The Polar Bear population is declining and it is expected to continue declining in the future due to climate change. It is said that by 2050, the polar bear population could decline by 1/3. This is all due to the disappearing of arctic sea ice. The arctic sea ice is declining by a rate of 12% per decade since the 1970s. The melting of the ice and the warming of the waters is not a good climate for the polar bears because they are ice dependent. Much of the food they eat is primarily found in the arctic waters. Polar Bears rely on their access to seals as a sources of food and to breed.
Today, the population of polar bears is thought to be 26,000. By 2050, 8,580 Polar Bears will remain if this estimation remains true. That means that from 2018 to 2050 in this 32 year period the total change would be 17,420 polar bears. This means the decay factor is 0.33. Overall, something needs to be done to slow the decline of the polar bear population because right now they are at high rate of extinction. What is happening to polar bears is also happening to other species, so the issue of climate change needs to be addressed.
The steady decline is of the polar bear population is very alarming, because the ice that is melting cause their deaths will soon have dire effects on us. This steady rise in sea level will not just harm polar bears but will harm every living creature on Earth. However, it would be interesting to explore the ways we could find ways to save the remaining polar bears, as well as potentially helping repair their natural habitats. Hopefully, there are serious changes made within the next decade to protect polar bears and other arctic animals from extinction.
You stated that arctic sea ice has been declining at a rate of 12% per decade. Breaking this down to a yearly rate, we see that arctic ice is declining at the same 1% rate that the human population is increasing. Perhaps we can see a correlation between our rising human population, and with that comes rising green house gas emissions, in relation to the coming extinction of polar bears. The 67% decrease of polar bears from now until 2050 is alarming, though the same can be said for many other species.
Climate change is a serious issue and it affects a variety of aspects of our ecosystem. It is extremely alarming that the polar bear population could decrease by a third in about thirty years. As you have mentioned, this is extremely detrimental for polar bears because they are dependent on that ice. I feel as though the only option for us to preserve the life of polar bears is to live as sustainable as possible. By doing this, we could hopefully fight climate change indirectly, and help save the polar bear population.
These numbers make me really sad, as our country as known about the possible extinction of polar bears for a while now, and not much has seemed to change. Though 12% since 1970 may not seem like a huge decrease over 40 plus years, the ice caps are melting rapidly, and will only continue to decline if we continue to ignore it. The root of the problem is simply climate change, and in order to save the polar bears, we have to start at ground zero. We must limit the about of greenhouse gas production and reduce our carbon footprint.