Global Warrming Effecting Polar Bears

Global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants (dictionary). Due to climate change things have had to be done that would help make their habitat a safer environment. In 2008, the USA, E.P.A, and other organizations all reported sea ice loss in the Arctic area that was the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined (climate change 1). Polar bears are affected by this change in temperature because it effects how they eat, sleep, and live. Sir David King said, "the earth was entering the first hot period since sixty million years ago." Now with the change the summers are longer, the winters are shorter, the days are longer, and the way they live has changed. The bears from a long time ago had to adapt to the cold and now the polar bears have to adapt to their new habitat being warmer than they are used to. "Since the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, began tracking sea ice three decades ago, only in 2006 was there as little ice during a Northern Hemisphere -5.65 miles. That's nearly 8% less than average of 6.12 miles square miles from 1979 to 2000"(Low Arctic Ice Levels Bad for Polar Bears 11A). With the summers being longer it delays the formation of the ice so it is harder to prey on the seals they love to eat. Chantel Kreviazuk wrote, "I dread the fact that one day I may have to tell my grandchildren how great white creatures once roamed. Canada's north and then disappeared. Simon Garfield said, "Not so long ago, polar bears were a symbol of cold but now they are symbols of warmth." (On Thin Ice 277) In the past two decades the rising of temperatures have been 20 times faster than the previous century (On Thin Ice 285). In 1980 the thickness of the ice was nearly 15ft but in 2003 it decreased to 8ft (On Thin Ice 285). If the ice in Greenland and Antarctica liquefy (melted), it would cause the sea level to go up to about 230 feet higher than before. Polar bears have been dyeing of exhaustion because the swim to find ice but since the ice is melting they have to swim farther and farther before finding it. It causes them to die of exhaustion. The Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the globe (On Thin Ice 306). Due to global warming the mother bears are losing weight and are having harder times to give birth to more than two cubs. In the past they gave birth to up to four cubs but due to recent studies they are only giving birth to maybe two but sometimes one of the twins dies before they can even go out of the den.

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