Stage 3. Brno - Olomouc The role of Nature in climate action
Today’s stage has been entirely developed on Czech roads. The first part was spent on flat terrain, but between km 20 and 50 … we had to work hard with 30 km of ascending road. After that, we were grateful that the road was downhill followed by a flat ride until the end of the route in the city of Olomouc, once the ancient capital of Moravia.
The cold has not made it easy. The thermometer read -2ºC when we left Brno, and 1ºC when we arrived in Olomouc, but the early climb and the good meal prepared by our support team helped us to warm a bit.
Today, as we cycled the 90 km of the route we enjoyed the view of leafy woods, frozen lakes and rivers, and extensive fields. Being in contact with nature reminds us of the important role natural ecosystems have in combating climate change.
Terrestrial and marine ecosystems play an essential role in climate regulation and, currently, absorb approximately half of human carbon emissions. However, the effects of climate change pose a significant threat to our natural systems, which are also affected by other human activities such as the degradation and loss of habitats, overexploitation of resources and the pollution. The interaction of all these threats results in a growing ecological imbalance and in a loss of quality of the natural goods and services on which all human activity depends, including our ability to cope with climate change.
The conservation and restoration of Nature are essential in the strategy against climate change, both in the dimension of mitigation and adaptation, and it is everyone’s responsibility to take action.
Nature usually offers the best solutions to protect life in the planet. Recognising its role, protecting it and restoring damaged ecosystem is probably one of the smartest things we can do to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.Ibon Galarraga - Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3)
Many ecosystems, notably in the Mediterranean area, are already suffering the effects of climate change. We just can´t afford to lose the irreplaceable environmental, social and economic functions that they offer. An adequate management of land use and forests is needed to preserve and enhance the environment and its services, while providing huge climate benefits, now and in the future.Ivan Martínez - Spanish Office for Climate Change
The ocean contains 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere, and it currently acts to reduce the pace of climate change, but this is at the expense of its warming and expansion with effects still little known.Suzana Khan Ribeiro - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)