They look a bit like Weebles, those wonderful children’s toys that wobble but don’t fall down, but Emperor Penguins are collapsing under the strain of climate change. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the Emperor Penguins are an endangered species due to the melting ice, reducing its ability to withstand predators.
The males spend two months incubating the eggs on their feet while the females hunt for krill and fish; after the eggs hatch, the parents take turns caring for the chicks. The sea ice is breaking up before the chicks are ready to take to the water causing many chicks to drown or be eaten by predators waiting for their next meal.
There are actually 18 different species of penguins, and as we begin our winter, they will move into summer. Rising water temperatures pose a danger to these incredible birds because much of their food source thrives in colder water. Most of us will never see a penguin except through film or photos, but they are creatures of God as surely are we, and we must stop our addiction to big oil to save them.
Prayer for the Day
Maker and Sustainer, who comes to us through the infinitude of life,
From the shells of tiny whelks to the whale in the sea;
Spirit of Creation, you speak to us in the beauty we see around us,
As the leaves turn and are reflected through the sunlight.
May we reflect love for your creation, both near and far,
Protecting creatures affected by how we live.
In the name of the One who touches all creation,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Penguins are living lessons in caring for the earth and its creatures, in all their beauty and vulnerability.
- Charles Bergman, Every Penguin in the World: A Quest to See Them All
Penguins are an indicator of the health of our watery planet, and if they’re unable to survive, we’d better take notice or we might find our own survival threatened.
- Roger Tory Peterson, naturalist and artist (1908-1996)
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome o the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind [and penguins]. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:20-21