As an elder millennial, ‘climate change’ used to be a nagging little term in the back of my mind. It never felt tangible, and if I’m honest, for the longest time, I didn’t really understand what it was. Any concerns I harboured were automatically placated by the belief that science would always prevail. This naive assertion was thanks to the best example of collective action I’d seen to date: The Montreal Protocol.
In 1987, the global community gathered together. The ozone layer had a hole in it, posing a significant problem for humankind. Scientists figured out what was causing it. People added their signatures to The Montreal Protocol, an agreement to do less of the thing that caused the problem. The hole got smaller. Science won. What a story.
Fast forward to today, and the world is in an interlinked triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Human activity is driving the collapse of ecosystems faster than we can repair them. Overconsumption, habitat destruction, and industrial expansion are triggering widespread loss throughout the natural world, resulting in rapid biodiversity decline. We’re stuck in a negative feedback loop.
The ozone layer situation really lulled a younger me into a false sense of security, but I do still believe that collectively, we are capable of reaching logical conclusions and taking action in support of our best interests, especially when the stakes are high enough.
Water purification, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation are all services provided to us by healthy ecosystems, which in turn depend on biodiversity. The loss of biodiversity reduces the capacity of ecosystems to store CO2, which in turn exacerbates climate change, leading to further biodiversity loss. It’s a vicious cycle.
Ecosystems like forests are natural carbon sinks and prime habitats for apex predators. When these ecosystems are destroyed or degraded, they release the stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Emerging science shows that apex predators are pivotal players in ecosystem health, carbon storage, and even landscape resilience. So, why are ecosystems being destroyed, biodiversity loss exacerbated, and apex predators branded as problematic?
The term ‘trophic downgrading’ refers to the loss of apex predators and the ecosystem instability that follows. Scientists are increasingly linking this to climate vulnerability. Without predators, herbivore populations boom, overconsuming vegetation, reducing carbon storage, and increasing erosion. Restoring predators is being framed as part of climate-smart conservation by many, whilst others are fighting hard to prevent the protection and reintroduction of predators to the landscape.
The picture isn’t always straightforward. A two-decade study found that even when predators return, ecosystems may not bounce back quickly, or completely, highlighting lag effects and resilience thresholds. Ecological recovery is often neither linear nor immediate. This exemplifies the need for proactive preventative measures over quick-fix reactive policy.
Another challenge facing predators is their relationship with humans and a lack of habitat. When populations are allowed to recover or predators are reintroduced to the wild, their shrinking habitat and dwindling food sources are forcing them toward communities and into conflict with humans. This is a classic catch-22. If we continue to destroy or degrade habitat where predators can safely hunt, den, and mate, where do we expect them to go?
Wildlife is already adapting. Many species are becoming increasingly nocturnal to avoid humans, just as more recreators chase sunrise shots and alpine summits. Wild places are shrinking, and predators are being squeezed from both sides. Wildlife has very little wild left.
The result is a predictable conflict narrative: headlines about hikers encountering cougars, ranchers losing livestock, or defensive bear behaviours. It’s no surprise that ranchers and rural communities are apprehensive about predator populations increasing. But these problems aren’t unsolvable. They require government investment in coexistence strategies, not more killing, which destabilizes ecosystems and worsens the very climate crisis we’re scrambling to address.
Predators and ecosystems are not obstacles to human progress; they are the foundation of our survival, whether we like it or not. Protecting them is climate action.
As fires rage across Canada and droughts loom, the impacts of climate change are felt daily by communities all over the country. This all sounds very bleak, but before we spiral into climate-driven anxiety, let’s step back and look at this logically.
We need healthy ecosystems that provide clean air and water. We need biodiversity to keep ecosystems resilient. We need wildlife to sustain biodiversity. Wildlife need a safe habitat.
The logic is simple. Protect nature, and we protect ourselves. Or, overconsume resources, degrade and destroy the environment, kill the wildlife, and ultimately, drive ourselves toward collapse.
The logic may be simple, but it’s not always easy to act on it when we live in a world shaped by short-term profit and fear-driven decisions. If we were to embrace foresight, humility, and courage, if we commit to coexistence, protect habitats, and restore healthy predator-prey populations, we can shift the trajectory and allow ecosystems a chance to regenerate, providing climate resilience and a better future for our children. When enough people speak, when opposition finds common ground, decision makers are forced to listen.
Governments have a four-year term to make an impression, and any progress for the protection of our ecosystems can be undone within a decade. Lobbyists for resource extraction exert enormous influence over policy, and habitat is disappearing faster than it can regenerate. Glyphosate spraying, industrial logging, and unchecked development weaken habitats, strip prey of food and cover, and destabilize predator populations. Add intensifying wildfires, and the downward spiral accelerates. If we continue along this path, we will inherit an impoverished world that no quick technological fix can save.
We all depend on a stable climate, no matter where we stand on policy, whether we hunt or not, no matter where we live or our livlihood. It is in our best interests to advocate for the protection of habitats and ecosystems. We must look at the bigger picture and urge decision makers to take preventive action, to support coexistence measures for safer communities, and to protect wildspaces and wildlife.
Climate change is visible. The stakes are high. Life is struggling, and it’s easy to feel powerless. The reality is that there is no quick fix or band-aid solution for this predicament we are in. Lessons, though, are abundant, and history proves collective action is possible. The Montreal Protocol showed us that when the world agrees on a course of action rooted in science, we can turn the tide for the greater good.
Greed is a highly effective motivator, driven by fear. The antidote? Gratitude and generosity. Practiced in community, this shift in mindset can change the direction of a downward spiral and inspire others to take action.
Together, people can achieve great things. When we have a common goal and a common enemy, history has shown us, for better or worse, that we can succeed. This world is littered with division, but as we face a common crisis, now more than ever, we must come together and inspire others. Lead with compassion. Lead with empathy. Lead with knowledge, and be the voice that encourages, supports, and elevates.
When chaos and degradation become the new normal, we become numb. It is no longer shocking to see communities evacuated by raging wildfires or cities facing crisis with just 120 days of water left. This is not in reference to some obscure remote village on another continent. This is happening in Canada.
Compassion fatigue is all too real and a major driving force behind burnout and dissociation. It’s no surprise that we become numb to the daily bombardment of news stories that detail global devastation and the collapse of democracy. It can feel like a fruitless endeavour to fight for the rights of wildlife when humans can barely find compassion for our own species. But the truth is, it’s not a losing battle; it’s just complicated when the root cause is systemic and insidious.
We need resilient ecosystems. We need apex predators. We need voices committed to coexistence and preventative measures. In short, we need each other. By uniting for a shared purpose, we can influence decision-makers to protect the ecosystems we all depend on and push back against those lobbying for their destruction.
In the end, climate, carnivores, and humankind are not three separate stories. They are intertwined and interdependent, but the outcome of that story depends on us.
As our resident Communications and Outreach Specialist, Sam brings a diverse range of experience and skills. From nature-based therapy and education, to brand strategy and research, her passion for science, creativity and storytelling has allowed Sam to work internationally on both grassroots projects and global campaigns. As a lover of wildlife and wild spaces, Sam has dedicated the past five years to working with conservation non-profits and education organizations across rural BC to inspire advocacy for the Canadian wild.
