Kim Saraceno
Since the 1980s, Arctic sea ice has been retreating very rapidly due principally to global warming. Polar regions are amongst the most affected by climate change in the world. In part, this is because ice has higher reflectivity compared to the ocean or the land, which has the effect of increasing the absorption of the sun's heat and eventually of warming the Polar regions. Polar bears, who only live in the Arctic, have been affected by climate change as it especially influences the way they hunt and breed within their habitat that is continuously retreating. It is predicted that polar bears could become extinct in the next century or so primarily because of the consequences of global warming in the Arctic. However, climate change is not the only reason polar bears are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Additional factors are also responsible for their vulnerability such as pollutants in the air, oil exploitattion, hunting, and amongst many others.
Image source: Flickr
Since the 1980s, Arctic sea ice has been retreating very rapidly due principally to global warming. Polar regions are amongst the most affected by climate change in the world. In part, this is because ice has higher reflectivity compared to the ocean or the land, which has the effect of increasing the absorption of the sun's heat and eventually of warming the Polar regions. Polar bears, who only live in the Arctic, have been affected by climate change as it especially influences the way they hunt and breed within their habitat that is continuously retreating. It is predicted that polar bears could become extinct in the next century or so primarily because of the consequences of global warming in the Arctic. However, climate change is not the only reason polar bears are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Additional factors are also responsible for their vulnerability such as pollutants in the air, oil exploitattion, hunting, and amongst many others.
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