Many scientist believe that global warming will be the cause of extinction for Polar Bears. Recently Polar Bears have been asked to be placed on the endangered species list, as 'threatened by global warming'. George Bush was given to May 15th to decide weather the US would recognize them as threatened, the same proposal was given to the Canadian government. Now with the knowledge that is given it would seem stupid for them not to place them on the list? Why would then not place them on the list? Unless global warming isn't killing the bears... or the bears aren't even declining in size... but if they are what is really killing them?
More after the jump...
The Fact is Polar Bear number are declining, but in some parts of the world yet numbers are increasing in others. The loss of Ice in 'some' parts of 'some' bears habitats have caused the loss of 'some' bears. What are the numbers? Most studies are done on a group of bears on the western coast of Hudson Bay (Canada). Global warming has had a huge effect on the ice in the area. Here the bear population has declined 17% since 1987 (950 in 2004 from 1,200 in 1987) But the population in that area was just 500 bears back in 1981.
Many claim that comparing current numbers to older numbers for the bear populations from the past are misleading since older numbers were estimates and since the restrictions on bear hunting has lead to an increase in the population. But the restriction on hunting was done way back in the 1970's and those 'poor' estimates were from the 1950's. Most numbers released since 1981 have been used to reference the 'declining' number of bears. Ian Stirling estimated 20-40,000 bears in 1981 compared to 20-25,000 today, but another estimate places the numbers at 16-35,000? Also note that on the Polar Bears International website lists 3 different numbers on the 'estimates' of current numbers? Where are they getting the numbers from and talk about consistency? But the point is this is a decline in total numbers, but remember a global decline... yet in the area effected the most by global warming the number has increased since 1981?
But back to the west Hudson Bay, in this area since 1987 they have lost 49 bears per year to hunting (500+ bears are hunted legally each year across Canada alone) and an estimated 15 bears are lost per year to global warming. Lets do the math 1,200-950=250 total net loss since 1987. If they loose 49 per year to hunting that is 833 since 1987 (this number will be larger then the net loss because the net loss accounts for any population growth) and 255 bears to global warming. I am not saying global warming isn't killing bears, just not as much as hunters on... Then again this brings into my mind if these bears had not been hunted how many more would die from global warming in a year if their life wasn't cut short? But that is just something to think about...
Canadian studies have shown that of the 13 bear populations in Canada 11 are increasing or stable and 2 are declining. According to the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group the world's leading polar bear scientists reported that of the 19 subpopulations (globally) of polar bears, five were declining, five were stable, two were increasing, and seven had insufficient data to make a determination. That doesn't sound all that bad now does it?
I am not saying that Global Warming isn't killing Polar Bears (cause it is in some parts of the world) but you must always remember, this idea that two-thirds of the Polar Bears population would be gone by 2050 is based on the theory that the habitats of the growing bear population have the same fate as the shrinking ones. These theories also don't account for any adaptation in the life style of the Polar Bears, all species evolve and why not the Polar Bears?
What should be done? Save the bloody Polar Bears... stop hunting them for fun!! And even worse stop allowing them to increase the amount of bears hunted!!! If we battle Global warming (a hell of a lot harder then stopping hunting) we would save 500+ Polar Bears a year. Compared to the current estimates of 0.06 Bears if 'significantly' lower carbon emissions to dilute the cause of global warming (just in Canada)
Further Reading polarbearsinternational.org