Polar bears facing deadly climate threats

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Amber Ajani

The largest and the most carnivorous member of the bear family, the polar bear is struggling to survive in the harsh reality of climate change.

Found throughout the Arctic region in countries of Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway, they are used as a flagship species by conservation organizations to flag the reality of climate change. A recent Nat Geo video showing a starving Polar bear on iceless land went viral on social media highlighting the peril these bears are in. In order to understand the link between climate change and starving polar bears, let us look at how these bears survive in the Arctic.

The polar bears are said to have evolved from a common ancestor of the brown bear, according to recent findings. As these bears moved North, they went through a series of evolutionary changes to adapt to the harsh environment and extreme cold. From head to toe, their bodies are superbly adapted to withstand the seasonal shifts in the Arctic weather. Their ears and tails are small to minimize heat loss and bodies are covered by thick fur which extends to cover even their feet to provide warmth and grip on ice. There is a thick layer of fat, called blubber, beneath their fur which provides insulation and buoyancy and serves as nutritional and energy reserve when food cannot be found. Contrary to popular belief, the fur of polar bear is not white! It is actually transparent with hollow tubes filled with air and underneath is black skin which efficiently absorbs heat from the sun. Its clear fur helps the bears blend in with their surroundings and appear white against the snow.

Polar bears are excellent swimmers and though born on land, they spend most of their lives on sea ice. Their scientific name, Ursusmaritimus, also translates into sea bear. They mainly eat ringed and bearded seals because they require large amounts of fat and calories to survive. They hunt seals in wide cracks in the sea ice or at breathing holes. They use the sea ice as a hunting platform and wait patiently for seals to surface near their breathing holes or at the edge of the sea ice. As global temperatures rise, the sea ice melts earlier and forms later with each passing year, leaving less time for the polar bears to hunt. It also means that due to a loss of sea ice, these bears have to swim greater distances in search of prey which exhausts their fat and energy reserves. When they do not get access to seals, polar bears resort to eating fish, eggs, vegetation, reindeer, rodents, birds, berries and even human garbage.

So great is their plight that only 20,000-25,000 of them are found in the Arctic region which led IUCN to classify them as vulnerable in 2008. Their habitat, namely, sea ice is shrinking and their numbers in the wild are declining. It is predicted that the Arctic will be completely free of ice by the next century which will leave these bears without a home.

A question that begs to be asked here is, are we ready to allow these bears to go without a home and possibly disappear? We, humans, have an intrinsic connection to nature and wildlife and we find comfort in them. We all want a world where we live in harmony with nature- a world where not just polar bears but all species get a chance to survive and thrive. But, how do we get there?

First of all, we need to stop emitting greenhouse gases. And I mean a complete ban on fossil fuels. We all need to transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power as soon as possible. Renewables might be costly at the installation phase, but they pay for themselves within 5 years. Secondly, we need everyone to help tackle climate change. Everyone should join in the fight, spread awareness, and demand a shift to a cleaner, greener world. It is possible if enough of us believe in it. As they say, “The power of people is greater than the people in power”, so actions at the grassroots are bound to lead to change present policies.