In the Arctic, polar bears are dying because they are being forced to travel farther, which results in loss of body fat relative to their caloric intake. Global warming or climate change caused by CO2 emissions are the problem.
Polar bears are particularly susceptible to changes in sea ice because of their hunting strategies: the bears eat as much as they can in the spring and early summer, when seals are having their pups, putting on lots of fat that will help them get through pretty much the rest of the year. But if sea ice is missing or is thinner, drifting longer distances, polar bears can’t catch as many seals, using more energy than they take in. That affects their health and their ability to make new pups: the number of polar bears in the Beaufort Sea has already declined by 40 percent from 2004 to 2007, likely because of changes in sea ice.
Contact GREENPEACE
www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/ and become involved in their amazing work. Here’s one beginning: https://www.greenpeace.org/archive-international/en/campaigns/agriculture/Things-You-Can-Do-To-Start-Eco-Food-Revolution/