Animals in Danger

According to research from the UK’s Met Office, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise after 2020, it is likely that global warming will wipe out many animal species by the end of the century. Met Office, working with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), reported at a special conference this month held at Oxford University that if temperature levels rise by up to 39 degrees as predicted by the study, half the world’s animal population faces extinction. If temperatures rise—in Africa temperatures could increase by up to 50 degrees—combined with decreased rainfall in many regions, there could be serious effects to food security, water availability, and general health of both animals and humans.