Curbing carbon benefits wildlife

To the editor:As Missourians, we enjoy a bounty of natural beauty, including over 675 native species of birds, mammals, fish and other wildlife. These animals add more to Missouri's aesthetic, ecological and recreational value than most Missourians acknowledge. Animals and humans share dependency on our planet for food, water and shelter. Moreover, Missouri's wildlife species have little choice on their sources of acquiring life's necessities. They are at the mercy of their human neighbors to allow them an opportunity to survive.

According to a study reported by the National Wildlife Federation, more than $1.8 billion was spent on hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing in Missouri in 2001. Furthermore, thousands of Missourians are employed to establish and maintain habitats that are conducive to the viability of Missouri's wildlife. Undoubtedly, an often overlooked animal contributes much more than meets the eye.

Sadly, Missourians and Americans as a whole are apt to neglect an obvious threat to wildlife and the places they inhabit: climate change. This is an inconvenient reality that is likely to trump our efforts in maintaining healthy places in which humans and animals can both call home.

The unnatural warming of our planet threatens to heave a wrench in the natural cycles that allow us to enjoy wildlife and the recreational and economic benefits it entails. Curbing our carbon addiction allots Missouri's future an opportunity to enjoy what we have inherited from our ancestors. If we care, we should remain idle no longer.

ADAM GOHN, Cape Girardeau