Climate Change Position of the Saint Louis Zoo Our Position on
Climate Change Throughout its history, the Earth’s climate has
varied, reflecting our environment’s complex interactions and
dependences. Humans have been changing the planet ever since the
dawn of agriculture 10,000 years ago. However, during the 20th
century, the rate of climate change increased dramatically—the
greatest in the last 1,000 years. This increase coincided with
development that raised the level of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere and accelerated what is essentially a natural
process. Scientific consensus holds that climate change is
interrupting natural cycles, causing habitat loss and prompting
more extreme weather patterns. All of this affects animals. What
Is the Zoo Doing? For decades, the Saint Louis Zoo has been
working across the globe and in its home region to conserve
animals and protect the complex and fragile systems that sustain
those animals – and all of us. This has paid off. There are more
than 100,000 protected are