2-+Why?

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Blinded by our selfish needs, we forget the devastating outcomes that cause a huge impact on our nature. As the earth becomes warmer due to deforestation, chemical fertilizers, fossil fuel, and so much more, it is affecting not only the humans' environment but also the habitats of many species. Among many devastating effects, the number of Polar Bears is slowly decreasing. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, it was reported that 22% of polar bears had declined when measured in 2007. We want YOU to know the importance of saving our polar bears and the effects of global warming.=====



** How is global warming affecting our polar bears? **

Climate change due to global warming is creating a devastating harm in the Arctic. As average temperatures increase twice as faster than anywhere else in the world, the ice in the Arctic are getting thinner and melting quickly than expected. Images from the NASA depict how the vulnerable Arctic is the victim of human greed. For instance, the polar ice cap in North Pole is decreasing at a rate of 9 percent per decade. Also, the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, once of the largest single blocks of ice in the Arctic, is now shattered into pieces and has ended its 3000 years of existence. Scientists believe that global warming will continue on with more unexpected natural disasters.

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The melting of the ice causes great damage to the ocean life and polar bears. With fewer ice bergs to rely on, seals, the prey of polar bears, are also threatened. In extreme cases, the common seals are declining tremendously at a rate of ten percent per year. As the seals reduce, it affects the whole food chain and endangers the polar bears. Losing their source of food, polar bears are adapting themselves to other sources like whales and walruses killed by hunters.

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As shown in the video clips, the fragile ice is threatening the polar bears’ lives. They are losing their homes and changing feeding patterns because of the warming of the earth. The thin ices eventually melt into the sea and cause polar bears to lose their homes forever. Losing their lives because of starvation or swimming long distances in an attempt to find food and other ice caps, polar bears are continuously under the threat of extinction.

**If we change our lifestyles, would we get anything in return?**

Yes! As mentioned before, global warming is not just an issue that damages the lives of polar bears and the Arctic. We too will face natural disasters caused by the heating of the earth. Tropical diseases like malaria and dengue will spread rapidly, extreme weather climates will destroy the crops causing malnutrition, and the rise of sea level will absorb much of the land we have today. Scientists estimate that sea level will increase by 3 foot, flooding 22,400 square miles of land along the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. However, by changing our life styles, we will support the lives of many animals to maintain their habitats. Furthermore, we will lessen the threat that is imposed on the lives as humans.

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