Final Draft - Polar Bears

Ashlee Reynolds
Dr. Rouzie
ENG 308J
2 Feb 2009

Who is going to drink all the Coca-Cola?

I remember when I was younger, during Christmas I would always look forward to watching all of the different holiday commercials. My favorite commercial in particular was for Coca-Cola. The commercial had a mother polar pear and the two cubs playing in the snow and drinking Coca-Cola. The little cubs would be goofing off by sliding down a hill, for example, and the mother would always be at the end of that hill ready and waiting for her cubs with a bottle of Coca-Cola. It made me feel happy watching the little white balls of fur running around together. That was such a magical scene. Too bad that was over 10 years ago, before anyone would become concerned about the extinction of the polar bears. There was a commercial that was aired in 2005 showing a polar bear and its cub gripping tightly to a cracking ice floe. The old quote that Coca Cola used to close their commercials with was, “It’s the real thing.” The broadcast ends with spin-off of that same quote by saying, “Global Warming: It’s the Real Thing” (Carlton 1). Truth is, the commercial was right.

As the earth began to get hotter and hotter, things that were cold and frozen started to melt. The Arctic coast is dwindling away, along with the chunks of ice or ice floes, the polar ice caps, and glaciers that the polar bears call home. Too many things melting can lead to terrible consequences. Consequences that we will in fact have to come to terms with soon. Not only could the water creep up onto land and flood cities and states, but what about the creatures that use these frozen objects as a home? What about the polar bears? “The chief threat to the polar bear is the loss of its sea ice habitat due to global warming“ (National Wildlife Federation 1). The polar bears inhabit arctic sea and continental coastlines. These places keep them close to fresh water, a place to raise their cubs, and also give them an ideal place to hunt.

Since 2007, as their icy homes have been melting away the polar bears have been running out of places to live. No one is taking this dire situation seriously. The government shows no apathy towards the dying polar bears. As oil and gas companies eat up the polar bear habitat, they still feel no need to cut back on production. It is as if no one notices that it is the greenhouse gas emissions that are coming from these power plants that cause global warming. Humans need to cut back on their energy use. “To save the polar bear from extinction, the U.S. must enact strong legislation that reduces the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming” (National Wildlife Federation 1).

Imagine the sheer terror that would run through your veins if you ever got a phone call that your friend has drowned, but like a bad dream, no one seems to be concerned? These poor polar bears are beginning to experience this tragedy more and more, as time passes. The bears are drowning. Since the Arctic ice shelf is melting way, the ice floes that the polar bears depend on, are becoming so few and so spread out. The polar bears are unable to swim far enough to get to the next chunk of floating ice. Scientists believe that polar bears have only adapted to swimming the distance between ice floes and not much farther. Along with drowning, the polar bears will face starvation. “Polar bears will have a difficult time finding food” (Effects of Global Warming 1). What other proof does the general public need to see that there is something going wrong? The polar bears are losing strength. “A 2006 study by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that far fewer polar bear cubs in the Beaufort Sea were surviving and that adult males weighed less and had smaller skulls than those captured and measured two decades previously -- trends similar to observations in Canada's western Hudson Bay before a population drop. (Joling)”

The blame for the current meltdown has been put on the oil and gas development activities that are taking place near or on their habitat. “Proposed offshore extraction poses the greatest threat to polar bears and their prey because it increases the risk of direct exposure to oil in the event of an oil spill.” (WWF – Threats to Polar Bears) Not only that, but we as humans are too blame. The use of so much energy, as well as the stress on the polar bears from all the new inhabitants has to come to a stop. The polar bears need the space that has been taken up for denning and hunting, so they can survive. But the constant occupation of the oil and gas development is stressing the polar bears greatly.

With this comes another threat, grizzly bears. As the temperature rises, the grizzly bear has started to expand its turf into the Arctic. Since the polar bears are used to dealing with less aggressive prey, they do not stand a chance against the aggressiveness of a grizzly. Though both bears have been known to eat cubs, this could be fatal to the polar bear population if the young are killed and unable to reproduce. “Hunting will be hard because the less ice floes means, there are less places for the polar bears to hunt seals, not to mention the grizzly bears that are going to start taking over and eating the food. Global warming is the cause of this Arctic meltdown, but what or who is to blame for the global warming? (Joling 1)“

With all these different components that have been proven harmful on the polar bears why has it been such a struggle to get them on the endangered species list? On May 15th, 2008 the polar bears were still only listed as threatened. “This decision is a watershed event because it has forced the Bush administration to acknowledge global warm’s brutal impacts, said Kassie Siegel, climate program director at the center for Biological Diversity and lead author of the 2005 petition.” (Science Daily 1) The road to being protected under the Endangered Species act has been a long one and is not even near over yet. It took longer than the one-year deadline to decide if the polar bears were only threatened or actually endangered. Canada has even tried to step up and make some changes in order to maybe help sway the ideas of the United States. Canada has publically said that they have special concern for the Arctic, in hopes to get the United States to see that there is a very apparent problem. Different organizations are still fighting for the protection of the polar bears.

The Bush administration did not want to believe in such a thing called global warming. They did not want to give anyone else a reason to start believing it either. It seems that Sara Palin has the same motives. “She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts.” (Joling 1) It is people like her that are part of the global warming issue; she will not help. It is obvious that the government is more concerned about polluting the earth, than saving the animals that live in it.

Different solutions that have been thought of include the obvious reducing the amount of energy used, cut back on oil and gas companies, and giving donations. Others have moved to more drastic measures by holding rallies and protests. Some protests have even landed some advocates in jails. More realistic ideas that can help slow down global warming include unplugging appliences, using more nature friendly cleaning products, maybe start riding your bike instead of driving. Though these things are small, there is hope from a higher power. President elect, Barack Obama has strong plans to help cut back on all the oil use and use more fuels that emit less carbon. He wants to make Earth Day a worldwide effort. If only this can come true will we be on the right track to a better world, but the polar bears have a better chance for survival.

In the end, global warming is a very real situation. It is the fatal future that our world has the pleasure of looking forward to unless something is done. Though it is going to take a enormous amount of time and a large amount of cutting back on harmful emissions from businesses that are very important to our everyday lives. Even us, as individuals, will have to cut back on the amount of energy we consume in a full day. If we want to see anything get better, if we want to see the polar bears get better, we will have to sacrifice. The polar bears are close to extinction. If they go, what else will soon die out? These creatures should be cherished. Richard Steiner, a marine-biology professor at the University of Alaska says it best, “For anyone who has wondered how global warming and reduced sea ice will affect polar bears, the answer is simple – they die.” (Carlton 1)

Works Cited

Carlton, Jim. "Is Global Warming Killing the Polar Bears? - WSJ.com." Business News, Finance News, World, Political & Sports News from The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com. 13 May 2008. 9 Feb. 2009 .

Green, Kenneth. "Are Polar Bears Really an Endangered Species? The American, A Magazine of Ideas."Business, Economics, Culture, and More. The American, A Magazine of Ideas. 13 May 2008. 9 Feb. 2009 .

Joling, Dan. "State will sue over polar bear listing, Palin says." Anchorage Daily News. 22 May 2008. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"POLAR BEARS - Habitat & Distribution." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"POLAR BEARS - Habitat & Distribution." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"Polar Bears Global Warming - Effects of Global Warming." Bears: Polar, Grizzly Bear, Panda, Kodiak, Brown, Teddy and Black Bears. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"Polar Bears International - Bear Facts." Polar Bears International - Polar Bear Conservation Through Research and Education. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"Polar Bears and Global Warming - National Wildlife Federation." National Wildlife Federation. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"U.S. Protects Polar Bears Under Endangered Species Act: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. 14 May 2008. 9 Feb. 2009 .

"WWF - Polar Bear - WWF: A Leader in Polar Bear Conservation." World Wildlife Fund - Home - Endangered Species, Wildlife Conservation, Animal Habitats. 9 Feb. 2009 .