Why does everybody start talking about global warming when polar bears are mentioned? Well, the polar bear has become a symbol for the environmental changes happening because of earth’s warming climate. Polar Bears hunt on the ice, the ice is melting, the bears can’t hunt, and they starve. Because they live in the arctic circle, they are one of the first species to be effected by climate change.
If you are interested in learning more about global warming, check out some of the links below.
Kids vs Global warming has a terrific graphic primer on why the earth is warming.
The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY has been documenting the changes to our environment for decades. Their website has terrific information and stories about the impact of climate change on wildlife and culture.
The Planet is heating up. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forests are drying, and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. It’s becoming clear that humans have caused most of the past century’s warming by releasing heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than in the last 650,000 years. Read more at National Geographic.
The WORLD WILDLIFE FUND has been leading the charge in environmental protection:
Climate change has been a priority for WWF for over 20 years as climate disruption poses a fundamental threat to the vulnerable places, species and people WWF seeks to protect.
To adequately slow climate change we urgently must reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. We are leveraging the power of WWF’s network of organizations around the world to build support for the new post-2012 global climate agreement at Copenhagen that is fair, effective and science-based.
To learn more at WWF including what you can do to help go to their Global Warming page.
The NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION also has many educational programs about global warming.
Global Warming is the single biggest threat to wildlife today. Global warming is happening faster than predicted even several years ago, with many natural systems already seriously impacted. Overwhelming scientific evidence supports reducing carbon pollution that causes global warming as much as possible and as quickly as possible.
National Wildlife Federation works to reach that goal by demanding climate change legislation that includes a cap-and-trade system and dedicated funding to address the impacts of global warming on America’s natural resources. Visit the Climate Action Center today or read our report Investing in America’s Natural Resources. Read more about global warming at NWF.
The United States Government also has information on climate change. Check out the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S main Global Warming site. Or take a look at their excellent site designed for kids:
The Greenhouse Effect: Scientists are sure about the greenhouse effect. They know that greenhouse gases make the Earth warmer by trapping energy in the atmosphere.
Climate Change: Climate is the long-term average of a region’s weather events lumped together. For example, it’s possible that a winter day in Buffalo, New York, could be sunny and mild, but the average weather – the climate – tells us that Buffalo’s winters will mainly be cold and include snow and rain. Climate change represents a change in these long-term weather patterns. They can become warmer or colder. Annual amounts of rainfall or snowfall can increase or decrease.
Global Warming: Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.
There are lots of environmental sites on the web that deal with global warming. Here are a few more: