Monday, March 11, 2013

Of Penguins and Manatees

I saw two disturbing news stories this morning.  One was about penguins dying off in Antartica because of global warming.  It seems their primary food source is krill--little shrimp-like critters in the ocean--and their numbers are decreasing, leading to difficulties for the penguins.

The other story was much more local--it had to do with the red tide off the Gulf coast of Florida that has resulted in the deaths of an almost record number of manatees.  It seems they develop respitory problems which can be lethal when they eat the algae that is responsible for red tide.  I didn't know they were impacted by it, but I do know our beaches have been littered with dead fisah this inter, and that many humans have respitory issues when ever the red tide is "in bloom".  Apparently, global warming, especially the rise in ocean temperatures, is part of the cause of red tide--as are the various ways we humans pollute the waters.

I hate to see penguins and manatees dying.  But maybe their deaths will help drive home the point that we need to address these environmental issues in a much more comprehensive manner.  Manatees are adorble.  Penguins are cute.  Maybe seeing them die in such large numbers will pull at the heart strings in such a manner as to stir us to action.

We can only hope so!

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