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the polar bear and global warming
There is an overwhelming amount of information out there about global warming, and with all of the opposing viewpoints who do we believe? Surely anybody who has seen the movie an inconvenient truth created by Al Gore is terrified by the facts that were shown, however, there is still data being presented that shows that the affects of global warming are overstated. One of the main concerns is the impact of global warming on the different species of the world that rely upon the colder environment, and the ice flows, a huge debate is going on about the Polar Bear and whether it is declining in population or thriving, and if the models are correct to show it’s decline in time from global warming.
Polar bears are a northern hemisphere animal, it is thought that they evolved from brown bears during the last ice age in order to survive. During the next year the US Fish and Wildlife Service will decide if these animal are to be added to the Endangered Species Act, if this happens then plans will be implemented to decide how to best care for the polar bear populations. The main problem with the argument over protecting the polar bear is data that shows that they are actually increasing in number, there are thought to be about 25,000 in existence today (Melbourne,2006, pg 36) up from about 5000 in the 1970s.
Here is where the real debate begins, there may in fact be 25,000 polar bears in existence currently, however, the global warming models show that due to the loss of ice that the hunting season for polar bears is shrinking and that if the trend continues along this same course that in one hundred years the polar bear population could starve off (Cristol 2003, pg 37). The problem is that the main habitat for the polar bear is the pack ice of the arctic region, due to global warming the ice has thinned and melted in some areas, the sea ice performs the vital task of reflecting sunlight and without it the sea absorbs the heat and continues to rise in temperature no longer creating new ice, this is the start of a “self warming cycle” (Cristol 2003, pg 37). If this cycle continues it could affect the breeding habits of the polar bear also and contribute to there dwindling numbers.
As the debate over global warming rages on we can think the best, but we need to prepare for the worst, we need to put plans in place to protect the different environments the will feel the impact if global warming does eventually become accepted fact in the scientific community. Jennifer Marohasy (2006). Polar Bear Politics: Underestimating the survival capacity of one popular bear. Review - Institute of Public Affairs, 58(2), 36-38. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1217806711). Hope Cristol (2003). As Arctic ice melts, polar bears may starve. The Futurist, 37(4), 6. Retrieved January 28, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 354304591).
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