Polar bears are at risk of becoming extinct due to climate change that is destroying their natural habitat
Climate change weighs like a boulder on the fate of the planet. In recent years the consequences are weighing on the environment in which we live, creating conditions in which it is impossible for some living beings to survive. The polar circle article is the emblem of this situation. The melting of the ice cap is a problem that is often overlooked but which risks leading to the extinction of species of animals that over time we have learned to love and appreciate. Among these is the polar bear. An international team of scientists said they risk in Hudson Bay Canada – by mid-century – these bears will disappear if global warming exceeds the limits set by the Paris climate accords.
The melting of the ice has meant that the terrain is now impassable for these animals. Forced to live on land, they cannot hunt the seals which represent their main diet. Polar bears thus find themselves living without food in an area that is not suited to their main survival characteristics. The risk is that, if temperatures were to rise another 2 degrees Celsius Compared to current levels, the ice-free period would be too long for them to survive.
Temperatures continue to rise
Based on theParis Agreement of 2015, nations agreed to limit temperature increases to well below 2 degrees to avoid the dramatic effects of climate change. The goal they have set for themselves is to strive to keep this increase within the more manageable limits of 1.5 degrees. The problem, according to the United Nations, is that this attempt is not succeeding. Global temperatures have already risen 1.2 degrees. A trend that risks causing them to rise to 2.9 degrees by 2100. The lack of results is due to less than excellent commitment from the same countries that signed the agreement almost ten years ago.
This worsening has already had dramatic consequences on the fate of bears. The number of the world population has fallen drastically and the worsening in sight risks – according to the study – making their extinction inevitable. Julienne Stroevelead author, explained that: “The environment is changing rapidly and I don’t think these ecosystems can adapt as quickly as they should“. The last 12 months have been the hottest in history and in Hudson Bay the glaciers would have melted well in advance. Dramatic news, analyzed thus by the expert: “I’ve never seen them melt so quickly, this is a first alarm bell“.
