From the Plumage Wars to the Climate Crisis Guest: Stephen Moss Book Title: Ten Birds That Changed the World The 19th-century plumage industry nearly drove the snowy egret to extinction to satisfy the fashion for feathered hats. The murder of warden Gu

From the Plumage Wars to the Climate Crisis Guest: Stephen Moss Book Title: Ten Birds That Changed the WorldThe 19th-century plumage industry nearly drove the snowy egret to extinction to satisfy the fashion for feathered hats. The murder of warden Guy Bradley by poachers in Florida sparked international outrage, leading women to found conservation powerhouses like the Audubon Society and the RSPB. Today, the threat has shifted from direct hunting to the climate crisis. Moss notes that the emperor penguin faces 98% extinction by 2100 due to melting sea ice in Antarctica. These birds serve as "miners' canaries," signaling deeper environmental instability as migratory birds return to find their insect food sources have already peaked. Despite "apocalypse fatigue," Moss remains an optimist, believing that recognizing how our interference with birds "bites us back" is the first step toward a global realization that saving wildlife is ultimately about saving ourselves. (8)
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