Polar bears are losing their habitats due to global warming. Because of the intensive heat in the Arctic, the ice caps are melting and they spend far more time at sea than on land. Global warming is decreasing the size of population, causing sea ice platforms to move farther apart, swimming conditions more dangerous, fewer hunting opportunities, and an increased scarcity of food. They have a small amount of time to hunt during the important season when seal pups are born. As a result, the average bear weight has dropped 15 percent, causing the reproduction rates to decline. Remaining ice is farther from shore, making it less reachable. The larger gap of open water between the ice and land also adds to rougher wave conditions, making the bears’ swim from shore to sea ice more harmful. Exacerbating the problems of the loss of hunting areas, it is expected that the shrinking polar ice cap will also cause a decline in polar bears’ prey, the seals. The drop in ice platforms near useful areas for the fish that the seals eat affects their nutritional status and reproduction rates. Polar bears are going hungry for longer periods of time, and they can only go so long without food. As climate change melts sea ice, the U.S. Geological Survey predicts that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050.
This polar bear issue has been a problem for quite some time now. I see those sad commercials about how polar bears are becoming extinct and how we should try to help and save them. It is amazing how global warming affects these polar bears so much, with habitats, food, and dangerous transporting conditions. I have heard this issue so many times before but never knew that two thirds with be gone by 2050. Hopefully this will all end by the time 2050 comes around because two thirds is much more than half the population.
1. What do you think we could do to help the polar bears?
2. When do you think global warming will end? Why?
3. Why should we care about the polar bears?
4. How is global warming affecting other animals?
http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx
If you think about 2050 is not that far away. Also if polar bears are already getting close to extinction, two thirds will mean almost total extinction for them. I knew that global warming was causing the melting of ice caps but I never knew it connected to how the polar bears can't get food or transport safely. The picture that colby has is a perfect example of how the polar bears rely on the ice caps. This reminds me of all the commercials I see for helpping the polar bears and trying to stop global warming. If people would just follow he commercials we could decrease global warming and stop the polar bears from going extinct.
ReplyDeleteTo answer colby's first question I think in general we should try to stop global waarming to help the polar bears. That should stop the meltng of the ice caps which could help the polar bears adapt to their habitat and make it safe for themselves. We can stop or decrease global warming by switching to all renewable energies. Using renewable energies could decrease pollution in the air which would decrease global warming.