Global Warming: Polar Bear Threat?
The largest terrestrial carnivore on the planet is in danger of disappearing. Polar bears are facing trouble in the near future as the ice sheets they rely heavily on for survival are disappearing each year. Perfectly at home in the harsh conditions of the Arctic, they use the ice sheets as floating islands where they hunt for food, search for mates, and rest between swims. As the ice sheets melt, valuable limited hunting grounds are reduced and swimming distances between them are increased. Their habitat is disappearing beneath their feet and scientists believe that global warming is behind this growing threat.
So are polar bears really in trouble? More than a fourth of the world’s polar bear population is in sharp decline and alarming evidence of the impact of global warming on polar bears continues to grow. Scientists have gathered evidence of polar bear drownings, cannibalism, starvation, reduced cub survival and denning dislocation.
Polar bears are one of the world’s strongest swimmers but four were found drowned in the Bering Strait and scientists believe that as many as twenty-seven may have perished.
Two female polar bears were found starved to death, malnurished and without any fat stores on their body.
Newborn cubs were crushed to death when their snowy dens collapsed from unseasonable rains.
The majority of pregnant polar bears in Alaska are now digging snow dens on land rather than on sea ice.
So what can we do to help? It’s simple, get involved and raise awareness. The threat of global warming to polar bears has led to them being added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace have put heavy pressure on the Bush Administration to shield the polar bear under protection from the Endangered Species Act. There are plenty of ways for people to make their voice heard and keep pressure on the politicians to do the right thing for these amazing creatures. Take action now!
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Greenpeace’s Project Thin Ice
- Natural Resources Defense Council’s BioGems
- Save Our Environment
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