Ice-free periods in the Arctic are increasing as a result of global warming.
A study published by the scientific journal, Nature Communications, talks of using video camera GPS collars to track polar bear movements for three-week periods over the course of three years in Canada’s Hudson Bay. In Hudson Bay, ice-free periods have lengthened by three weeks between 1979 and 2015 which would mean bears were forced onshore for about 130 days just in the past decade.
The use of sea ice by polar bears is extensive.
The bears use the ice for travelling, mating, resting, and hunting. Their main
food source, seals, provides the large amounts of fat required for polar bears
to survive the harsh, cold climate of the Arctic. Polar bears can consume at
least 50 seals per year but because of these new melting patterns of sea ice,
bears can only hunt from November to July. The bears come ashore during these melting
periods and search for other food sources or live on fat reserves until the ice
refreezes.
Some sources say the bears are very smart, creative, and motivated to find food sources that can compensate their energy demands, however, that is not a guarantee of survival for this species.
The Artic ice is
heating up twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet which is causing sea ice
cover to shrink 14% per decade. Between 2011 to 2021 the region lost about
770,00 square miles of sea ice, which is an area larger than Alaska and California
combined.
A 2015 reassessment by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature showed that there is a high probability
that the global polar bear population will decline by more than 30% over the
next 35-40 years, while a 2020 study states that polar bears will be extinct in
the arctic by 2100 if we continue to produce emissions as usual.
It is a sad world we live in when we can expect species of
the Arctic to be extinct in the wild so soon due to human negligence. Polar
Bear International allows the option to make contributions towards the
efforts of polar bear conservation and ensuring that polar bears are free to
roam the sea ice for generations to come.
No animal is safe from climate change. Losing biodiversity across the world will eventually affect us. Destroying polar bears homes and causing another animal to go extinction is very to see. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteIt's so unfortunate what is happening to these animals and they might be on the way to extinction, I wish their home wasn't melting.
ReplyDeleteI would be terrified if i found a polar bear wander into town for food but I cannot blame them! It is sad to see them go. As Americans we do not see what goes on in other places, maybe we choose not to or maybe we purposefully turn our eyes.
ReplyDeleteI watched a documentary about a guy who was studying polar bears and he compared them to other bear species. He said polar bears actually see humans as a source of food. That is TERRIFYING.
DeleteThanks for writing this post and informing us about the polar bear situation. We hear so much about it and I have never really learned to what extent the global warming impacts these creatures.
ReplyDeletePeople always hear "save the polar bears" but never really understand what we're saving them from. It is a sad world!
Deletebecause of us humans and how fast we have changed the world, it is our responsibility to change this. what i see is a bunch of policies and governments getting in the way of that.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you sharing so many sources about the ways in which polar bears are being impacted by climate change. It is so sad to think that in a few decade we may not share the planet with those beautiful animals any more.
ReplyDeleteSeeing photos of the current state these polar bears are in deeply saddens me. The fact that we lost 770,000 square miles of sea ice in the Arctic from 2011 to 2021 was jaw dropping to read.
ReplyDeleteI often bring up the extinction of polar bears to those who don't believe in climate change because it is such a direct result of sea surface temperatures rising, and the overall negative impact of carbon emissions. Polar bears and other animals rely on the climate conditions their bodies can operate best in. Although we are warm blooded animals and can adapt well, the speed that this is happening at does not allow for evolution or adaptation to kick in.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Not only that but polar bears are having to move to warmer climates and other animals (such as the red fox, which I did my last blog post on) are having to move to cooler climates because of the change! It's absolutely insane.
DeleteThe alarming decline of Arctic sea ice due to global warming poses a significant threat to polar bears, forcing them to spend extended periods on land and leading to malnutrition and decreased reproduction rates. Urgent action is needed to address climate change and support conservation efforts, such as those promoted by Polar Bear International, to ensure the survival of these iconic animals in their natural habitat.
ReplyDeleteIt's also concerning that top predators like bears are keystone species in their respective ecosystems and their loss will have massive sweeping impacts on every other living them around them from their direct prey to the people that live nearby.
ReplyDeleteYes! Human beings are a food source for polar bears! People need to wake up.
DeleteI have seen so many articles on the threats facing polar bears and other animals due to climate change. It is scary to think how much is at risk to our environment if we don't get our act together and start implementing laws that will protect our environment for the future. Imagine a world without polar bears.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures of skinny polar bears just absolutely destroys my heart. Climate Justice is about so much more than human beings, but the innocent creatures we crush on the way.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of those bears is absolutely heartbreaking, polar bears and the arctic was one of the first climate issues that I was introduced to when I was younger and it would be devastating for them to go extinct.
ReplyDeleteIt's always something we hear about but it's terrifying to see and recognize first hand.
Deleteclimate change effects our whole planet not just us no animal person or insect will be spared its wrath unless we stop it this is a real problem that has been ignored for far to long
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the poor polar bears suffering and looking for food really emphasize how significantly other species are affected by climate change and the actions that we take that speed up the climate crisis.
ReplyDeleteThe World Wildlife Fund's findings on the health and weight loss of polar bears as they come ashore earlier each year are particularly concerning.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't think such a short amount of time would make such a big impact.
DeleteI feel like polar bears have been a symbol for climate change before we realized how bad it really was. That photo of the malnourished polar bear is extremely disheartening. I wonder if other technologies such as increasing the reflectiveness of the ice can help lower temperatures enough to save them before its too late. I would hate to live in a world without these beautiful and smart creatures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rosey about the picture of the malnourished polar bear! A few years ago I dressed up as a polar bear (still have the costume) and went to the tree lighting in downtown Kalamazoo. I had a sign that said "Extinction Rebellion" hanging around my neck. Well, every kid in the park wanted their picture with the polar bear! And it created lots of openings for conversations with parents about preserving the earth so that their lovely kids could have a habitable planet.
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