Ice shelf size of Manhattan: gone. Polar Bears next=
Oh, people, look around you.
The signs are everywhere.
--Jackson Browne
It was called the Ayles Ice Shelf until it became an island, breaking off from Canada last summer unobserved. It has been attached to Ellesmere Island for the last 3,000 to 4,500 years, and now is breaking up as it heads into the west, like a ship laden with elves and ringbearers, to mark the end of an era.
According to Canada.com, the ice shelves at the North Pole are 90 per cent smaller than they were when Robert Peary explored the Arctic in 1906. Five other major shelves remain.
All of this is very bad news for the Polar Bear, which relies on sea ice to hunt. The Bush Administration, in what had to be an embarrassment in timing, proposed the polar bear to be listed as a "Threatened" species as the term is describe in the US Endangered Species Act. That means the US will study the problem for another year before deciding whether to list the bear or not. And while the proposal notes that "The administration treats climate change very seriously and recognizes the role of greenhouse gases in climate change," "the proposal to list the species as threatened cites the threat of receding sea ice, it does not include a scientific analysis of the causes of climate change."
This could simply amount to the same old dodge that Bush retreated to when the reality of Climate Change could no longer be denied: OK, Climate Change is real, it's happening, but you can't pin it on humans. The next level of denial is OK, Climate change is real, it's happening, and humans are responsible, but it'll cost more money and disruption to stop it than it will to just deal with the impacts and clean up the mess.
Not good enough.
If we want to save the Polar Bears, it's going to take action at the Global, National, Local, and Personal levels. While the US government slogs along with a hem and a haw, it's up to all of us to do what we can.
Think about dying polar bears when you leave a light burning unnecessarily.
Think about dying polar bears when you leave your stereo on standby.
Think about dying polar bears when you choose your energy supplier.
Think about dying polar bears when you buy your light bulbs.
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Comments
great rant Brian - and I LOVE the image! ;-)
I am guilty for leaving lights on when I don't need them so I needed this "dying polar bear" kick in the butt.
Posted by: Lisa | January 12, 2007 10:43 AM
I am sorry, how those words are suppose to help I know not. For saying sorry signifies that I am to late to replace all the animals that have already been killed. Yet I must put hope in your heart that the world is slowly changing my family and I have energy saving light bubls, water faucents, and shower heads. I wish there was even more that I could do before the planet gives way, cause by that time no one will be left to say sorry. In closing I would like to make it apparent to everyone that "man is the only spieces that kills himslef through ill choices." Thank you.
Posted by: Sherise | April 19, 2008 8:31 AM
Touching.i wanna help,dont know how.....I feel all guilty.
Posted by: bob | September 22, 2008 11:01 PM
Sherise has some good ideas.
You can also check out our get involved page.
And probably the most important thing is to be politically active. Put our government institutions to work.
Posted by: Andrew | September 23, 2008 1:51 PM
DIE POLAR BEARS !!!! :P
Posted by: james byrne | November 4, 2008 3:50 PM