Get to Know the Polar Bears

The sea ice is the most important part of the polar bears’ ecosystem. The ice provides an ecosystem with a rich food chain that nourishes seals with fish and plankton that are beneath seals on the food chain. These seals are then primarily consumed by polar bears (WWF Global 2014). Polar Bears are known to be stealth hunters that sneak up on seals that are resting on ice (Wikipedia 2014). Polar bears are specifically designed to live in freezing arctic temperatures. They are equipped with a thick, white fur and a 5 inch thick layer of fat that ensures the insulation of heat and energy (Wikipedia 2014). However, polar bears have not been built to deal with the effects of climate change on sea ice and prey. With smaller amounts of ice, polar bears are bound to lose large amounts of food each year. With the effects of oil spills and toxic pollution, which affects animals under polar bears on the food chain, polar bears now have less food to eat. Oil spills become trapped under sea ice and also take a much longer time to evaporate in such cold climates (Polar Bears International 2014). The longer the oil stays in the ecosystem, the higher chance there is that an animal ingests it (Arctic Oil Spill Report 2014). The effects of pollution and oil spillage will continue to disrupt the polar bears' feeding patterns if not fixed. In order for polar bears to not be a threatened species anymore, humans need to take an incentive to reduce their carbon emissions and reduce damages to the habitats of polar bears and seals, such as reducing oil spills and pollution.

                                                                (Watson 2012)
Works Cited: 

WWF Global. (2014) Threats to polar bears. WWF. (Date Accessed: February 13,2014.) http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/threats/

Polar Bears International. (2014) Global Warming. Polar Bears International. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.)  http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/global-warming

Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic. (2014) Arctic Oil Spill Report. PEW.
(Date Accessed: February 12, 2014.) 

http://oceansnorth.org/arctic-oil-spill-report

Polar Bears. Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. (Date Accessed: February 25, 2014.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear

Watson, L. (2012) Polar stare: Arctic bears get up close and personal in stunning images that show fearsome animal's curious side. Mail Online. (Date Accessed: February 27, 2014.) 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216601/Ice-Curious-polar-bears-close-personal-brave-wildlife-photographers-camera.html  

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How Climate Change is Affecting the Polar Bear Population

When the World Wildlife Federation declared them “threatened” on May 15, 2008, polar bears became the first species ever to be declared threatened because of global warming. However, polar bear populations have grown since 1970, by way of laws banning polar bear hunting and abundant prey. Since 1970, world polar bear populations have increased from 8,000 to 25,000 (Ritter 2012). However, these population increases are quite misleading. In 1973, with the Multilateral Conservation of Polar Bears Agreement which limited polar bear hunting in Greenland, The United States, Russia, Canada, and Norway, polar bear populations started to increase because of a decline in hunting. However, the immediate effects of the prevention of hunting are starting to wear off and polar bear populations in the Northern ice caps are starting to plateau. Average temperatures in Russia, Canada, Alaska, and Greenland have increased since 1970 by an average of +0.18 °C (Global Warming Art 2002). With melting ice caps, polar bears now have to swim farther for prey, making it harder for polar bears to capture seals and other prey (National Wildlife Federation 2014).

Historically, since 1950, polar bears have been following a logistical growth curve, meaning that their population has been constantly rising for a long time, but is expected to soon reach carrying capacity and fall from there. Carrying capacity is the maximum population a species can maintain in a certain ecosystem. As seen in figure 1, polar bear populations have reached a maximum and are expected to fall. With the steady melting of ice caused by global warming in northern polar bear habitats, polar bear populations are set to decline; and in some cases, eventually reach zero (Polar Bears and Climate Change 2011). In figure two, we see that average northern arctic temperatures have reached an all time high, meaning that there is less and less ice every year for polar bears to live and hunt resting seals on. Instead of catching resting seals on ice, polar bears now must swim long distances into the ocean to catch seals, where they are often out swam by the seals (National Wildlife Federation 2014). Polar bear populations are also set to plummet because of an inability to have large numbers of cubs- an effect of melting ice caps and difficult hunting conditions. Although many adult polar bears have been able to survive since the 1980’s when polar bear hunting was first restricted, those adults are starting to die off without many offspring (National Wildlife Federation 2014a).

                                Graph from: Polar Bears and Climate Change 2011

                                     Graph from: Ahlenius 2007

                                               

Works Cited:

Global Warming Art. (2002) Climate Change in Antarctica. (Date Accessed: February 10, 2014.)

http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/File:Antarctic_Climate_Change_jpg

Ritter, J. (2012) True Lies in the Lighting World. Professional Lighting Design Convention Countdown Blog. (Date Accessed: February 11, 2014.)

http://www.countdown-blog.pld-c.com/?p=833

National Wildlife Federation. (2014b) Global Warming and Polar Bears. (Date Accessed: February 17, 2014.)

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx

Polar Bears and Climate Change. (2011) Climate Change and Polar Bears. (Date Accessed: February 13, 2014.)

http://polarbearscc.blogspot.com/p/climate-change-and-polar-bears.html

Ahlenius, H. (2007) Trends in Arctic Temperature. GRID-Arendal. 1880-2006. (Date Accessed: February 13, 2014)

http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/trends-in-arctic-temperature-1880-2006_14cf 

National Wildlife Federation. (2014a) Polar Bear. (Date Accessed: February 25, 2014.) 
http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/polar-bear.aspx 

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Primary Productivity Increases

Primary productivity is the transformation of chemical or solar energy to biomass. Primary producers in the Arctic Ocean are typically phytoplankton. Primary productivity ranges from region to region in the arctic. The primary producers in the arctic are algae, mainly phytoplankton, under the ice (Frey 2011). The amount of primary production limits the number of polar bears that can survive in an area. The amount of prey of the polar bears depends roughly on the primary production. At every level of the food chain 90% of the energy is lost as it travels from producer to primary consumer to secondary consumer. Polar bears rely indirectly on the productivity of the ocean and its nourishment of other animals because of the food chain that they are involved in (see photo two). Phytoplankton is able to form when the ice melts and the sun reaches the water (Frey 2011). Phytoplankton primary production in the Arctic Ocean increased approximately 20% from 1998-2009, mainly as a result of increasing open water extent and duration of the open water season (Moore 2012). Increases in primary production were greatest in the eastern Arctic Ocean. In addition to shifts in the total amount of production, new observations indicate an earlier timing of phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean (advancing up to 50 days over the 1998-2009 period) as well as community composition shifts towards a dominance of smaller phytoplankton (Frey 2011).  This advancement reflects the rising arctic temperature and resulting ice melt. Polar bears rely indirectly on the productivity of the ocean, because their prey, the seal, relies directly on the productivity of the ocean.

Primary productivity increased from 1998-2009 (Frey 2011). (Moore 2012)

Polar bears reside at the top of the food chain (Chain Reaction 2014).

Works Cited

Frey KE, Arrrigo KR, Gradinger RR. (2011) Arctic Ocean Primary Productivity. Arctic Report Card: Update for 2011. (Date Accessed: February 15, 2014.)
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/report11/primary_productivity.html

Moore S, Gill M. (2012) Marine Ecosystems Summary. Arctic Report Card: Update for 2012. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.)
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/report12/marine_ecosystems.html

EcoKids. Chain Reaction - Build a Food Chain. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.) http://www.ecokids.ca/PUB/eco_info/topics/frogs/chain_reaction/index.cfm

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How Climate Change is Affecting the Polar Bears' Food Chains

Polar bears are adapted to the cold tundra climate of northern arctic. With global warming continuing its havoc on the globe, the arctic ice is quickly decreasing in size. This climate change and melting of ice has decreased the hunting season for polar bears, allowing for less time to find prey. These polar bears rely on the cold climate and ice to hunt their prey - the ringed and bearded seal (Polar Bear Diet 2014). The hunting these polar bears do in the winter months is crucial to their survival in the warmer seasons when less food and ice is available for their survival. Polar bears are largely affected by this climate change, and this is particularly influential for pregnant polar bears that rely on food in the area and ice to settle on in order to have their cubs (WWF Global 2014). With much of the seal population moving off of the ice into the water because of climate change, polar bears now have to travel farther for their food.

Photo From: (Krembs 2008)

Works Cited: 

Bering Sea. (2012) Food Web. (Date Accessed: February 12, 2014.) http://beringseaapes9am.blogspot.com/2012/02/food-web.html

Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic. (2014) Arctic Oil Spill Report. PEW. (Date Accessed: February 12, 2014.)

http://oceansnorth.org/arctic-oil-spill-report

Polar Bears International. (2014) Global Warming. Polar Bears International. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.)  http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/global-warming

WWF Global. (2014) Threats to polar bears. WWF. (Date Accessed: February 13, 2014.) http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/threats/

WWF Global. (2014) Polar bear reproduction. WWF. (Date Accessed: February 13, 2014.)  http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/reproduction/

WWF Global. (2014) Polar bear habitat. WWF. (Date Accessed: February 11, 2014.) //wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/habitat/  

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Saving the Polar Bears: Solutions for Climate Change

The four most common greenhouse gases according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. The greenhouse gases are all fine and necessary in small amounts, but in larger amounts they create a blanket around the earth and trap too much heat in earth’s atmosphere (EPA 2013).

This problem can cause the arctic ice to melt sooner and form later, which limits the polar bear's hunting season. Therefore, humans are innovating solutions to lessen greenhouse gases and their effect on the polar bears. One such solution is legislation to limit carbon emissions. The Clean Air Act (1963) “requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants that are known to be hazardous to human health” (RTCC 2013). The EPA began regulating GHGs from mobile and stationary sources of air pollution under the Clean Air Act for the first time on January 2, 2011” (Globe 2010).  This measure would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide given off as a waste product into the atmosphere. Most carbon dioxide sources are companies, which are difficult to regulate. All companies are working with the resources that they control to spend the smallest amount of money possible to make the best product possible. Fossil fuels are currently used abundantly to power the world, yet when burned they give off the most greenhouse gases (Biello 2007). To begin to change the world for the better several states have capped the carbon emissions that a facility within its borders is allowed to have. 

Individuals can also be a part of the climate change solution. Ultimately human choices affect climate change the most. Carbon emissions from daily life can be dramatically reduced with a few changes to human habits. Whenever possible you can save electricity by turning off and unplugging unused appliances. Saving electricity saves the emissions that come from burning fossil fuels to create electricity. When buying your next car, you can choose to buy a car with a large number of miles per gallon to use less oil, a fossil fuel. Even the products you buy can be contributing to climate change. You can avoid buying products with lots of packaging, such as plastic, which have been created from fossil fuels. Every time you buy a product that was not produced in your area you are supporting a company that used fossil fuels to transport it to you. As you can see, it's not just the overt use of fossil fuels that affects climate change. To solve the climate change problem, every aspect of the human impact must be examined.

Works Cited

Biello, David.(2007) 10 Solutions for Climate Change. Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solutions-for-climate-change/

EPA. (2013) Climate Change: Basic Information. United States Environmental Protection Agency. (Date Accessed: February 15, 2014.) http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/

Seabed Geosolutions. (2013) Arctic Solutions. (Date Accessed: February 15, 2013.) http://www.seabed-geo.com/our-solutions/seabed-acquisition-solutions/arctic-solutions.aspx

The GLOBE Climate Legislation Study (2010) United States: Flagship Legislation (Date Accessed: February 16, 2014.) http://www.globeinternational.org/images/climate-study/United-States.pdf

RTCC (2013) Climate change laws in the USA. Responding To Climate Change. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.) http://www.rtcc.org/2013/02/12/in-focus-usas-climate-laws/#sthash.2XLWN2o7.dpuf

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Video: Polar Bears and Climate Change

This educational video is a TedTalk style analysis on how climate change is affecting polar bears.

This video was created by: 

Brett Raskopf 

Hannah Beebe

Hannah Koschmeder

Andrew Tucci

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Perspective: Political Activist vs Loudmouth Skeptic

It is no secret that climate change is affecting our planet, but to what extent? The public's main concern is the effect of climate change on animals and plants all over the world, and specifically the arctic climes. The poles of the earth contain enormous blocks of ice that are especially affected by climate change. If asked which animal is most threatened by climate change, most people would answer the polar bears. The following arguments provide factual evidence, but also opinions on how changing temperatures are affecting this arctic animal. 

Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States, is a big advocate of decreasing climate change. In his 2006 film, An Inconvenient Truth, (takepart 2014) Gore discusses a range of topics surrounding climate change, including how the changing atmosphere is affecting our everyday weather. Gore’s main point is this: climate change is what is causing the extreme weather conditions and disasters that have been occurring in the past 20 years (International Disaster Database 2014). His theory is not far fetched. According to these graphs from NASA and the International Disaster Database, the rising CO2 levels correspond with the rising number of natural disasters in the United States.

(Climate Change: How do we know? 2014)

(Natural Disaster Trends 2011)

This is proof that rising CO2 levels affect more than just rising earth temperatures. The occurrence of more natural disasters is an issue for an obvious reasons; they kill humans and animals and ruin landscapes where the disaster strikes. Though Gore’s film had some incorrect facts, his idea that “extreme weather events...are now a hundred times more common than 30 years ago” (Mashable 2014) is a very accurate theory.

(Getty 2007)

With Gore’s opinions on climate change as back up, it is easy to see how people are so concerned about polar bears. CO2 is "warming the earth's blanket", as more gas collects in our atmosphere (EPA 2013). Ice melts when the weather gets warm, which is why polar bears are facing adversity; they are slowly losing their habitat. While polar bears are not usually the direct subjects of natural disasters, their food sources may be. This shows again how natural disasters and warm temperatures, all caused by rising CO2 levels, are hurting the polar bears. Gore and other animal activists argue that polar bears are more important than our need for and use of greenhouse gasses. Anything one could do to lower their emission of CO2 could help save the polar bears, and could overall improve the earth's condition. 

On the other hand of the spectrum, political radio personality Rush Limbaugh does not believe in man made climate change. He says, “If you believe in God…you cannot believe in man made global warming.” (Visser 2013). This sparked controversy, clearly for its religious input, but also for the fact that Limbaugh is almost saying that man made global warming does not exist. He is against the notion that humans are destroying the earth. He says that “we’re no different than a mouse or a rat, if you listen to the animal rights activists…according to the [environmentalists], we are not entitled to live on this planet as other creatures because we destroy it. But how can we destroy it when we’re no different from the lowest life forms?” (Visser 2013). A study relating to Limbaugh’s point says, “Conservative media use decreases trust in scientists which, in turn, decreases certainty that global warming is happening.” However, 97 percent of scientists are in agreement that climate change is occurring (Visser 2013). 

(Fong 2011)

The argument as to whether or not man-made climate change is an issue is a prominent topic of debate today, especially as it seems that the temperatures are getting warmer. Many climate change skeptics such as Limbaugh could argue that because there has not been a decrease in polar bear populations, man-made pollution is not putting polar bears at risk. Limbaugh and other conservative reporters would not take away natives' rights to hunt polar bears and would certainly not support a foundation's attempts to save this arctic animal. 

Many climate change skeptics could argue that because there has not been a decrease in polar bear populations, man-made pollution is not putting polar bears at risk. 

Works Cited:

Alcantara, A. (2014) Al Gore on Climate Change: ‘Extreme Weather Events Are a Game Changer’. Mashable. (Date Accessed:  February 7, 2014.) http://mashable.com/2014/01/24/climate-change-al-gore-bill-gates-davos/

Climate Change: How do we know? NASA. (Date accessed: February 7, 2014). 

http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ 

EPA. (2013) Overview of Greenhouse Gases. United States Environmental Protection Agency. (Date Accessed: February 20, 2014.) http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases.html 

Fong, J, Theel, S. (2011) Rush Limbaugh: Climate Change Misinformer of the Year. MediaMatters. (Date Accessed: February 25, 2014.) http://mediamatters.org/research/2011/12/19/rush-limbaugh-climate-change-misinformer-of-the/185495

Getty, K. (2007) Al Gore’s Mother. The Austin Chronicle. (Date Accessed: February 25, 2014.) http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/gay-place/2007-03-22/458315/

Natural Disaster Trends.  International Disaster Database. (Date accessed: February 7, 2014.)  http://www.emdat.be/sites/default/files/Trends/natural/world_1900_2011/eveyr3.jpg

Takepart. A Global Warning. An Inconvenient Truth. Takepart. (Date accessed: February 7,

2014.)

http://www.takepart.com/an-inconvenient-truth/film

Visser, N. (2013) Fox News' Climate Change Coverage Could Increase Viewers' Skepticism, New Study Finds. Huffington Post. (Date accessed: February 8, 2014.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/06/fox-news-climate-change_n_3714802.html

Visser, N. (2013) Rush Limbaugh: 'If You Believe In God ... You Cannot Believe In Man-Made Global Warming'. Huffington Post. (Date: February 8, 2014.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/rush-limbaugh-climate-change_n_3762978.html

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Perspective: A Scientific Take on Polar Bears and Climate Change

Global warming is actively taking its toll on the polar regions of the world. Summers have become increasingly hotter and ice is beginning to melt earlier and produce later. Polar Bears are directly affected by this situation, as their hunting season is noticeably shortened. Greenhouse gases that protect our world like a blanket have increased over the last 200 years (Polar Bears International 2014).

                                               (Sam Faulker’s Blog 2014)


Because of the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal, a basic second shroud of gases has covered the Earth, increasing the temperature. Sea ice losses in 2012 have broken all previous records due to the fact that people are not doing enough to reverse the effects of climate change. Humans have harmed the Earth so much that it would take roughly 30-40 years to reverse the damages that they have caused. If humans do not get their act together, the world will see a mostly ice-free Arctic summer as soon as 2040. Without ice, polar bears are unable to hunt. This is seen especially in the Western Hudson Bay region where because of the shortage of ice, populations of polar bears have decreased by 22% since the 1980’s (Polar Bears International 2014). The decrease of ice is leading polar bears to change their diet. Their diet is not what it used to be 40 years ago. 

                                           (Wired 2009)
Today, polar bears are increasingly modifying their diet to prey on caribou and snow geese, as well as their eggs (Ecology and Evolution. 2013). The vegetation and berries consumed by polar bears shows little movement among habitat types between feeding seasons, clarifying the fact that polar bears are trying to conserve as much energy with possible with the amount of ice decreasing (BMC Ecology 2013). Through man-made climate change, humans are putting both polar bears and themselves at risk. Because climate change is a human caused issue, humans must be the ones to take the initiative to fix it. 

Works Cited: 

Arctic Report Card: Update for 2013. (2013) Sea Ice Extent. Arctic Report Card. (Date Accessed: February 23, 2014.) http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/sea_ice.html

Climate Change. Polar Bears International. (Date Accessed: February 13, 2014) 
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/essentials/climate-change

Global Warming. Polar Bears International. Date Accessed: February 14, 2014) 
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/global-warming

Gormezano, Linda J. Rockwell, Robert F. Ecology and Evolution. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2013) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797495/

Gormezano, Linda J. Rockwell, Robert F. BMC Ecology. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2013) 

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/13/51

Sam Faulker’s Blog. (2014) Climate will continue to change unless we reduce our emissions. Sam Faulkner’s blog. (Date Accessed: February 23, 2014.) http://samtfaulkner.blogspot.com/

Wired. (2009) Hunting Arctic Asteriod with Hovercraft. (Date Accessed: February 14, 2014.) http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/arctichovercraft/ 

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