Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Global Warming and Polar Bear




Polar bears are becoming extinct and we can help! Their population is decreasing dramatically. As global warming melts sea ice, the U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of their population will disappear by the year 2050. The ice is freezing later in fall and and melting earlier in spring. That takes the time they have on the ice away by almost and month and a half. If they have no ice, they have to live on land and there's barely any food for them there. Their average weight has dropped down by 15%. The Hudson’s Bay population of polar bears has dropped down by more than 25%.

Not only that, but sea platforms are farther apart. That means that polar bears have to swim farther apart to get to their destination. The larger gaps of open water make harsher and bigger wave conditions causing more hazards for polar bears. A report shows that a female polar bear swam for nine days-nonstop-across the Beaufort Sea causing her her cub and 22% of her weight. Many of them are drowning because of how far they have to travel.

The shrinking polar bear ice cap is also decreasing their prey dramatically. It also affects their main source of food,seals. Their population and nutrition is decreasing too so polar bears are going hungry for longer periods of time, resulting in cannibalistic behavior. The polar bear’s future is still very much in jeopardy. I think we need to take immediate and significant action to reduce global warming pollution.


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