Since we live in the Caribbean, what we know about the poles and how the climate there has changed is very little. Unless you have traveled there or seen documentaries about it, you probably don't know the magnitude of the problem. These beautiful, white furry creatures, like the one shown in this picture, are one of the most affected organisms due to what is known as climate change.
Climate change can be defined as the series of significant, long lasting changes in the weather patterns. These variations in weather conditions could be caused by a difference in the solar radiation that Earth receives, the plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions and, was is to me the most unfortunate, different types of human activities. This last one adds up to a frequently talked about topic lately: global warming.
However, although polar bears are the main character in this post, they are not the only ones affected by climate change. In fact, climate change does have a significant impact for us as well. As a result of it, events such as floods, droughts, storms and temperature increase will inevitably continue to increment. Is there anything we can do to help? Well there is one thing, but probably very few are willing to participate and that is reducing greenhouse gases. By helping reduce greenhouse gases, we would be able to control the main cause of climate change. Greenhouse gases are a normal part of our atmosphere to one extent, since they help keep the Earth warm and thus safe for us. However, due to the excessive burning of fossil fuels, an excess of greenhouse gases has probably piled up in the atmosphere, thus making the Earth a bit too warm (maybe not a bit).
Another thing that helps to the accumulation of too much greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is deforestation or the cutting of trees. That is definitely one thing we could participate at, either by reducing the amount of trees being cut or by planting more. Not only do trees keep the temperature cooler but they are also in charge of soaking up carbon dioxide (CO2). We can conclude that if there are less trees, where will the carbon dioxide end? Yes, along with the other greenhouse gases accumulated in the atmosphere.
So yes, climate change is terrible, but, how is it actually affecting polar bears? I mean, we all know they need to live in a very cold environment, but there are many other reasons polar bears need the ice that is melting away due to the heat increase as a result of climate change. First, they need ice to be able to hunt their food. They wait for their prey, usually seals, while sitting in the ice until on get close enough to catch. With the shortage on ice, they have to swim very long distances until they are able to find a piece of ice. This prevents them from also having a healthy physical condition since they have to work harder to find food and they may be exposed to drowning as well. The lack of food may also lead them into eating each other (cannibalism). All of these consequences may result in their eventual extinction.
Personally, it is a very sad situation to know that these innocent creatures will die of hunger, suffering due to a problem that was mainly cause by us humans. As the Polar Bears International Organization states: "If humans caused a problem, humans can fix it." The faster we join as community along with these type of organizations, the faster polar bears will have their natural habitat back. Click the following links as well as the video below to learn more about how climate change is affecting polar bears and what you can do to help.
Climate change can be defined as the series of significant, long lasting changes in the weather patterns. These variations in weather conditions could be caused by a difference in the solar radiation that Earth receives, the plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions and, was is to me the most unfortunate, different types of human activities. This last one adds up to a frequently talked about topic lately: global warming.
However, although polar bears are the main character in this post, they are not the only ones affected by climate change. In fact, climate change does have a significant impact for us as well. As a result of it, events such as floods, droughts, storms and temperature increase will inevitably continue to increment. Is there anything we can do to help? Well there is one thing, but probably very few are willing to participate and that is reducing greenhouse gases. By helping reduce greenhouse gases, we would be able to control the main cause of climate change. Greenhouse gases are a normal part of our atmosphere to one extent, since they help keep the Earth warm and thus safe for us. However, due to the excessive burning of fossil fuels, an excess of greenhouse gases has probably piled up in the atmosphere, thus making the Earth a bit too warm (maybe not a bit).
Another thing that helps to the accumulation of too much greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is deforestation or the cutting of trees. That is definitely one thing we could participate at, either by reducing the amount of trees being cut or by planting more. Not only do trees keep the temperature cooler but they are also in charge of soaking up carbon dioxide (CO2). We can conclude that if there are less trees, where will the carbon dioxide end? Yes, along with the other greenhouse gases accumulated in the atmosphere.
So yes, climate change is terrible, but, how is it actually affecting polar bears? I mean, we all know they need to live in a very cold environment, but there are many other reasons polar bears need the ice that is melting away due to the heat increase as a result of climate change. First, they need ice to be able to hunt their food. They wait for their prey, usually seals, while sitting in the ice until on get close enough to catch. With the shortage on ice, they have to swim very long distances until they are able to find a piece of ice. This prevents them from also having a healthy physical condition since they have to work harder to find food and they may be exposed to drowning as well. The lack of food may also lead them into eating each other (cannibalism). All of these consequences may result in their eventual extinction.
Personally, it is a very sad situation to know that these innocent creatures will die of hunger, suffering due to a problem that was mainly cause by us humans. As the Polar Bears International Organization states: "If humans caused a problem, humans can fix it." The faster we join as community along with these type of organizations, the faster polar bears will have their natural habitat back. Click the following links as well as the video below to learn more about how climate change is affecting polar bears and what you can do to help.
Author: Yaniris Alvarado Luna
Undergraduate Biological Sciences student at the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla. Aspiring Veterinarian.
Undergraduate Biological Sciences student at the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla. Aspiring Veterinarian.