BirdLife President Ridge hosted a global environmental change talk at Randburg Methodist Church, Ferndale, on 10 November.
The talk was hosted by environmental scientist, climatologist and Roosevelt Park resident Simon Gear who has been an expert for 16 years. Gear is the policy and advocacy programme manager for BirdLife South Africa. His Role is to represent BirdLife SA, BirdLife International and at times through membership, the International Union for Conservation of Nature
The talk was aimed at the impact climate change has on sea birds, global warming, fracking and other environmental issues.
“After years of studying climate change, climatologists are now seeing the effects becoming so obvious that even ordinary people can spot them. This particular heatwave is a combination of a number of factors, including El Nino [a phenomenon where climate changes causes water to become warm and lack nutrients], but global warming is clearly a significant factor,” said Gear.
He added that many bird species are at risk from climate change, but seabirds are particularly vulnerable because of their narrow adaptation to just a few prey species and their loyalty to specific nesting sites.
Gear said also that fracking is potentially a huge environmental threat to SA if not done carefully, but that it also has massive economic potential. “We really can’t make a decision on that until we know how much resources are out there and what the feasibility is of extracting that,” said Gear.
John Human, chairperson of BirdLife President Ridge said, “We urge the community members to come and learn about environmental issues as things are changing.”
BirdLife South Africa is the country partner of BirdLife International. Their mission is to promote the enjoyment, conversation, study and understanding of wild birds and their habitats.
Details: Celia Haman, blpr@pittta.co.za
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