Polar Bears not Surviving the Climate Change

“For Polar Bears, a Climate Change”

By: James Gorman

Source: NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/23/science/for-polar-bears-a-climate-change-twist.html?ref=science&_r=0

  Polar Bears have adapted to the cold and wintery weather. The Western shore of the Hudson Bay breaks up each summer, which leaves the polar bears swimming to shore. This has been a dangerous climate change and is affecting the polar bears. A warming planet leaves the polar bears hungry because of shortage on sea lions and no survival because of the heat. Since there are no sea lions, polar bears have found another animal to hunt and eat which are snow geese. Ice is melting earlier than it should results in bears arriving to shore early, which gives them a benefit to hunt the snow geese. The climate change has resulted in polar bears arriving to shore at a time when snow geese go through their summer breeding period. With 75,000 geese being hatched there is a new supply of food for these hungry bears. Climate change is playing a huge role into this because animals such as the geese and polar bears are not going to be able to survive with these quick climate changes. Dr. Rockwell has been counting geese since the summer of 1969. He has been following the footsteps of geese migrating from one place to another because of the quick climate changes. In the sixties there were about 1.5 million geese that migrated and now 15 million migrated this year. Dr. Rockwell has concluded that these geese are migrating from Louisiana and Texas where they spend their winters feeding on spartina (salt hay or salt meadow cordgrass). Then they migrate North in spring to nest and raise their offspring’s on grass. Polar bears are “food-deprived” in the summer because there is not enough food, and snow geese are their “backup” food.

  This is an important topic because people can see how polar bears, the cutest animals, are suffering because of the quick climate changes. They are suffering and looking for food because there is none left for them to eat. They are migrating to different places that do not fit their environment to find food. Polar bears are also harming other animals to survive. People need to know how the environment is changing and harming innocent animals like polar bears and the snow geese.