Small Changes, Polar Bear-Sized Impact
Los Angeles, CA
2020, Junior, Creative Writing
Big, white bears roam the Arctic Circle. Polar bears feed on seals, beluga whales, walruses, and nearly anything smaller than themselves. They are currently endangered, and one of the biggest causes is us. Climate change is a very big deal at the moment, and it is because of us, humans. Of course, global warming affects many species, but one group that is particularly impacted right now is polar bears.
Human activity has impacted many things: it decreases the number of glaciers, raises sea levels, and sparks intense heat waves. As a result, the Arctic Circle has seen many drastic changes. One scientist, Daniel Fagre, explained that a glacier that was once 800 acres in size has shrunk in size to less than 250 acres. That means that about 69% of the glacier has melted away. According to the National Geographic, Arctic Sea ice has dropped by about 10% in the past 30 years. National Geographic also states that, “Scientists who assess the planet’s health see indisputable evidence that Earth has been getting warmer, in some cases rapidly.”
You may ask what this has to do with polar bears. Here’s the thing: polar bears aren’t the best swimmers, so they aren’t fast enough in the water to catch the seals they eat. Instead, polar bears rest on the icebergs floating around to wait until their prey comes to them. They crouch near the edge of the ice, silently watching for them. And when an uninformed seal peeks his head above the ice, that’s when the fierce bears snatch it from the sea. However, because of global warming, all the ice is melting, and the polar bears no longer have a place to wait to catch their food. Do you get it now? The polar bears have no way to feed, and this causes them to become endangered.
As the condition of our Earth worsens, the environment for the animals who live here is also becoming increasingly dangerous. The World Wildlife Organization states that the number of polar bears alive has decreased by 40% in less than 10 years.
We can undo the damage we’ve caused. How did our Earth get like this? There’s no question that it was because of the human species. The main cause of climate change has been the buildup of greenhouse gases. Deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels are all human activities that cause release of greenhouse gases. According to NASA, “On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.” NASA states that the gases nitrous oxide, water vapor, methane, and carbon dioxide result in the greenhouse effect.
If all of us work together, we can fix the Earth. First of all, we can switch to renewable resources like solar energy, geothermal energy, etc.—anything that doesn’t use fossil fuels. Another thing we can do is use less energy by doing things like weatherizing or even just turning off lights when you leave a room.
Reducing water usage is also an efficient way to make a difference. The Natural Resources Defense Council explains that “the EPA estimates that if just one out of every 100 American homes were retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, about 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year would be saved—avoiding 80,000 tons of global warming pollution.”
We can also try using transportation like cars only when we really need to. Driving a car is just exposing greenhouse gases to the environment. Better alternatives include using other forms of transportation like trains, bicycles, or walking.
There are many companies that collect money that goes to charity. Or you can also donate money to organizations and charities yourself. Even a couple dollars make a difference. Although the results won’t show right away, if we all try, the Earth will be back to new very soon. As we start making a difference, the Arctic Circle will recover and so will the population of polar bears.
Works Cited
Glick, Daniel. “The Big Thaw.” National Geographic , https://www.nationalgeographic.com /environment/global-warming/big-thaw/ Accessed 29 May 2020 NASA.
NASA. “The Effects of Climate Change.” NASA: Global Climate Change, 19 May 2020, https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ Accessed 29 May 2020
WWF. “Polar bear population decline a wake up call for climate change action.” World Wildlife Organization, https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/polar-bear-population-decline-a-wake-up- call-for-climate-change-action Accessed 29 May 2020
“The Causes of Climate Change.” NASA: Global Climate Change, 19 May 2020, https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/ Accessed 29 May 2020
Reflection
I was inspired to write about this topic because I felt that if we all make small changes, we can make a big impact. I wanted to write about some kind of animal that is being greatly affected by climate change, and the animal that came to mind was the polar bear. Writing this made me think more hopefully about the improvement of our environment. I thought, while writing this, that we can recover the population of polar bears and make the Earth healthy again. An important message I wanted to deliver to the readers was that all of our actions count. Whether it leads to a good or bad outcome, every single one of our thoughts and movements makes a difference. I learned a lot while working on this essay—a very memorable fact was that there are so many charities that are working to save the polar bears. This gave me a lot of hope that if everyone works together, we can change our current situation. Even if it may not seem like a lot, I will make saving energy and water a daily habit by not leaving any water running and by unplugging unused devices and such. I believe that the Earth can recover if we, as a team, try hard enough.