Arctic Ice And Ice Caps: Real Or Real?

We might disagree on the causes of global warming; however, we cannot ignore that it is happening. Although we still experience cold winters, average global temperatures has risen drastically for the past three decades. Polar ice caps are melting; as a result, sea levels are rising. Scientist predict more extreme weather in the coming decades, in fact, droughts will probably be more common. Also, flooding and tropical temperatures might cause large amounts of methane gases to be released, which could be disastrous for our atmosphere. Climate change may have human causes and also it might be a natural occurrence. Nevertheless, we must find ways to save our planet.

One of the more debated and controversial topics in modern time is whether climate change really has an effect on animal life and the environments they live in. There are numerous sources of evidence on both sides supporting many theories and trying to determine whether climate change actually has an effect on animal life can be hard. In the following paper, we will discuss how it has a negative effect on animals like polar bears and how their population sizes are decreasing due to environmental changes like the the ozone layer and the melting ice caps.

The Global Warming theory has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Citizens of the world are being encouraged to be more environmentally conscious by others including politicians, celebrities, and world organizations. The problem with the theory lies in the fact that it has become more and more controversial as it gains publicity and attention. The basic concept behind this theory is that the earth was made with a balance of “greenhouse gasses”. These gasses are naturally occurring within the atmosphere and they essentially make the planet habitable by keeping it warm.

"Polar Bears, Ringed Seals, and the Complex Consequences of Climate Change" is an article written by Mary Bates who earned her PhD studying Bat echolocation. She works for an American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this article Mary talks about how Climate change is impacting different species at different rates. Here, she focuses on sea-ice dependent animals such as Polar Bears and Ringed Seals at Arctic. She explains on how these animals are dependent upon the sea-ice for living. The Arctic is warming at a rate three times greater than the global average, and that the sea ice coverage is declining rapidly. She also talks about Hamilton's study on sea-ice dependent animals. Before the melting of sea ice the Polar bears used

     The argument against global warming is divided into two schools of thought. The first is that scientific evidence proves that the earth is not warming and the issue has been artificially manufactured. The second school of thought is that warming is occurring. However, this warming is naturally occurring regardless of how we treat the environment and this warming is beneficial to us for a variety of reasons which I will explain.

Polar bears are one of the countless species who are endangered. They were one of the first animals affected by global warming and their population is heavily decreasing. Around 1980, the Arctic was as large as 8 million square kilometres. In 2011, studies show that the Arctic has reduced its size to 4.5 million square kilometers. In the future, will there be anything such as the Arctic? Scientist predict by 2040, only a fringe of ice will remain in Northeast Canada and Northern Greenland. This is known as the Last Ice Area. This matter is mostly taking part in Canada, since; Canada holds more than half the world’s polar bear population. Other affected countries include the U.S. (Alaska), Greenland,

In the article “Global Warming” it states, “Greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere hold heat to close to the surface which heats the earth to fast. This causes rising temperatures and life for all living things gets more difficult.In addition, The article “Global warming dangers” on expert space says, “As ocean water expands, due to global warming, the sea level rises drastically”. This rise in sea level causes houses by the coast to go and make it so we have to cut down more habitats. This is just two reasons why global warming is so bad.

Rising temperatures and melting polar ice has led to a rapid decline in the populations of polar bears in the last 100 years. The ice is melting faster and taking longer to refreeze making it hard for polar bears to hunt for food and to den and increase their population. Polar bears are often seen as a flagship species, and are generally used as the “cover child” so to say, of global warming campaigns. Factors such as climate change and thinning of the ozone over the poles are having a major impact on their survival. However, in the past century, their populations overall have been declining, and they are in fact considered endangered. Between over hunting, loss of habitat, and loss of hunting and breeding grounds, the polar bear populations

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the biggest terrestrial mammal in the Arctic. He is also considered as an animal with a circumpolar or broad distribution in polar regions. The conservation status of bear remains problematic, according to the global warming that is happening now. If further managements are not implanted, polar bear population`s will disappear in the future. The polar bears live in the Arctic, an ocean surrounded by land. The Arctic has a very low species diversity and polar bears the first animal into the food chain. Also, the Arctic has cold winters which are not suitable for some aquatic species. With global warming and interglacial period, the ice and snow began to recede about 20.000 years ago. The rate of ice loss has

The warming temperatures, cause Sea ice and freshwater glacial ice to melt, and as the ice continues to thaw, many species are starting to find it increasingly difficult to adapt to the intensifying changes (WWF, 2015). These species are then experiencing change in distribution and diversity within their population (Weart, 2015). An arctic that is less diverse will cause an increase in competition as it will be harder for animals to find food, causing a change in their feeding habits (Green facts, 2001). This also causes them to use more of their stored energy as they have to improve their hunting skills and be able to go longer before finding food. Scientists are seeing dramatic changes as the arctic has risen in temperature by almost 10 degrees Fahrenheit since 1949 and now are saying the Arctic could be completely ice free in the summer of 2030 (climate graphics, 2015). Noticeably, these species are losing their habitat and need a way to survive as they will not be able to move further north to keep cool like most other species (climate graphics, 2015). Though researchers found that most species can manage the changing climate by adapting themselves to the new conditions in their ecosystem, scientists wonder whether or not these species in the arctic will be able to adapt fast enough to keep up with the rapid pace of their changing climate (Lavergne, 2010; Salamin, 2010). These species in the future may no longer be adapted to the environmental conditions in the arctic because of these changes, and could therefore fall outside their climatic niche (globe and mail, 2015). With all these dramatically harsh changes, this makes it more difficult for the arctic species to survive, in these cases, micro-evolution may be needed for them to continue (Visser 2008). Otherwise, without enough sea ice, the

Sea Ice is frozen sea water floating on the surface of the ocean. This figure shows the Arctic Sea Ice extent which has decreases significantly throughout the year. The graph shows in 1979-2000 the lowest the sea ice extent reached was 7 million square kilometres. In 2007 the lowest the sea ice extent reached was 4 million square kilometres in September. This would have a major impact on the polar bears hunting. The Arctic sea ice has decreased 14% since 1970s. n 2012, the Arctic sea ice extent hit the lowest ever recorded. By 2040, summer sea ice would be limited to the northern coast of Greenland and Canada. This is the Last Ice Area. This decrease in Sea Ice throughout the year has impacted on the lives of polar bears in this region. The polar bear species are rapidly reducing due to the melting of their habitats. The Sea Ice is thawing which is resulting in an increase in drownings because polar bears have to travel further distances to hunt for prey but get too tired before they reach another ice sheet. Polar bears rely on sea ice to rest and breed. A study published in Ecological Applications analysed data on polar bears in northwest Alaska and Northwest Territories which shows there was a 40% decrease in population between 2001and 2010 from 1500 to 900 polar

For the past few years Global Warming has been an issue that continues to worry Scientists from all over the world to this day. Global Warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by higher levels of Carbon Dioxide. Many people believe that Global warming is the one thing that is causing ice to melt on Earth.

Our country’s various and abundant wildlife resources, which are important to our culture, face a bleak future should we choose not to address the problem that is global warming. Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice as hunting grounds, but with the ice dwindling in size food has become

In recent decades, the global warming threat has captured the attention of the nation and the world. While the main focus began with concentrating on the effects this long-term natural crisis would have on the human population, select groups have worked to approach the topic in a manner that entails prevention in order to help other animal and plant species around the globe. One such organization is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has played a major role in the conservation of the polar bear species, one of the mammals most adversely affected by the recent climate changes. As more research has been conducted regarding the polar bears, scientific name Ursus Maritimus, the conclusions have been shocking. In

Global warming has become a world wide issue and an issue that is causing great controversy. It is an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution (Dictionary). Global warming is a natural process, but because of increase in certain activities this process is taking a faster and more dangerous route creating global problems. Global warming was first theorized in 1894 by Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier a French mathematician, who noticed the earth was gradually increasing in temperature. He came to the conclusion that the earth’s atmosphere was trapping solar radiation caused by the sun and reflecting this radiation back to