The Wandella Times

Throughout Earth's history, periods of warmth have been associated with periods of abundant flora and fauna. Even today, perhaps 80 percent of all plant and animal life inhabits the tropical realm. Most organisms thrive in heat; very few are adapted to conditions of severe cold. Despite reports that predict the extinction of many species, from all indications, plants and animals would thrive in a warmer environment. The greatest amount of warming, it appears, is happening in the polar latitudes. There, some species may be unable to adapt to change and may become extinct. Fortunately, the high latitudes are the places that have the fewest species, so a minimal number of organisms would be affected.

It is true that tropical insects would expand their range into what today are temperate lands. Some studies caution that warming conditions will spread malaria, an often deadly disease. Malaria, however, is not limited to the tropics. Outbreaks have occurred throughout the middle latitudes. In fact, the greatest infestation of mosquitoes the author has ever experienced was in Alaska just a few miles from the Arctic Circle! Malaria is a scourge in the tropics simply because of widespread poverty. Poor people are less able to protect themselves against the disease. They cannot afford medication that protects against malaria or insect repellant, to spray mosquito-infested areas, or to enclose living quarters.

Much has been written about plant and animal life that may be unable to adapt to changing climates. Many species, some fear, will become extinct. But you must remember that most animals and plants are mobile. Although they are unable to change their natural habitat, as their habitat either enlarges or contracts in size, they (as a species) can move along with it. The past century has experienced periods of rapid temperature rise and sharp decline. Yet, there is little evidence that such changes contributed to an abnormal loss of plant or animal species. Why, then, is there a widely held belief that so many species are dying out? The answer is simple. First, the human population has doubled during the past five decades. This has caused a loss of natural habitats. Second, when plants and animals move along with their habitat, they can disappear from an area in which they were once common.

There is no better example of this principle than the "disappearance" of Canada's Hudson Bay polar bears. In fact, these majestic creatures have become the poster child for the anthropogenic global warming (AGW) group. Polar bears, they claim, are threatened by global warming and, in fact, may even die out. Surprise! Recent surveys have shown that the polar bear population actually has grown during recent years! What's going on? Well, geography can help us answer this riddle.

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