Polar Bears

If anyone has seen Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth, then you are aware that polar bears are facing a threat of extinction in the upcoming years.

How can this be? Why now? Well, there are a few factors.

First of all, global warming is hurting and changing their enviornment so significantly that it's hindering their rate of survival. In a nutshell, artctic temperatures have risen so much that polar ice caps are melting. Polar bears rest on these ice caps and hunt for their food on them, so without these ice structures, polar bears are either drowning because they are so exhausted from swimming or they are unable to hunt for their food, AKA starvation. Researchers predict that, at the rate of Arctic ice melting, by 2030, we will have no more ice in the Arctic. I don't doubt it.

Next, the Bush administration has been drilling for oil in their natural habitat, again interfering with their environment and altering its natural setting.



In 2005, a petition to save endangered species, specifically polar bears, was filed, but it wasn't acted upon until this year, 2008. It's becoming a bit late at this point, but better late than never.

Scientists have not yet commented on the decreased population number of the species, but they have released that body rates and reproductive rates of polar bears has significantly declined.

It saddens me to think that our destruction, gluttony, and non-action is causing a species we all know to just slowly disappear. When something happens gradually, its disappearance isn't noticed as much. Too abrupt an incident, like a hurricane or terrorist attack, gains more attention.

My friend who lives out in San Fransisco said they have been airing an awareness ad on television to promote awareness of the potential extinction. She says the ad features a child asking his mom if they can go to the zoo to see polar bears. His mom responds, "I hope so." I hope so too. How can we just let this happen? If we let them die, then other species will be effected. Seals and fish will overpopulate. It will deeply impact the ecosystem. We've already ruined it enough already, why keep perpetuating this problem?

So, what do you think of this polar bear crisis?