Scientist says Florida Keys already suffer from the effects of global
warming
KEY LARGO — Global climate change already has wrought startling
environmental changes in the Florida Keys and could cause widespread
destruction over the next century, according to Lara Hansen, chief
climate-change scientist with World Wildlife Fund.
Hansen is speaking throughout the Keys this week to spread
information on what she calls one of the most pressing issues in the
world today.
Globally, temperatures have been on the rise for decades due to
fossil fuel emissions, and in the Keys the increase has caused the
loss of over half of the rare pine rockland forests, coral bleaching
and sea level increases, Hansen said.
"The key point I want to make is climate change is real and it is
happening now," she said.
The burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and power plants causes a
buildup of gases in Earth's atmosphere, which traps in heat and causes
environmental shifts. The United States is the leading producer of the
greenhouse gases responsible for the temperature change, Hansen said.
The average global temperature has risen .7 degrees Celsius since
1850. While appearing to be a minor change, an average temperature
increase of just 2 degrees will cause melting of the planet's ice caps
and massive flooding in low-lying areas such as the Keys, according to
Hansen.
Among many dangers, the flooding and rising heat can cause an
increase in pests, foster disease, damage agriculture and kill coral
reefs.
Overall, temperatures have increased 1 to 2 degrees Celsius in the
Keys, and are expected to increase by 3 to 7 degrees over the next
century, according to Hansen.
The last three decades in the Keys were 3 degrees warmer on average
than the first three decades of the 19th century, Hansen said. That
shift and the subsequent sea level increases have damaged the unique
terrestrial habitats of the island chain.
The seas around the low-lying archipelago have risen 7 inches in
the past 100 years, according to Hansen.
Rising water means the loss of land and erosion, especially for
islands that often sit no more than a few feet above sea level. A foot
increase in sea level typically means 100-1,000 feet of coastal
erosion, she said.
So far, 60 percent of the Keys' pine rockland habitat, crucial to
the endangered Key deer, has disappeared in the heat and increasing
water levels, Hansen said.
Global warming also has been blamed for wreaking havoc in the
marine environment, and scientists believe it has led to red tide
blooms and coral bleaching.
A massive increase in Caribbean coral bleaching in the 1980s aligns
with temperature shifts. Coral reefs are highly sensitive to small
increases in temperature and often are the bellwethers of climate
change.
Hansen said residents can do their part to curb the onset of global
warming.
"You need to think about how to protect your coral, your fresh
water and your mangroves," Hansen said.
Alternative energy sources, such as wind, and more energy
efficiency could improve the situation, she said. Homes can be better
insulated and appliances are made to conserve energy.
Also, Hansen said local residents should share their ideas and
successes with global policymakers to influence conservation efforts
around the world.
ttritten@keysnews.com
