How polar bears are affected by global warming

[David]

by Panayiotis Christodoulou

Last message from Arctic

It looks like the Arctic is sending us one last message. One last warning about the effects that mankind would face because of the external abuse of the ecosystem and the arrogance that humans show regarding such an important issue.

Arctic storms could worsen due to climate change, putting fisheries, oil and gas explorations, and sea lanes at risk, warn researchers writing in the journal Climate Dynamics.

Arctic sea ice, fell to the lowest volume and second lowest extent on record, according to the annual World Meteorological Organization (WMO) statement on the Status of the Global Climate. Sea levels could rise between 7 and 23 inches by the century's end.

Arctic’s future is now unsafe. With more than 200,000 years that humans and earth co-exist in harmony, it’s pretty obvious that the development of technology and the consequences it has on the climate cannot be ignored any more.

Since the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago, nature has started to be unable to tolerate the intensive abuse and pollution by humans and as a result, animals like polar bears are now considered endangered animals.

The future of the Arctic is in immediate threat. The combination of deadly factors brought about by global warming put animals like polar bears at a very high rate of risk.

Drops in birth and survival rates have already been documented, and biologists are growing concerned about erratic behavior exhibited by polar bears as a result of the loss of their natural habitat.

With the disappearance of the sea ice, polar bears have begun to show up around inhabited areas looking for food and shelter. They contend with hunters for their kills and often end up being slaughtered because they supposedly pose a threat to human communities.

The shrinkage of the ice has other repercussions for polar bears. They are losing their natural prey, which are also affected by the shrinkage in habitat. Polar bears are not very adept at catching land animals and also must contend with other species for these food sources.

Land animals also do not provide the high fat diet that polar bears need, which will lead to starvation. Starving mothers will not be able to provide their cubs with the nutrition they need, which will further contribute to the decline in polar bear numbers. Illegal killing (poaching) of bears also remains another factor causing their decline.

Younger, thinner ice has become the dominant type in the Arctic over the past five years, reports a new study led by Research Associate Charles Fowler of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research.

The thinner ice does not bode well for the Arctic ecosystem, as the ice is more prone to summer melting. The U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050 as a result of climate changemelting the ice.

Several and important changes are required in order to prevent even worse consequences such as the extinction of Polar Bears as well as many other species that call Earth home.

Organizations dedicated to the welfare of the environment believe that a global effort is needed to counteract global warming before it is too late. In May 2006, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature added the polar bear to its "Red List" of the world’s most imperiled animals, predicting a 30% reduction in the polar bear population in the next 45 years.

The polar bear was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act on May 14, 2008. This move officially recognizes that polar bears are threatened with extinction from global warming, which is melting the Arctic sea ice where polar bears hunt for ringed and bearded seals, their primary food source.

If we are able to reduce global warming pollution by 2% annually now through 2050, we would avoid worst case scenarios of impacts in Arctic ecosystems and around the world.