From a science perspective, protecting Belmar Park is largely about protecting biological diversity (biodiversity).

And according to the United Nations, biodiversity is our strongest natural defense against climate change.

So we really can't fight climate change effectively without protecting biodiversity.

Because as we lose or degrade habitats including Belmar Park's habitat zone, we lose biodiversity including eventually losing entire species that become extinct.

It is critically important to protect habitats because the web of life depends on habitats to support biodiversity. 

That is why the US Fish and Wildlife Service now "embraces Strategic Habitat Conservation (SHC), which focuses less on recovering individual species, and more on recovering habitats essential to a broad range of species."

Without sufficient biodiversity, our well-being including even economic well-being falls apart.

Because over half of global economic activity (sometimes called GDP) depends on nature.

If we prioritize building expensive housing over protecting habitats and their biodiversity, what will you tell the kids when they grow up and there is not enough food to bring home?  Or not enough water?  Or not enough medication?  We depend on the web of life for all of that.