Education in Action: Climate Change Awareness & the Resilience of the Ecosystem

In this day and age, climate change is a hot button issue. From academia and politics, to community concerns and a noticeable increase in disaster events across the globe, the reality of climate change has been an ongoing discussion for the last few decades.

No matter where we are in the world, the rise in the planet’s temperature affects us all. It can feel like such a vast, intimidating problem that we don’t know where to start.

The best place to start is the same as with any other subject we find ourselves interested in: educating ourselves. Informed action is the only kind that can really make a difference.

What is Climate Change?

Climate change refers to the rise in the Earth’s temperature and its effects, such as:

• Significant weather events like catastrophic storms, flooding, intense doughts
• Water scarcity
• Severe fires
• Rising sea levels from melting polar ice
• Declining biodiversity

This rise in temperature can be caused by natural things, such as the sun or volcanic eruptions, but since the 1800s, human activities – particularly the burning of fossil fuels – have been the main driver of this change. The average surface temperature of the planet is about 1.44°C higher than it was before the industrial revolution. Each of the last four decades have been warmer than any previous decade since 1850.

The term “global warming” was bandied about for a long time when referencing climate change. While technically this term is correct, it has been a source of misunderstanding for a lot of people. The wetter, colder weather patterns emerging raised the question of why it’s “global warming” when the result is colder weather.

There is a simple answer, in that the flow-on effects of the melting ice caps can lead to an intensified water cycle:

• Melting ice caps
• ↓
• Higher sea levels
• ↓
• More water evaporating
• ↓
• Higher concentration of rain

The changes result from other effects directly caused by the change in temperature, as well as the fact that a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.

While this information is important to have, the term climate change tends to eliminate the unnecessary confusion that comes with “global warming”.

Climate Change vs the Environment

The changing atmosphere has repercussions on the environment that we live in – particularly on the species that were here before us. Plant and animal life have adapted to flourish under certain conditions. When those conditions change, the ecosystem pays the price.

The main impacts on our variety of ecosystems are:

• Habitat “squeeze” – reduction in available space could be particularly visible in coastal ecosystems where the sea levels encroach or in alpine ecosystems as ice melts and cold enough climates become smaller and smaller.
• Increase in invasive species – warmer temperatures may encourage invasive species and diseases, particularly those from warmer climates which may be able to outcompete our native species as the temperatures rise.
• Seasonal slip – timing of seasonal activities may be altered as the climate changes, causing disruption to functional relationships between species.
• Extended breeding of predators – warmer, drier winters are already seeing some predator mammals breeding for longer, and with increasing temperatures, more of these pests may survive the winter months.

Awareness & Action

Slowing climate change is a global effort, with discussion and decisions being made on an international level. It can feel a bit overwhelming. But as individuals, there is always some kind of action available to us. Small-scale action is better than inaction.

So what can we do in our little corner of the world to limit the effects of the rising temperature? Of course, reducing carbon footprint by doing things like composting, recycling, and taking public transport are incredibly beneficial to reduce further damage. However, damage has already been done, and we want to keep our environment from feeling the already existing changes too strongly.

We want to help the ecosystem remain resilient and protect our biodiversity for the future – especially when we have such unique species in Aotearoa. This can include doing things like planting native species to keep their numbers up and continuing with pest control measures, particularly into predators’ extended breeding season, to protect our taonga birds and insects.

One of the most important things we can do, however, is remaining curious. There is so much to know about the topic of climate change, and the more you know, the better equipped you are to make educated decisions about how to help.

Education Resources

Getting better acquainted with the realities of climate change does not necessarily mean you have to go get a degree in environmental studies. There are easily-approachable online courses that you can do from the comfort of your own home, with local and international providers, to go deeper into the subject. Here are a couple to get you started:

Climate Change Course: Empowering Communities for Action
The University of Canterbury provides an accredited online short course running each term, free of charge to NZ domestic students. This course was built in partnership with Christchurch City Council and Future Curious to deepen understanding of climate change and explore strategies for meaningful action. Find out more here.

UNCC:Learn Introductory e-Course on Climate Change
A comprehensive look at climate change, from scientific, political, and practical vantages, available in multiple languages to make it internationally accessible. Provided by the United Nations’ collaborative initiative for climate literacy and skills development. Find out more here.