Comments for More Polar Bears Going Hungry What Can We Do? »
Posted By Newperson 10 months, 2 weeks ago in Science & TechnologyWarmer temperatures and earlier melting of sea ice are causing polar bears to go hungry. The number of undernourished bears has tripled in a 20-year period.
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a sow polar bear resting...
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a sow polar bear resting with her cubs on the pack ice in the Beaufort Sea in northern Alaska. Warmer temperatures and earlier melting of sea ice are causing polar bears to go hungry. The number of undernourished bears has tripled in a 20-year period.
(Steve Amstrup/U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service/AP Photo)
More PhotosSeth Cherry of the University of Alberta, Canada, and colleagues monitored the health of polar bears in the ice-covered Beaufort Sea region of the Arctic during April and May in 1985, 1986, 2005 and 2006.
They immobilised the bears using tranquilliser darts and measured the ratio of urea to creatinine in their blood. A low ratio means that nitrogenous waste material is being recycled within the body and indicates the animal is fasting - a state which usually only occurs temporarily in males during the spring breeding season.
Read Full Story at abcnews.go.com »
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Newperson10 months, 2 weeks ago
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BronxBomber10 months, 2 weeks ago
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Dionys10 months, 1 week ago
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Mutainia10 months, 1 week ago
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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Well, CO2 is a known greenhouse gas, and we KNOW atmospheric CO2 levels have increased since the industrial revolution.
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I explained it to my kids this way: It's a nice day out, but you decide to put on a long sleeve shirt rather than a t-shirt. After a while, you start sweating. Do you check and see if someone turned up the thermostat?
BTW, Mars' orbit is eccentric, meaning the whole durn planet moves toward and away from the sun quite a bit
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normallysilent10 months, 1 week ago
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http://www.skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=40=662...
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capecoralMComment removed: Retracted by user29 Replies
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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Where is your data for that assertion?
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Here's mine:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/globalwarming...
"Global surface temperatures have increased about 0.74°C (plus or minus 0.18°C) since the late-19th century, and the linear trend for the past 50 years of 0.13°C (plus or minus 0.03°C) per decade is nearly twice that for the past 100 years. The warming has not been globally uniform. Some areas (including parts of the southeastern U.S. and parts of the North Atlantic) have, in fact, cooled slightly over the last century. The recent warmth has been greatest over North America and Eurasia between 40 and 70°N. Lastly, seven of the eight warmest years on record have occurred since 2001 and the 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1995."
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Will131310 months, 2 weeks ago
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crespi10 months, 1 week ago
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I'm sure the Cons feel the same about people...
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: ) : (
Sorry to be bitter, but on these very pages a year ago, ultra-conservatives were screaming that Polar Bear endagerment and habitat encroachment was a "hoax by the looney left!"
I just wanted to thank them again...-
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oneironaut42010 months, 1 week ago
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"And especially for the obcenities hurled at commenters concerned for polar bears' future well being."
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As someone who has been concerned about the environment and animal welfare for as long as I can remember, I'm amazed at how hateful the other side gets about these subjects. I think they simply don't want to take any responsibility for the fact that 6 billion human beings and counting may *gasp* actually be altering the planet they live on, in detrimental ways.
After all, if you deny the problems then you won't feel guilty about buying a wasteful, gas-guzzling SUV, or throwing litter out the window.
I think my dad, an ultra-religious and ultra-conservative environmentalist-hater, summed it up best one day when we were debating the subject and he said, "Well, I'm not going to worry about it because by the time these things become a problem, we'll have the technology to fix them."
It was, by far, the most irresponsible thing I ever heard him say. If this attitude is common among right-wingers, then the rest of us just have to work harder to ensure we make up for their lackadaisical attitude towards something as important as the health of planet that is our only home. 8(
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BB6410 months, 1 week ago
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Will,
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Based upon DNR reports there is an over population of bears. The number went from 5000 to over 20000 in the last 40 years. They have hunting seasons in Canada and Russia. How can you call this species in danger, the numbers simply fail to support your claims?-
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CRYMTYPHON10 months, 1 week ago
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HI BB64!
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You give no link or reference; but sure, if the bears are starving, there must be too many of them. But I couldn't find where the DNR said how many bears there ought to be .
I did find this great minnesota DNR web page.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/janfeb07/steg...
A researcher goes to the arctic to study polar bear decline.
Hey, the only thing better than reading up, is actualy going and seeing for yourself.
At least, if you actualy want to know.-
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BB6410 months, 1 week ago
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My mistake, not the DNR, the U.S. Department of the Interior. I'm having a problem locating the data concerning this but it was a huge increase. When you say 5000 or even 10000 animals of the Polar Bear's size that's a lot of bears. They require miles of space between them.
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As to declines, Professor J. Scott Armstrong of the Wharton School says, “To list a species that is currently in good health as an endangered species requires valid forecasts that its population would decline to levels that threaten its viability. In fact, the polar bear populations have been increasing rapidly in recent decades due to hunting restrictions. Assuming these restrictions remain, the most appropriate forecast is to assume that the upward trend would continue for a few years, then level off.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/08050...
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wtagg10 months, 1 week ago
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Actually, over-population can lead to starvation, which is what the article is about. Your argument supports the premise of the article.
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Top predators are usually the last to feel the effects of a food chain change. Has the food chain changed? Has man allowed the bears to expand beyond their natural ability to exist in their current population? Has habitat changed affecting the food chain below the bears?
There are cycles in all life chains and this could be one of them. There are outside pressures the affect life cycle changes, including habitat, climate, and other intruding species. Is it a isolated event or the harbinger of something much larger in scope. Do you or anyone definitely know the answer? Should the problem be ignored until it becomes overwhelming and catastrophic?
Humans are the first real species to have the ability to understand their impact upon the environment we exist in. We can either impact in good or bad ways. We also have the ability to right the wrongs, which ironically, in and of itself, may adversely impact something else. The problem is much more complicated than either providing a knee jerk reaction to solve a complicated problem or believing that we have no impact at all.
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rightfromwrong10 months, 2 weeks ago
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I am not an expert but one of the problems is that with diminishing ice to hunt and fish the females are starving and they have to swim too far to other ice....many just drown and
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those that do don't have the body fat to breed properly.
Another 10years and the only ones that will be around with be in a zoo....sadly man doesn't seem concerned enough to demand action and people like Bush and his crew are criminals in more ways that just killing their soldiers for greed and civilians-
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Newperson10 months, 1 week ago
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Cookiestar10 months, 2 weeks ago
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MajJohn10 months, 1 week ago
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Newperson10 months, 1 week ago
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mrreality10 months, 1 week ago
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greenmac10 months, 1 week ago
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You are the best...man I have never witnessed a person that is so articulate as you.... and such a witty person as well. I imagine your grade eight class looks up to you.... nothing like having a 20 year old in your class for motivation. Yes...you are number one in my book... LMAO
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mrreality10 months, 1 week ago
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greenmac10 months, 1 week ago
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FredSmilek10 months, 1 week ago
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I completely agree.
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Fred Smilek
Email- Fred_Smilek@yahoo.com
Webpage- http://sites.google.com/site/fredjsmilek/
Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded in 2006 by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan. -
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FredSmilek10 months, 1 week ago
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I agree. More people should get involved.
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Fred Smilek
Email- Fred_Smilek@yahoo.com
Webpage- http://sites.google.com/site/fredjsmilek/
Fred Smilek is the acting president of the Society to Save Endangered Species. It was founded in 2006 by Fred Smilek along with his two best friends Charles and Jonathan.
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greenmac10 months, 2 weeks ago
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HOW to feed the bears is the problem. Dependency on man providing the food results on the bear becoming dependent on man. The bears will lose there want to forage. This can be seen in several species of bears just not Polar. Where I live we have "dump" bears that feed off what man throws out.... not a good scenario. The loss of sea ice drives the bear inland and towards human contact. This becomes a problem and actions have to take place...relocation is the first step...repetitive returns usually end up with the bear being destroyed (in some locations) Not all the polar bear colonies are starving..but some are.
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Dionys10 months, 1 week ago
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sarahturner10 months, 1 week ago
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rightfromwrong10 months, 1 week ago
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vettenut10 months, 1 week ago
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rfw:
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I have read your "answers" above, but have to ask the following question:
IF we do ALL those things, what difference will that make to polar bears?
I ask that question very sincerely!
The reason I ask that question is that there is NO PROOF that any or all of those actions you list will have any meaningful consequences for polar bears.
I especially and seriously question the effect of "less warfare" on polar bear habitat and nutrition.
There is, however, one common thread in the actions you list: it will make some people THINK that if they do those things, they will be helping IN SOME (unquantifiable) way.
Now, that's not all bad. In most senses, there's nothing wrong with feeling good about your life decisions.
However, the moment that the "feel-good-ism" folks want to dictate to others how they should live THEIR lives simply because they think that everyone should "do as they do" is where I draw the line.
Especially in the light of the fact that we humans DO NOT KNOW how much effect (if any at all) we humans can have upon the ever-changing climate of the imperfect sphere upon which we live.
And that includes the effects, if any, upon the habitat and survival of Ursus maritimus.-
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gwhiddon10 months, 1 week ago
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MajJohn10 months, 1 week ago
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And 48 below is the current climate there. Only those with tinfoil hats would see a difference in semantics Wrong, most 3rd graders and anyone without an agenda sees no difference. That's why the Gorebasm fanatics do not say global warming any more, it's climate change and no one can deny that the climate changes!!
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Dionys10 months, 1 week ago
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"And 48 below is the current climate there. Only those with tinfoil hats would see a difference in semantics "
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Sorry. I was talking about scientific distinctions, not Biblical semantics. Weather changes represent day to day changes. Climate changes, as defined by scientists (and oddly enough the Dictionary) indicate changes over a period of years, usualy defined as a ten year (or more) period.-
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Dionys10 months, 1 week ago
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Again the ignorance of people like you shines like Christ on the mountain.
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A 100 year flood doesn't mean it only happens every 100 years. Just that you're likely to experience a flood like that at least every 100 years. Just because the second one happens in the third year of the 100 years doesn't mean they're wrong. Though perhaps it does mean that the whole system of long-term climate patterns is messed up, doesn't it.-
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MotiGui10 months, 1 week ago
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Hmmm, 'scuse me ... We lost our house in 1965 "Betsy" to a 100 yr flood. We lost a duplex in New Orleans in a 100 yr flood "Katrina". We lost our summer home in Mississippi in a 100 yr flood "Katrina". My son almost flooded out in Gustav's 100 yr flood ... How many 100 yr floods are there in 100 years? Tell all those in the 9th ward and in Lakeview about those 100 yr floods - 20,000+ homes flooded in the 100 yr flood.
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The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any single year.
Well guess what, that theory applies only to the Sahara.
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SandmonsterComment removed: Hard Banned2 Replies
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Klarissa10 months, 1 week ago
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So who is looking for money to save the bears?
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It must include grants to count the bears, grants to take blood samples to see if they are healthy, grants to determine if they can forage off of the land instead of the sea, grants to determine if the bears can have babies in caves instead of on ice, grants to build huts to observe the bears for two years.
$$$$$$$$$
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Spadecaller10 months, 1 week ago
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CRYMTYPHON10 months, 1 week ago
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Cowardice on the internet is expressed in saying, what you would not say
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if you faced your audience.
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You are a coward, mr. reality; insulting people from the safety of your screen.
You are not a conservative.
You express no values; you argue no position.
You have nothing to say, except to tell us there are some very small souls
in front of keyboards.
Get a new soul, reality.
I wouldn't give the one you have to a dog.
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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The advent of industry is a novel development in the entire history of the Earth. Carbon that used to be sequestered for hundreds of millions of years is suddenly (relatively speaking) being pumped or dug up and burned at an unprecedented rate. Humans are churning 100s of billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. In addition, carbon mitigation mechanisms like forests are being clear-cut at an alarming rate. It seems to me the height of hubris to think this would somehow NOT have an effect.
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Newperson10 months, 1 week ago
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I dont know if there is hope for this planet I would like to think there is. We see change every year. I think alot of folks say it's not my problem. You are right it's the future generations that will sufer. So what if our great grandchildren kids never see Polar Bears and alot of other things from our time it will be history. They can live on houseboats and talk about the good old days.
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lvrofwolves10 months, 1 week ago
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If it happens because of natural order, that would be one thing, if it happens because of human beings, that would be a shame.
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for you religious folks, God gave us dominion over the animals, I don't think that means to help destroy Gods creations.
If the polar bear goes, with it will go other things eventually, they are a link in the chain. We should care about every link, and even more so if we can prevent loss, or if we are the cause.-
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lvrofwolves10 months, 1 week ago
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Dominion doesn't mean destroy it, to use, not use all up, and who said anything about not cutting anything down? , not killing for food???there is using and there is abusing. You don't think human beings have any self control? Well obviously many don't, but we can work on that, and the ones who don't want to take any responsibility for anything, probably won't work on it.
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mrreality10 months, 1 week ago
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funny how man thinks he can control everything, or can be responsible for everything,,,god gave us dominion over the all living creatures to use. nature has a funny way of proving its bigger than man,,,can you say aids,,or ebola, avian flu, man is not the do all end all for the earth,,,time and natural selection are,,,you want to see life end,, dont cut anything down,,down kill any animals for food,,,dont do anything and watch what happens,,
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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"...god gave us dominion over the all living creatures..."
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Depends on the religious tradition. When I was growing up, it was 'stewardship' not 'dominion'. That's quite a distinction. But even 'dominion' doesn't imply exploitation. A king has dominion over his people, but whether or not that king is a good king depends on the how well he treats his subjects.-
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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That still does not affect my second point about being a good king.
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Besides:
Lev. 25:23-24. The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.
Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the
redemption of the land.
Ezekiel 34:17-18. As for you, my flock... Is it not enough for you to feed on
good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is
it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with
your feet?
Jer. 2:7. I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But
you came and defiled my land and you made my inheritance detestable.
Mark 4:19. ...and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches and
the desires for other things enter in and choke the word and it becomes
unfruitful.
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Georgia5010 months, 1 week ago
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The study says a higher percentage of polar bear are in "fasting" mode when they would otherwise be in feasting mode.
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Those who perform the study believe this has or will result in fewer polar bears. No census of polar bears has been or is apparently planned to "bear" this out. Hmmm...actually counting the bears...seems kinda basic, but oh well...
They further believe, but provide no evidence, that the increase in bears fasting is the result reduced ice mass.
They further believe, but provide no evidence, that the reduced ice mass is the result of global warming.
They further believe, but provide no evidence, that the global warming is the result of human activity.
Conclusion by global warming alarmists: "See...we toldja. Now we have to tax you so that polar bears will survive."-
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normallysilent10 months, 1 week ago
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http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europ...
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THOMNH6210 months, 1 week ago
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here is a good read on the population of polar bears. This is not an endangered specie. With estimates of 25000 bears the numbers are growing not declining. Also during the last climate change they managed just fine.
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http://american.com/archive/2008/may-05-08/are-pol...-
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THOMNH6210 months, 1 week ago
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THOMNH6210 months, 1 week ago
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nice try tang but the facts are that there is no problem with bear populations polar, black, grizzly or otherwise. The Canadians as a whole are not clubbing seals it is the Inuit tribes that are allowed to take a certain amount of animals. Clubbing while disturbing preserves the pelt which is how they make a living. I for one could not see myself clubbing anything but a liberal. Having spent time on the Canadian cost this winter I saw many baby seals on the beach and they are fantastic animals.
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Eagle_Eye10 months, 1 week ago
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This is not a natural cycle, but one "influenced" by humans actions with the environment.
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What will happen is the Polar Bears instinct to survive will wander further east/south intruding on Black Bear, Kodiak and Grisly territory in order to survive. They will also wander into human developed areas but with a lot of Northern Canada being unpopulated with humans they may find themselves a new home in the melting North Pole. There is a lot of "virgin" land being defrosted up there so if nature takes over they will find a new home in the new frontier.
But for the ones living nearest the sea, they will die of starvation. I am still amazed how "ignorant and arrogant" some posters are to consider this a "natural" occurrence. Those that do show their stupidity and are the dumbest humans on the face of the earth and on this site.-
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mrreality10 months, 1 week ago
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what will happen is people like you will be eaten because you will be stupid enough to think you can befriend, defend, and make sense with them,,,,the dummies are the ones who think that this spinning planet in the middle of infinity is gonna live or die according to one species,,
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Eagle_Eye10 months, 1 week ago
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"what will happen is people like you will be eaten because you will be stupid enough to think you can befriend, defend, and make sense with them," WTF??????????
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Your comment is really stupid, IMHO don't make comments so that you can hide your stupidity.
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Spadecaller10 months, 1 week ago
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Eagle_Eye
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It is astounding; isn't it? The flat-earthers are too arrogant to consider the possibility that change is necessary for adaptation; that human beings are sentient creatures who have learned to alter the course of nature, have learned to destroy life by splitting the atom, and have been failing to respect the life giving resources on this earth.
Introducing synthetic chemical compounds into the atmosphere, the oceans, and our drinking water has changed the course of nature and the natural process of evolution and has left many species without the time necessary to adapt. The results are conclusive; human beings are responsible for killing off many species and for polluting the planet. From the honey bee to the polar bear, life as we once knew it is rapidly disappearing.
When I drive down the street and watch people toss out their filter cigarettes butts and their Jack in the Box wrappers from their moving cars, I can only conclude one thing: these are ignorant ill-mannered people lacking the respect for the sacred earth that we all share.-
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Eagle_Eye10 months, 1 week ago
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Spadecaller,
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It is more than astounding, it is frightful to think that there are people out there contributing to the Chaos that is harming the planet, and they don't give a shiz. They obviously make their living off of something that is harmful and feel the need to justify it, I hope that they hit rock bottom this year so that they can't continue to contribute to earths decline.
"these are ignorant ill-mannered people lacking the respect for the sacred earth that we all share." that they are, we would be better off with out them....
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BB6410 months, 1 week ago
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Defrosted? Have you been to the arctic? There isn't a warming at all. I supply mining groups and have been up there. There is no warming. What you guys get fixated on are weather cycles. You will have seasons warmer and cooler. Chicken little the sky is not falling.
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As to bears, there is an over population. The surveys conducted in the 60's claimed to have around 5000 bears. Today there are over 20,000. That's a species that is in danger of over population. That would explain why Canada and Russia hunt Polar Bears. Of course in the USA we couldn't do that because of our environmental nuts. You will find some reason to tax us and "solve" the problem.-
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Tangent00110 months, 1 week ago
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"The surveys conducted in the 60's claimed to have around 5000 bears." That wasn't a survey, it was a guess. A formal survey wasn't performed until decades later. Yes, the population had been showing growth during the past few decades, but that is largely due to measures put in place to prevent overharvesting. Recent surveys indicate the polar bear population in decline around the Hudson Bay area.
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antibrainwasher10 months, 1 week ago
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The earth is not warming, its colder, I checked the thermometer today.
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The earth is not round, I can see it is flat, and I don't need a bunch of ungodly statistical analysis over decades to prove otherwise.
Let us pray.....baby jew jesus, help me deny the careful statistical analysis over decades by ungodly professionals who devote their ungodly life to ungodly science and ungodly mathmatical computer modeling, baby god/human hybrid, come down from the invisible walmart in the sky and gather me, the faithful, in the end times rapture, so that the ungodly will suffer and die, so that I might have the sunday tee times in the baby jew jesus golf and country club in the sky.
Invisible Charleton Heston penis/head in the sky, we ask this in the name of your only human/god hybrid jew son, the baby jew jesus. -
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