Humans hate change, and they hate moving to suit someone else’s agenda—that’s why politicians avoid projects that require eminent domain. Animals and plants don’t deal particularly well with change, either. They’ve adapted to live in a certain types of places, after all. But the massive amount of carbon pollution humans release into the atmosphere is going to fundamentally alter those animals' and plants' comfy niches, which means they're going to have to move to survive.

Mark Bittman says you can start by changing what you eat.

In his book, Food Matters, The New York Times food columnist writes about the environmental impact of industrial farming — and how individuals can make a difference by cutting down on the amount of animal products they consume.

I enjoy a good steak. Also chicken, fish, and the occasional pork or lamp chop. Red meat in moderation, to be sure, and not enough fish, but I’m moving in the “right” direction on these matters. I have respect and appreciation for vegetarians, or vegans, but it is not a path I choose. The model I want to try to follow is Mark Bittman’s formulation of mostly fruits and vegetables, grains, etc., with an occasional modest helping of meat.

1. Iberian lynx

A study by the University of Exeter provides the first evidence that coral reefs can recover from the devastating effects of climate change. Published Jan. 11, 2010 in the journal PLoS ONE, the research shows for the first time that coral reefs located in marine reserves can recover from the impacts of global warming.

Scientists and environmentalists have warned that coral reefs may not be able to recover from the damage caused by climate change and that these unique environments could soon be lost forever. Now, this research adds weight to the argument that reducing levels of fishing is a viable way of protecting the world's most delicate aquatic ecosystems.

Galapagos Islands
April 6-10, 2010

Only in Galápagos will you come face to face with wildlife that has never developed a fear of people. With an expedition to the Land of Darwin, you have the opportunity to study blue-footed boobies performing a courtship “dance”, snorkel with playful sea lions, watch a male frigatebird ballooning his crimson chest pouch to attract a female, kneel beside marine iguanas, and marvel at Galápagos penguins.

The Scripps research vessel (R/V) New Horizon left its San Diego homeport on Aug. 2 for the North Pacific Ocean Gyre, roughly a thousand miles off California's coast. With collaborators from Project Kaisei, the team is surveying plastic distribution and abundance, collecting samples for analysis in the lab and assessing the impacts of debris on marine life.

The scientists and research volunteers onboard are seeking scientific data on just how much influence the accumulation of human-produced plastic and other debris has on this ocean area. Prior to this cruise, very little was known about the size of the "garbage patch" and threats to marine life and the gyre's biological environment.

(CNN) -- The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

Trash clutters the world's oceans, as shown here near Hong Kong.

By Brandon Keim
February 24, 2009
Rather than relying on warm, fuzzy feelings to protect animals, conservationists suggest appealing to something more reliable: greed.

By selling financial contracts pegged to species health, the government could create a market in the future of threatened animals, making their preservation literally valuable to investors.

By Alexis Madriga
Maybe there really isn’t anything that you can’t buy online.
Endangered animals, including chimps, marmosets and leopard cubs, are being bought and sold online, according to a new report.

Over six one-week observation periods earlier this year, the International Fund for Animal Welfare found more than 1,400 live, exotic animals being traded online. IFAW data released to Wired.com revealed that most of the advertisements were for birds, but in the United States alone, 13 primates, five big cats and two rhinos were offered.