The
devastating effects of climate change can feel abstract when we talk about
carbon-dioxide levels and shifting weather patterns. But they are distressingly
real when we see what they’re doing to the world’s polar bears.
![Image result for nat geo dying polar bear](https://www.narcity.com/u/2017/12/11/7bf3141727fb81574d53daf7c6c9a4c5a85676bd.jpg_1200x630.jpg)
Nature
photographer Paul Nicklen recently posted a video to social media that he shot
on Somerset Island, in the Canadian territory of the Arctic Circle. The clip
shows a dying, emaciated polar bear searching desperately for food, its skin
hanging from its bones, its legs so weak it can hardly stand. “The muscles
atrophy,” he wrote in the caption. “No energy. It’s a slow, painful death.”
Polar bears have become the poster animals for climate change because they offer a clear, concrete image to convey the harm global warming is already beginning to wreak on the planet. “We are a visual species,” Nicklen told the Washington Post (paywall). He had traveled to the remote region where he shot the footage with Sea Legacy, a group that uses visual storytelling to prompt action on climate change.
No one
can prove that particular bear was starving because of climate change. But
there is plenty of evidence indicating that warming is causing sea ice—the
bears’ main hunting ground—to dwindle, which threatens the bears’ existence.
One 2015 study found that the polar bear population in the southern Beaufort Sea had
declined 40% because of the loss of sea ice. A 2017 study by the US Geological
Survey and the University of Wyoming concluded that bears are also spending
more energy walking across a “treadmill” of drifting sea ice caused by warming,
and needed to eat more to compensate. According to the Washington Post (paywall),
researchers believe 80% of polar bear populations could die off if sea ice
continues to disappear.
Nicklen
told National Geographic, where he is a contributor, that the video he shot of
the starving bear was one of the most painful scenes he’s witnessed. “We stood
there crying—filming with tears rolling down our cheeks,” he said.
But he
thought it was necessary to show to people who would otherwise never see such a
scene. “When scientists say bears are going extinct, I want people to realize
what it looks like,” he said. “Bears are going to starve to death. This is what
a starving bear looks like.”
Bring rabbits to the island? They seem to breed faster than expected?
ReplyDeletegreat idea, but a rabbit won't sustain a polar bear for long. Is the habitat even conducive to sustaining a rabbit colony? It would have to be Arctic rabbits, bigger than usual to satisfy a bear.
DeleteWhy didn’t the photographer not help the bear? Could’ve given some food for the time being
ReplyDeleteYes i agree. Get ypur footage and then feed the bear
Deletelol it won't work like that ,duty is different empathy is different
Deleteits because it will only make the bear suffer for a long time he need at least 2kg of fats to survive for a day or 2
DeleteFeed the bears a few climate change deniers.
DeleteThat’s a nice after thought Ssagnier, but a “band aid” approach won’t heal a severed artery. We have to make drastic personal lifestyle choices as a species if we want these animals to survive.
ReplyDeleteno, maybe not, but they could have given him a warm and full belly for at least one day
DeleteExactly. They could have. Who would just stand aside and watch?! I can't stand it when people say 'oh no leave them don't get involved with wildlife'. Instead they stood there gawking when they easily very very easily could have given it food and helped. Even for one day. Ridiculous.infuriates me.
DeleteThere are more polar bears now than 50 years ago.
DeleteSo so sad my very spirit hurts for them.
ReplyDeleteGod help them amen!!!!!
God isn't going to save them. You need to do something about it.
DeleteUnfortunately as much as we would love for God to intervene... it won't happen. So many billions of animals and millions of people die... without intervention.. at the hands of mankind.
DeleteSickening and disgusting how many people I hear blatantly refuse to believe the earth is in a severe climate change that has also caused severe weather patterns all across the Earth even with solid scientific evidence... but greedy corrupt elected people that run the Governments/Countries, especially right here in the United States still mislead their zombie followers to keep ignoring this global issue and do NOTHING.
ReplyDeletePrepare to be sickened because those of us with common sense see that the world is not in severe climate change and its just running its natural cycles. You let politicians get into your head when you were younger with facts that are not even close to being true. Hell, odds are this is the result of disease and not climate change or lack of food.
DeleteYour 'common sense' must have come from your ass.You have absolutely no clue. 97% of climate scientists AGREE that man made climate change is driving the shrinking polar caps and the decimation of the ecology there. like most idiots you stubbornly cling to the notion that it is a natural cycle and yet the massive amount of corroborated and peer reviewed data says the exact opposite.You claim this is the result of disease and provide no source to back up that claim. Climate change however, has compelling evidence that only a fool would ignore. Your claim that the facts aren't even close to being true is laughable.. you are just another youtube expert with absolutely no understanding of the situation.... unlike the 97% of experts who can literally prove otherwise.
DeleteI agree....totally. If anyone has seen INCOVENIENT TRUTH... it would spin your head. Incredible, fully documented with FACTS that cannot be denied... unless you stick your head in the sand and ignore it. We may have in fact passed the TIPPING POINT where we May not be able to undo it. Sort of when a 100 car freight train is moving... putting on the brakes may take almost a mile to stop.... by then anything In its way is done!
Delete97% percent of scientists will agree about climate change because not, they will get fired.
DeleteClimate changes force evolutionary changes,... if the bears learn to use tools, such as opening doors and windows, I for one think we set them free inside the offices of politicians and environment destroying corporations.
ReplyDeleteSolves the issues of having to feed the bears, as well as getting rid of the lobbyists and politicians getting rich off this devastation.
they couldn't save this individual bear??B.S. THEY COULD BUY FISH AND FEED THE BEARS FOR ALL THE MONEY THEY SOLD THIS VIDEO FOR!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely hard to see, they say we'll be Polar Bear 'free' withing 25 years. Many animals go 'extinct' every day in this world. It's a shame but there is nothing, at this point, we as a civilization can do to change the way the climate is evolving. If 'alarmists' would do their homework and research it, of course the planet is warming up, we are STILL coming down off of the backside of the last ice age. We human's time on this planet is just the blink of an eye in the life of this planet. We will end up just like the dinosaurs and many other civilizations before us.
ReplyDeleteShip them to manatiba lol it’s cold out here and lots of food for them lol But no really sad makes me cry and if I was there I would of put 400$ to fish for him poor bear I hate ppl who say don’t go near wildlife and yet they just stand and look at him dieing like ppl make the change don’t just post shit if you want it to change do feed the one who is in front of you
ReplyDeleteOn all you fools riding on the mass hysteria climate change bandwagon.....
ReplyDeleteThe liars will say a 100 years ago, temperatures were cooler. Back then there wasn't so many people where temps were taken. Now temps are taken at the airport or in city limits. Of course its warmer.
Not to worry, there's a group of people spraying the skies with chemicals. It use to be called chemtrails but you're a conspiracy nut calling it that. The politically correct names are cloud lightening,ionospheric aerosols.....And the good video explaining all this has been terminated by youtube. Gotta go find it.
It would give the bear strength to go somewhere and get food. It is not known if the bear was sick or old so everybody is getting hysterical about something they don't know.
ReplyDeletepolar bears are believed to originate in Ireland - not the polar ice - also the numbers have risen to dangerous levels - ask the Inuit - not some NatGeo photo hack whose done this before for money. hes no saint https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-so-many-bears-draft-plan-says-nunavuts-polar-bear-population-is/
ReplyDeleteThis story was debunked years ago - pls stop this garbage
All I know is I saw this and immediately crashed into tears!!! WE CANT LET THEM ALL DIE!! WE CAN'T! The U.S.> IS "supposedly" the best/richest/whatever in the world? PROVE IT!!
ReplyDelete