It Matters that Climate Change Impacts the Little Things

Climate change is one of those things that touches on every part of our planet even when those parts are out of sight and out of mind. For our Climate Change Collective conversation this month, Michelle at Boomer Eco Crusader raises the topic of how climate change in the Arctic affects us all. Shrinking ice surfaces on the earth are one of the clearest indicators of climate change in my view, but it can be hard to pinpoint how these far away happenings are affecting my life over here on the west coast of British Columbia.

Michelle does a fantastic job of identifying direct impacts of climate change in the Arctic, such as how it effects wildlife, Indigenous communities, and our economic well being. Read her post here: How Climate change in the Arctic Affects All of Us.

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When Climate Change Impacts The World’s Little Things And How It Matters

Michelle’s post made me start thinking of things that seem small, but that truly have a big impact on the world. My first thought went to the Monarch Butterfly and how it is on the verge of extinction. Monarch Butterflies got a decent amount of press for a couple of years but, as with every news cycle, people have seemingly moved onto other topics. The butterfly population is still in decline, though, and it is largely due to climate change.

The 20,000 or so species of pollinators are key to hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of crops each year — from fruits and vegetables to coffee and chocolate. Yet, two out of five species of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are on the path toward extinction.

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators face extinction: UN – CBC.ca

How is climate change affecting Monarch Butterflies?

Monarch Butterflies are fascinating because they are the only butterfly to complete a two-way migration, similar to those we hear that birds make in the winter. When temperatures cool, the Monarch Butterfly begins to migrate from the north, from areas such as Canada, down to Mexico. As climate change creates changes in global temperatures, this can have an affect on migration patterns. (Source: Nature.org)

Milkweed is a specific plant needed in the reproductive cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. Milkweed is the only plant on which Monarchs lay their eggs and the plant is a source of food for baby caterpillars. Loss of this plant to drought, urban planning, and agriculture expansion directly affects the Monarch Butterfly’s ability to reproduce. (Source: World Wildlife Fund)

In addition to Milkweed plants being important, many Monarch Butterflies depend on a small area of Oyamel Fir in Central Mexico for overwintering. This area of forest is now small at at great risk of being destroyed by extreme weather events and fire. (Source: Government of Canada)

Why does the declining pollinator population matter?

In addition to being pretty and also prey to various predators, the main reason the Monarch Butterfly is important is that they are pollinators. And, simply put, pollinators are the reason we have food. We depend on them to move pollen from one plant to the next

Until I started trying to grow cucumbers, I didn’t really understand how essential pollinators were. I knew it, but didn’t have the up close experience of it as I did when I had to learn how to hand-pollinate my cucumber plants. It is easy to take for granted that apples grow on a tree or blackberries grow in the forest or peppers show up on my grocery store shelf. These things happen because of pollinators.

While the quote above says there are 20,000 species, so many of them are endangered. Once they are gone, we cannot get them back. And I say this with a bit of tongue in cheek, but it is also scary and true: grocery prices are incredibly high right now, but if we have to hand pollinate every plant, they are only going to get more and more expensive.

What you can do do help

Our pollinators need our help! Here are a few things you can do:

1. Plant pollinator friendly flowers in your yard or on your balcony.

2. Take part in community projects, like the Xerces Society’s Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas or Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper.

3. Learn about endangered species, like these endangered butterflies and moths, and what you can do to help.

4. Don’t forget that your voice matters. Try emailing your local government about issues you’re passionate about and learn about government policies so you can vote with your values.

5. Plant Milkweed to support Monarch Butterflies.

Where to get free Milkweed Seed to help save Monarch Butterflies:

There are still a few organizations sending out free Milkweed seeds to help support our Monarch Butterflies. Some are requesting a donation to cover postage, which is understandable, but is something to keep in mind as exploring your options.

1. Live Monarch
2. Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
3. Save the Monarch Butterfly
4. Little Wings

Climate Change is Having a Big Impact

Whether it’s the loss of the major ice surfaces of the Arctic or the loss of one small pollinator like the Monarch Butterfly, climate change is having a big impact with each of the losses and so much more. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Michelle’s post yet, here’s the link again because it’s definitely worth a read!

How Climate Change in the Arctic Affects All of Us

Michelle’s post had me thinking about Monarch Butterflies and pollinators; I’d love to hear what her post got you thinking about too!

The Climate Change Collective

This post is a part of our Climate Change Collective conversations.

The Climate Change Collective was born out of an exchange that took place between Michelle and Jamie in the comments section of a Jamie Ad Stories blog post. Jamie and Michelle both care deeply about the impact of human activity on our planet and wanted to find a way to keep the climate change message top of mind for everyone. A tweet was sent out, bloggers responded, and we’ve all now teamed up to create the Climate Change Collective! Learn more about the bloggers behind this group in our post introducing everyone: Get to Know our 5 Fantastic Climate Change Collective Bloggers.

The idea is simple. The members of the collective will take turns writing a monthly blog post sharing their concerns and unique perspective about climate change. After the post is published, the rest of the group will keep the conversation going by sharing a link to the post on their blogs along with their thoughts and ideas. If you’re a like-minded blogger and would like to join our collective, please get in touch. The more the merrier!

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