| The Arctic and the Antarctic regions play very | | | | Center for Biological Diversity, the National Resources |
| important roles. How? First, like the human eyes, they | | | | Defense Council or NRDC, and Greenpeace. For |
| are the mirrors to the soul; they are the first to | | | | years, these three have been urging the US |
| manifest adverse effects like global warming. We | | | | government precisely to act on the problem. It could |
| witness these changes rather most drastically in | | | | be victory for the group, but not much since it has |
| these polar regions. Another correspondingly direct | | | | taken the concerned authorities this long ; it will now |
| effect of global warming is: any change in the polar | | | | take painstaking effort to save the polar bears from |
| conditions affects those of all the other regions. | | | | extinction. An NRDC executive strongly referred to |
| Once the polar ice melts, this flushes more | | | | global warming as the one major threat to the |
| freshwater from the region's rivers, consequently | | | | survival of the polar bears. He urged further to stop |
| holding the ocean from circulating fast enough, | | | | delaying the action and to go full-force; no more |
| thereby causing higher sea levels. With more ice | | | | half-measures. |
| melting, more land and bodies of liquid water are | | | | Enlisting the species as endangered is not even the |
| exposed to the heat of the sun. These two, which | | | | culmination of the unified effort; it is only the initial |
| naturally absorb more heat than snow and ice, | | | | part of a long process. It should take the US Fish and |
| causes more warming oceans and land masses. | | | | Wildlife Service around one year to study the |
| Worst of all is borne by the Arctic's perennially frozen | | | | proposal before they decide on an action to take. |
| soil - melting of the polar ice releases the greenhouse | | | | Meantime, there is imminent danger that the polar |
| gases (carbon and methane) trapped within. This is | | | | bear would totally lose its sea-ice habitat as this one |
| very dangerous as the Arctic permafrost contains a | | | | year rolls by. Loss of sea ice also means loss of their |
| third of the planet's total soil carbon content. | | | | main source of food which are ice seals. This could |
| Man-made emissions would fade in comparison is all | | | | also result to more mortality as the bears would tend |
| this carbon were released. The National Center for | | | | to cannibalize their ranks in the absence of prey. |
| Atmospheric Research has also predicted that the | | | | Why? Mainly because enlisting a species as |
| Arctic could be ice-free starting 2040 and sea ice | | | | endangered does not necessarily mean ready plans |
| reduced by 80% in the next couple of decades. | | | | would immediately be implemented. Steps would |
| Warming of the Arctic has already been felt and is | | | | involve a stoppage on all activities that threaten the |
| now a cause for apprehension. According to the Polar | | | | bears survival, before developing and implementing of |
| Bear Specialist Group (the absolute scientific authority | | | | a recovery plan are put to order by the Fish and |
| on everything involving polar bears) several (5) of | | | | Wildlife Service. Faced with the rate greenhouse |
| their populations in the world are now stamped as | | | | gases are being emitted from the Arctic, this will |
| declining. | | | | indeed be a daunting task. |
| Just recently, the US. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF | | | | Talking about populations, it is not just that of the |
| & WS) announced that the polar bears who | | | | polar bears which lie victim to global warming. The |
| once roamed the territory freely may soon be | | | | Inuits, (a member of the Eskimo peoples living in |
| classified under the list of endangered species. The | | | | northernmost North America down to eastern |
| agency has, in fact, done the initial steps already | | | | Canada and Greenland) depend on the sea ice for |
| formally proposing to do such that, include the polar | | | | food. The dismal and continued shortening of their |
| bears in the critical registry. This alarming | | | | hunting season by 50% has had drastic effects on |
| announcement has, in effect, granted the request | | | | their lives. Will it not be long till a people and an era |
| (later escalating to a demand by way of a lawsuit | | | | vanished from the face of the earth? Can we do |
| against the USF & WS) of 3 organizations (the | | | | something about it? |