https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/18/science/polar-bears-global-warming.html?rref=collection%2Fspotlightcollection%2Fclimate-casualties&_r=0
In Kaktovik, Alaska during the fall, polar bears are everywhere roaming the village to find food. At night, the bears steal into town, making it dangerous to walk outside without a firearm or bear spray. They leave only reluctantly, chased off by the polar bear patrol with firecracker shells and spotlights. The bears coming here are refugees because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding. The arctic is warming twice as fast as the whole planet, causing the ice cover to retreat. As the Arctic ice continues to melt, bears are arriving in poor condition and are staying longer in Kaktovik, even as the number of tourists increases. This means more human and bear interactions which can cause them stress and us danger.
The biggest threat to the polar bears is the unregulated release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Some other risks are oil spills, pollution, and over-hunting also have some risks but don't compare to the loss of sea ice.
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April 2017
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