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Some are what they call persistent organic pollutants or POPs. These include a wide range of poisonous substances such as heat resistant chemicals like PCBs, industrial by-products such as dioxins and furans which come from waste incineration, and pesticides like DDT, dieldrin, and lindane. |
Grace, do you see what I see? |
Keep walking Herbert! |
WOW! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE POLAR BEARS WERE HAVING SO MUCH TROUBLE! |
DID YOU KNOW? |
Well I certainly did! |
Clive, I know you would! Let's go over some of the problems, shall we? |
I'm all ready to take notes, Captain Bootsie! |
First off, Polar bears are indicators of arctic health. In fact, The World Conservation union (IUCN) recently listed the polar bear as "threatened" on the 2006 Red List of Threatened Species. |
So our Time Travellers will know too, OK? OK..... |
As you know Clive, your species are large carnivores ( means you eat meat) and because of that you are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health. If the polar bear is at risk, it's often a sign of something wrong somewhere in the arctic marine ecosystem. |
For that reason, Polar bears are studied in order to help the scientists gain an understanding of what is happening throughout the Arctic. |
TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT, THAT IS THE QUESTION! |
In fact, recent scientific research shows that, in some areas, polar bears are exposed to high levels of poisons and pollutants. |
BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING POISONED! |
WATCH OUT GROVER! WHY? |
WHAT? |
What kind of pollutants, Bootsie? |
Ooooooo....even the names sound bad! |
Well, in addition to staying in the environment for a long time, POPs are a special concern, because as one animal eats another, these poisons are concentrated in fat and stored in vital organs in the animal that has eaten poisoned prey. |
And as top predator, you are exposed to high levels of such pollutants through your food. |
The consequence is that bears with high levels of some POPs have low levels of vitamin A, thyroid hormones, and some antibodies. These are very important for a wide range of biological functions, such as growth, development, reproduction, behavior, and the ability to fight off diseases. |
In fact, newborn cubs are especially vulnerable to these pollutants. In some areas, the mother's milk on which they are totally dependent for growth and development, contains particularly high concentrations of these chemicals. The milk can actually poison the cubs, leading to lower survival rates. |
There are also reasons to worry about other pollutants. A wide range of new, man-made persistent substances are making their way to the Arctic, where they are being concentrated. These include both POPs and other contaminants, such as stain repellents known as PFOs, and brominated flame retardants. |
But that's not all your problems! There's more! |
Let us not forget oil exploration in the Arctic, which affects polar bears by fragmenting and disturbing their habitat, and by introducing oil and other toxic substances into their environment. |
Oil and oil products pose serious health risks to your species, Oscar. Contact with oil spills reduces the insulating effect of your fur. |
Well Oscar...... |
When that happens, you must use more energy to keep warm, and you must compensate for this energy loss by increasing your caloric intake, which may be difficult. Remember you have very limited access to food for long periods of time, and the increased demand for food may result in starvation. |
Jeepers, Captain Bootsie that's scary! |
You can ingest oil through grooming and through scavenging and preying on contaminated seals, seabirds, and other prey. |
And there's other ways of putting oil into your system without even knowing it! |
Like how? |
The list goes on and on with regards to oil.... |
BUT..... there is another very serious threat. It not only threatens your life and possible extinction BUT....... the very life off all the inhabitants on Planet Earth! |
Oh no! Bootsie, what is it? |
It's called Global Warming..... |
What is Global Warming? |
Sounds terrible! |
OK, Here's a quick lesson... |
Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities. |
Ice is the world's largest supply of freshwater. It covers the remaining 3 percent of Earth's surface, including most of Antarctica and Greenland. Because ice is highly reflective and because of its insulating properties, ice plays an important role in regulating climate. |
How does that effect you, Oscar? Well, as the Arctic climate rapidly warms... Polar bears, as well as other Arctic animals, face the loss of their sea-ice for feeding, hunting, birthing, raising their young,denning grounds and just plain out survival! |
As temperatures rise in the Arctic, sea ice and glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate. Over the past 30 years, 386,000 square miles of Arctic sea ice have melted away, an area larger than Texas and Arizona combined. The latest observations suggest that Arctic sea ice could completely disappear during the summer as early as 2020! |
It says that changes in the climate threaten life in the Arctic and that the polar bear population is expected to decline by 30 percent in the next 35 to |
WOW...Captain Bootsie....Look what I found in my book! |
What did you find? |
50 years due to disappearing habitat induced by global warming. And, that warming induced changes in tundra vegetation and plant life threaten caribou, reindeer and migratory bird populations. Loss of sea ice and wildlife also makes indigenous life in the Arctic increasingly difficult, endangering an entire way of life. |
Also, along with being home to us polar bears and Arctic peoples, polar ice has also served as a mirror for the sun’s energy, reflecting much of it back out into space because of its light color. As more ice disappears, more dark ocean water and land will appear, soaking up heat instead of reflecting it, accelerating the warming of the Arctic and melting more ice. |
Also, the melting permafrost (ice that has permanently frozen in the ground) in the Artic Circle is increasing the amount of heat-trapping gases like methane released into the atmosphere. Permafrost traps these gases while frozen, but global warming is causing more melting, which causes the release of these gases. |
NASA satellites show that permanent ice cover in the Arctic is diminishing by 9 percent each decade! |
Together, the melting glaciers, rising seas, and computer models provide some good clues. They tell us that the Earth's temperature will probably continue to rise as long as we continue increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere |
Why is this happening Captain Bootsie? |
Since the Industrial Revolution, the need for energy to run machines has steadily increased. Some energy, like the energy you need to do your homework, comes from the food you eat. But other energy, like the energy that makes cars run and much of the energy used to light and heat our homes, comes from fuels like coal and oil – fossil fuels. Burning these fuels releases greenhouse gases. |
Whenever you ... watch TV, use the Air Conditioner, turn on a Light, or ride in a car, you are helping to send greenhouse gas into the air. |
So what can we do? |
I'm sorry to say Oscar... YOU can't do anything but be a symbol to make the humans of Planet Earth aware of the problem...... |
It's up to them to solve the problem. |
Well if that's the case... we'll put our best paw forward to help save Planet Earth! |
OK, Time Travellers..... To learn more about Global Warming and Polar Bears.... have some fun.....and discover what you, your family and friends can do to help....... |
Have I got some great adventures for you! Ready? |
Just click on Planet Earth to learn all about Global Warming, Play Checkers with Ozone the Dog and learn what you can do to help! |
Play Polar Peril with Fred.. |
Just click on Fred to jump as high as you can in a papi-jump style game! |
Click on Granger and help him refreeze his melting environment by blowing bubbles that magically turn water droplets into snowflakes. |
While Fred is jumping.... |
WELL, TIME TRAVELLERS...... IT'S TIME FOR YOUR CAPTAIN TO SHAKE A PAW AND FIND THE CREW....... YOU TAKE OFF BEFORE ME... I WANT TO SAY GOODBYE TO MY NEW FRIENDS |
Captain Bootsie....... Don't forget our gift to all your Time Travellers! |
Almost forgot Oscar....Where are you? |
I'm hiding in the balloons.... see I've even got shades on, just like you! |
Just tell your Time Travellers to click on me....to get their gift! |
You heard Oscar.......It's a big surprise! |
Now have fun....and look for the crew. Who knows what they're up to! |
CAPTAIN BOOTSIE BEAR SIGNING OFF....FOR NOW! |
HEY EVERYONE, GET A LOOK A THIS! WHO SAYS POLAR BEARS ARE NOT A DOG'S BEST FRIEND? |
Article and Photos licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
Photos of Captain Bootsie Bear , Copyright 1999-Present by J Shahverdian |
Music from the Album The Wizard of Oz by Francesco Lettera distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Italy |
