For those who may not believe in climate change affecting wildlife and our entire ecosystem here’s a report from Live Science that warmer weather has allowed Grizzlies to encroach on the Polar Bears’ domain.
the intermingling could have other ecological repercussions. Bears have different prey, for example, preferring musk ox to seals, for example. And both bear species are known to eat cubs.
“Higher number of grizzlies cold interfere with polar bear reproduction,” Doupé speculated.
With polar ice receding every year, allowing for less hunting for Polar Bears, this new development throws into question whether Polar Bears will be wiped out in the coming century.
My own personal view is that humans have irrevocably changed the planets climate, and set it on a different course. What the final destination is is open to question of course, and there is always the possibly of a massive natural event (like a Meteor impact or massive Volcanic eruption) that could again change the path of the Earths’ climate.
What is clear, though, is that we humans have had a dramatic effect on the planet we live on. And while nature will eventually find a balance, we should feel some guilt and responsibility for endangering such magnificent beasts as Polar Bears and the millions of other species affected by these ongoing changes.
I fear, though, that far too many people are wrapped up taking care of themselves and their own interests rather than stopping to look at the Big Picture.
Two points:
a) Pollution, habitat destruction, etc are awful, and we must work to stop them as fast as possible.
b) “My own personal view is that humans have irrevocably changed the planets climate, and set it on a different course.”
Your own personal view could use some augenting. Try http://www.climateaudit.org as a starting point.
The world has been this warm before, as recently as the middle ages, all without human intervention. It is by no means a proven fact that human emissions are leading to this instance of climate change.
Andrew:
Indeed, the earths climate has gone through many cycles of warming and cooling over the centuries and eons… and our understanding of our own effect on the climate is still very much in evolution.
that said… if you take your first point on pollution and habitat destruction and work it through you end up in the same place of either having changed the climate, or doing something to change our ways and letting the climate work itself out.
So either way if we’re seriously concerned about polluting our earth… and we can all agree that things like car emissions, industrial emissions, and everything else is doing harm… then we should all be able to agree that we need to change what we’re doing if we don’t want to ruin the planet we all share.