Research paper

Polar bears in the World

Have you ever seen Polar bears? It is the bear that lives in the pole. Maybe you have seen them on television advertisements if you watch television occasionally. I’m talking about Coca-Cola advertisements. There are white polar bears that are drinking Coca-Cola on the Arctic sea ice. I think not only me but also you want to see polar bears in reality. Actually, they don’t drink Coca-Cola, but their main food is ring seals. Normally, polar bears’ height is 8 to 10 feet and lifespan is about 20 to 25 years and male is bigger than female. They usually live in the North Pole and South Pole. I’m going to talk about the North Pole’s polar bear because all of the data talks about them. Today, they state that polar bears are listed as endangered animals and every year many polar bears are decreasing rapidly. Then, I know why they are declining after I read the articles. “There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears” (Heilprin, 2007, par. 6). It means if sea ice disappeared, polar bears also go forward to extinction. According to Heilprin (2007), global warming causes a problem by reducing sea ice. It will kill polar bears because they can’t swim continually. Another problem is human activity. polar bears were almost killed by hunters in the 1990’s (Terhune, 2007). Anyway, polar bears are one of the important species to maintain the ecosystem, so if they disappeared, the ecosystem will be broken fast. Diversity of species is very important, because it makes good environmental condition, so the government has to try to protect polar bears.

Humans should protect polar bears, because it is possible for them to do. Then, the government and people have to do something by reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases to preserve polar bears’ habitat, making habitats for polar bears such as zoos, and banning human’s destruction. In those ways, we should try to help and protect them.

First of all, humans should reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases to protect polar bears’ habitat, because those gases are directly related with polar bears’ extinction. In other words, greenhouse gases are the main causes of making thinning sea ice. First of all, those gases cause global warming, so sea ice is melted. Then, polar bears lose their habitat. Next, those gases also bring problems, not only for polar bears but also for humans, because all organisms are related with each other. For instance, if polar bears are extinct, the sea ecosystem is destroyed, and then it makes humans worse. Finally, ice melting that is caused by greenhouse gases brings shortage of food for polar bears (Garfield, 2007), and polar bears only live in polar regions because they can’t swim for a long time in the ocean. It’s a big problem because the polar area is disappearing now. Actually, many polar bears are dead or rescued every year. Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases are mostly from humans, so we can help polar bears directly if we try to prevent greenhouse gases. Therefore, we should try to reduce those gases with appropriate counter-plans, and the government should encourage people to do that, especially encouraging public transportation to people.

Next, the government has to make habitats for polar bears because it can help polar bears that can be rescued. Above all, the government should help to make places at the zoo to take care of polar bears that lose their home, because the cost of making places for polar bears is too expensive. This plan is good not only for polar bear but also for humans, because people can see real polar bears if they want. Then, when we rescue polar bears that are in danger, we need a place for them. Only government can make a professional place easily. It’s a big deal for an individual. Also, the polar region is so small for polar bears because sea ice is melting rapidly. We should make an effort to help them because we destroyed sea ice indirectly that polar bears live in. If we don’t make a place for them, they will face a shortage of food. Furthermore, the ecosystem is destroyed because polar bears are one of the largest species. Thus, the government has to make shelters for polar bears and people also should help government to pursue it without problems.

Third, the government should protect polar bears from humans. Human is the largest factor to threaten polar bears. For example, in the 1990’s, many hunters killed polar bears, so they were in danger of extinction (Terhune, 2007). Polar bears’ leather is very expensive, so many people have caught them for their business. Also, there is a hunting season to hunt polar bear (Harding, 2007), even if there is trophy hunting. Actually, animal welfare and conservation groups protest trophy hunting by humans, but they need aid from the government. Also, economists think that economy is more important than environment, so there are many rash developments. For instance, people break sea ice just for their business, especially to get water and to make a sea route. Also, some companies extract drinking water from sea ice or glaciers. These developments will make sea ice become less stable. Thus, the government should prohibit human’s activity right now. Specially, the government has to make a punishment to save polar bear from rash hunting. Nowadays, the government can encourage citizens, so they have to prohibit rash hunts and developments. If the government tries to prevent that, the positive result will break out soon.

My opponents argue that this extinction crisis of polar bears is a natural phenomenon. They also say that greenhouse effect isn’t dangerous and it’s natural with short-term records. However, it will cause bad results and it’s not natural but clearly destruction of ecosystem. Polar bears occupy big parts of the ecosystem, so if they disappear, many other species can get critical damage. Then, the greenhouse effect will destroy the Arctic sea ice and polar bears will be dead. Then, it also causes many big problems, even if it affects humans. Actually, the sea level rising is one of the biggest problems. It can hurt humans directly. Although it looks like a natural situation, it’s a very serious problem. “Only a third of the world’s polar bears may be left within 50 years because of thinning ice from global warming in the Arctic” (Heilprin, 2007, par. 1). It’s too fast reduction, and polar bears’ reduction is related with many things. Therefore, the government and people should try to make sense of this dangerous situation. Then, we have to make moderate methods to protect them.

In conclusion, humans have to know how dangerous it is and try to protect polar bears with those three ways. In other words, we save polar energy by decreasing harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, establishing habitats for polar bears, and prohibiting human’s rash developments. As a result, we have to protect polar bear in danger if we don’t want to make big problems. Also, we should try to make other methods to protect polar bears continually. It’s not only for polar bears but also for humans. Of course, I don’t know what results will come, but we have to try many ways to save polar bears.

Reference

Conservation groups advance protections for polar bear from global warming (2006, December 27). US Fed News. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Garfield, S. (2007, March 04). The combination of polar bears and melting ice is a heady mix. Observer Magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Harding, K. (2007, April 03). Putting a chill on the polar hunt. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Heilprin, J. (2007, September 08). Polar bear population to drop by two-thirds by 2050, scientists say. Associated Press Worldstram. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Joling, D. (2006, November 16). Fewer polar bear cubs survive in Alaska. Associated Press Worldstream. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Jones, D. (2007, January 04). Polar bear politics. National Post. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Marren, P. (2006, January 16). Walking on the thin ice; Polar bears are under attack. The Independent. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis Nexis database.

Terhune, L. (2007, January 04). Polar bears face serious threat; But scientists say there is time to save them, and the polar ice caps. State Department Documents and Publications. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Lexis