04/05/2006 - Polar bears
are set to become one of the most notable casualties
of global warming unless drastic action is taken,
says WWF.
The impact of climate change
is increasingly felt in polar regions, where summer
sea ice is expected to decrease by 50–100 per
cent over the next 50–100 years. Dependent upon
arctic sea ice for hunting seals and highly specialized
for life in the Arctic's marine environment, polar
bears are predicted to suffer more than a 30 per
cent population decline in the next 45 years.
According to IUCN's recently
released Red List of Threatened Species, the polar
bear is listed as a "vulnerable" species
that is threatened with extinction.
“Knowing that over our lifetimes
we sat there while the polar bears became extinct
is really quite an immoral legacy to leave for
future generations,” said Dr Peter Ewins, WWF-Canada's
director of species conservation.
According to a recent WWF study, a quarter of
the world’s species will be on their way to extinction
by 2050 as a result of accelerating climatic changes
directly linked to human use of fossil fuels.
The latest findings indicate that the Earth is
warming faster than at any time in the last 10,000
years and climate change in the Arctic, where
polar bears live, is expected to be among the
greatest of any region on Earth.
"Climate change represents one of the most
pervasive threats to our planet’s biodiversity,"
said Julia Langer, WWF-Canada's director of global
threats.
“Climate change is happening
now and greenhouse gas emissions are the main
culprit,” said added.
"Cutting existing climate change programmes
in Canada while claiming that the country cannot
meet its Kyoto targets is disingenuous at worst,
and a self-fulfilling prophecy at best. Canada
must do its duty to help avoid the dangers of
climate change."
