuming that this relationship holds from 200 to 2100 AD, IPCC’s temperature scenarios and reconstructed past sea level scenarios were used to visualise future sea level scenarios. The result suggests that climate change will lead to a 0.9-1.3 m change in sea level between 2090-2099. This bodes a certain flooding of low lying coastal regions and islands. Island countries such as Maldives would practically cease to exist. Whilst countries such as Bangladesh may not face such obliteration, such a sea level rise would flood 1/3rd of the country, displacing millions of humans and severely affecting agriculture, irrigation, and livestock.

Climate change also has a perceptible impact on human morbidity and mortality (Patz et al, 2005). Climate fluctuations have been linked to diseases and ailments- the evident effects of heat/cold (which, for instance, follows a U-shaped dose-response function with increased mortality in the extreme heat and cold), traumatic physical and mental ailments, and even cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. This even results in altered transmission of infectious diseases (for instance, changes in temperature has been associated with salmonellosis in Europe and cholera in the ‘American south-west’; whilst, changes in rainfall has been associated with Rift valley fever in East Africa, and Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and cholera in the American south-west and Bangladesh). When one factors in the effects of climate change on air pollution and the greater ecosystem, the result is quite chaotic. If the future projections of climate change are plausible, then it is likely that these health risks may rise significantly. The ‘potentially vulnerable’ regions includes the temperate latitudes (which may warm disproportionately), and the regions in and around the Pacific and Indian oceans (substantial rainfall variability).

But even though the economic North/developed countries are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions, the damaging effects of their actions are most perceived in the poor countries of the South which has (as of yet) contributed least towards the GHG emissions.

References:
Patz, J., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Holloway, T., & Foley, J. (2005). Impact of regional climate change on human health Nature, 438 (7066), 310-317 DOI: 10.1038/nature04188

Grinsted, A., Moore, J., & Jevrejeva, S. (2009). Reconstructing sea level from paleo and projected temperatures 200 to 2100 ad Climate Dynamics, 34 (4), 461-472 DOI: 10.1007/s00382-008-0507-2

Paper of the Week: The link between snowfall increase in Antarctica and drought in southwest Western Australia

Tas van Ommen and Vin Morgan, of the Australian Antarctic Division, published a paper "Snowfall increase in coastal East Antarctica linked with southwest Western Australian drought" in Nature Geosciences. Turns out that this region of Australia has been facing a 40-year drought which was attributed to several factors, such as ‘natural variability, changes in land use, ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation’. After evaluating the precipitation records of the two regions (East Antarctica and southwest Western Australia), the authors report an inverse correlation, surmising that the rain which should have fallen in Australia may have moved to Antarctica, resulting in heavy snowfall. What needs to be evaluated is whether this is purely due to anthropogenic climate change and whether the study can be substantiated by constructing similar correlations in other southern hemisphere nations which also has/had similar conditions of drought. van Ommen, T., & Morgan, V. (2010). Snowfall increase in coastal East Antarctica linked with southwest Western Australian drought, Nature Geoscience, 3 (4), 267-272