When Polar Bears Roamed the Arctic

 

 

Hannah White

            If our global society continues down its current trajectory of infinite greed and blatant disregard for the environment and the species living within it, majestic polar bears will soon survive only in history books.  Their arctic habitat is disappearing before their very eyes as a direct result of recent and rapid climate change.  If we want to save the polar bear, we have to face the facts and start acting responsibly to exist sustainably—today.

            The available timeframe for these bears to eat is shrinking along with the ice they depend on for food.  This puts them at increased risk for starvation and even drowning.  As the sea ice retreats from shore, polar bears must swim further, up to 60 miles, across open water and rougher waves in search of ice to hunt on.  More recently, according to the National Wildlife Federation, researchers have even documented “cannibalistic behavior” among starving polar bears, which was “previously unobserved.”  This implies that the situation has become so dire for polar bears that they have been forced to take extreme measures in a desperate effort for their own survival.         

            Climate change, scientists agree, is the driving force behind these warming waters and melting ice sheets.  Each year as temperatures rise, the seawater takes longer to freeze yet it disappears faster, a scenario that—if continued—leads polar bears down a sure path to disaster.  Some people say that the current warming trend is merely a result of natural fluctuations in the Earth’s cooling and heating cycles, as demonstrated by the coming and going of past ice ages.  That may be true; however, the modern-day warming pattern is occurring at such a rapid pace that it suggests humans are playing a significant role in accelerating this process.  As stated by National Geographic, “humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution. Changes this large have historically taken thousands of years but are now happening over the course of decades.”

            At some point (and soon), we as humans have to realize that the globe is a finite place with limited resources, and that our actions—both individual and collective—have impacts on the future of this planet and all the species within it.  If we do not fully appreciate this statement for the stark reality that it is and make substantial efforts to combat climate change now, we will soon be living in a world where polar bears no longer exist.  It is not a matter of if at this point, but when.

            I sincerely believe, from the many articles I’ve read and the documentaries I’ve seen, that polar bears will no longer exist outside zoos during my lifetime, if drastic and immediate changes are not made regarding the way we as a people and a society address climate change.  Former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, said on global warming, “Making mistakes in generations and centuries past would have consequences that we could overcome; we don’t have that luxury anymore” (Inconvenient Truth).  Whether or not politicians are ready to stop arguing about who’s to blame for the sad state of our planet, it is time to set aside our differences, accept some accountability, and finally take action.  For if we do nothing, what will we say when our children ask us, “What was it like?  When polar bears roamed the arctic.”

 

References

 

An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Prod. Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, and Scott Z. Burns. Perf. Albert Gore. Paramount Pictures Corporation, 2006. DVD.

 

"Polar Bear." National Wildlife Federation. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mammals/Polar-Bear.aspx>.

 

"What Is Global Warming?" National Geographic. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-overview>.