The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity

How Anthropocentric Climate Frameworks Undervalue Animal Welfare Losses

Authors

  • Kathleen Moore Thompson Rivers University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe767

Keywords:

climate change and biodiversity, anthropocentric valuation, animal welfare, intrinsic value of nature, polar bears, environmental economics, social cost of carbon, biodiversity valuation

Author Biography

Kathleen Moore, Thompson Rivers University

Kathleen Moore is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Natural Resource Science program at Thompson Rivers University. She has been involved in research since her first year at TRU, when her poster on glacial retreat in the Stave River Watershed received the Best Undergraduate Poster award at the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) annual meeting.

Building on this early experience, Kathleen developed a strong interest in ecological processes and gained field-based research experience as an undergraduate research assistant, contributing to projects in wildfire science and dendrochronology. Her academic interests span multiple areas of ecology, driven by a desire to understand how interacting ecological processes shape landscapes. Following graduation, Kathleen aims to pursue her Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) designation and work in environmental consulting, applying ecological science in support of long-term environmental stewardship.

References

Dasgupta, P. (2021). The economics of biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review. HM Treasury. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report-the-economics-of-biodiversity-the-dasgupta-review

Emert, J. (2024, September 4). Animal welfare and climate: An interconnected relationship. Environment Next. https://environmentnext.org/animal-welfare-and-climate-an-interconnected-relationship/

Fleurbaey, M., Ferranna, M., Budolfson, M., Dennig, F., Mintz-Woo, K., Socolow, R., Spears, D., & Zuber, S. (2019). The social cost of carbon: Valuing inequality, risk, and population for climate policy. The Monist. https://budolfson.github.io/files/MonistSCC.pdf

Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2011, June 11). Evidence of the socio-economic importance of polar bears for Canada. Species at Risk Public Registry. https://www.registrelepsararegistry.gc.ca/document/doc2307/op-pb_e.cfm

IPCC. (2023). Climate change 2023: Synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [PDF]. [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (Eds.)]. IPCC. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_FullVolume.pdf

Pascual, U., Balvanera, P., Anderson, C. B., et al. (2023) Diverse values of nature for sustainability. Nature 620, 813–823. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06406-9

WWF Global Arctic Programme. (2022, February 25). As sea ice changes, so do polar bears. WWF Arctic. https://www.arcticwwf.org/newsroom/features/as-sea-ice-changes-so-do-polar-bears/

Cover image with title: Perspectives on the economics of Climate Change. Special Issue, March 2026, Online ISSN: 2819-7046. Background image taken by Peter Tsigaris of the University of Auckland campus.

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Published

2026-03-17

How to Cite

Moore, K. (2026). The Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity: How Anthropocentric Climate Frameworks Undervalue Animal Welfare Losses. Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment. https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe767

Issue

2026: Special Issue: Perspectives on the Economics of Climate Change

Section

Commentaries and Opinions

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment

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