How you can help save the Polar Bears

We all recognize those fluffy white animals playing in the snow: They’re polar bears! Polar bears (ursus maritimus, or “sea bear”) live in the Arctic, which is the far northern part of the Earth. Even though the temperatures there are freezing and the environment is harsh, polar bears live very comfortably in the Arctic. But now, polar bears are in danger, and in 100 years, they may be entirely gone.

Global warming is the main reason polar bears are disappearing. Global warming is caused when we burn fossil fuels like oil and coal, and the greenhouse gases go into the air and cause the Earth’s temperature to go up. The warmer temperatures are melting the polar bear habitat. Usually, polar bears can hunt for food on the sea ice and store body fat to keep them alive in the summer. They eat very little after the ice melts. Because of global warming, the ice is melting earlier in the year and freezing later in the fall, which means the polar bears have less time to eat and more time without food. If the Earth gets too warm and all of the Arctic ice melts, the polar bears will have nowhere to live and hunt.

Polar bears are at the top of the food chain, and they are the largest land carnivores (meat eaters) in the world. They eat mostly seals, which is important because polar bears help keep the seal population from getting too large. Polar bears have no natural enemies except man, and now, the changes in their environment. There are between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears left in the wild, and by the year 2050, scientists say that two thirds of those could be gone. They are listed as “threatened” on the U.S. list of endangered species, and they could become extinct if their sea ice habitat keeps melting. The polar bear is the first animal to become threatened because of global warming.

How can you help save the polar bear?

1. Write a letter or email to your U.S. Congressperson, or to the editor of your local newspaper, to share your views. Let our representatives know how important it is to save the polar bear and reduce global warming, and let people know that kids care! To write to your Representative in the House of Representatives, click here. To find out who represents you in the U.S. Senate, click here.

2. Do your part to reduce global warming! We burn fossil fuels for energy, so do your part to use less energy. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Take shorter showers, since heating up the water uses energy. Wait until the washing machine is full before you wash clothes. Turn off the TV when you’re not watching it. Plant a tree, since trees help to remove greenhouse gases from the air. Walk someplace instead of asking for a ride in a car. Use fans and light clothing to stay cool in the house instead of turning the air conditioning up.

3. Most of all, spread the word! If we can save more energy and reduce global warming, we can help save the polar bear habitat.

References for this article: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change;Science Daily;The World Wildlife Fund;Polar Bears International;Explore North

All photos are works of the Federal Government and are in the public domain.