Climate Change and Penguins

A new WWF report examining the potential impact of climate change on penguins determined that a 2 degree Celsius rise in temperature would significantly reduce populations of Emperor and Adelie penguins. The increase in temperature would reduce the extent of much of the ice on which penguins live. While some penguin species would be better able to adapt than others, climate change would clearly have serious consequences for Antarctic animals. The report primarily concentrates on the impact of reduced sea ice, and does not incorporate the impact of temperature increases on the Antarctic food chain. Thus, the effects of climate change on Antarctic animals could be even more severe than the report predicts. Read the press release here.