At least in Alaska this makes front page news. In the lower forty eight it gets tucked away on the back page, “oh yeah, and the planet is about to be cooked alive along with all of us who live on it. But that’s not very interesting, so go back to the front page and read about Paris Hilton.”
I’m talking about this article, a recap of a new USGS study, that was on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News today.
The study, intended to help lawmakers decide whether Polar Bears are “threatened” or not, projected that by 2050 two thirds of the worlds polar bears will be gone. Melting ice will leave them without summer habitats in Alaska or Russia, and, like that song I used to sing as a kid said, “ya hafta have a habitat to carry on.” Scientists project that the only surviving Polar Bears will be those who live on islands, up in icier regions.
Of course, the study was conservative, so it’s entirely possible the Polar Bears will all be dead even sooner.
That’s not the part that enrages me. I mean, I’ve mostly come to terms with the fact that this culture is perfectly happy with killing the whole world, including themselves, as long as they can watch TV tonight. I’m not losing much sleep over that anymore (okay, maybe a little), but I expect a little more from scientists. Being such reality based people, you know.
Anyways. This is what the scientists said: Moreover, the bears’ doom is irreversible, the study said. Even a dramatic effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would not be enough to halt the near-term warming trend and save the coastal bears.
(I am, obviously, quoting the article rather than the study, which I don’t have).
This enrages me. First of all, fuck a dramatic effort to reduce emissions. If we want to keep living on this planet, those emissions have to stop. Not be dramatically reduced. Using “green” lightbulbs isn’t going to help. They have to stop. The corporations, the oil fields and coal mines, they have to be stopped. Or, you know, their CEO’s have to magically come to the peace and light, cause Goddess knows there are so many people sending them pink light and green love every day that it could really happen. But, you know, failing that, they have to be stopped.
But of course, that’s too hard. It’s impossible. Even the scientists say so. So the Polar Bears are doomed and people turn to the next page to read about the gun they found in the high school this morning.
If you’re interested in reading the research that the USGS press release summarizes, the data can be found here: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/special/polar_bears
It may be true that there’s nothing that can be done to prevent this. Even if human beings disappeared from the world today, the earth would continue to warm for some time into the future due to the changes we’ve already made to the planet. 🙁
Dramatic reduction is all we can hope for. You’re still driving a car like the rest of us. If all of us do our share (yes, including green lightbulbs), we can have a collective impact. Total elimination of industry is unfeasible.
It’s not on the back page here. It’s pretty big news.
Don’t direct your rage at the scientists, for crying out loud. Those poor fuckers have been marginalized and kicked around for seven years.
I’m trying to remember, is it Derrick Jensen, or who? that talks about environmental research being co-opted to support the evil empire by saying there is nothing we can do.
It may be true that even if we stopped all industry today that accelerated climate change would continue for quite some time. But that’s not a reason to not change things now. And we don’t actually KNOW what is going to happen in the future (other than it’s going to get worse), so we could change and give the polar bears and the rest of life some chance of surviving.
David, thanks. I’m aware of that, but there have also been studies that say that global warming would stop a lot faster than the gubberment scientists are saying.
Joe, who’s we? Don’t tell me what I can hope for.
Susan… like a seven year plague? Huh? Are you in PDX or Vegas, that it’s on the front page?
Kate, I don’t know who said it, but if someone said it they were right. I second everything you said.
I think a seven-(or eight-) year plague is an excellent way to describe the Bush administration (and its war on science), so, sure. I’m in Portland but it’s also been on television and radio news. And the front page of the internets.
I don’t think the message here is we should do nothing since the polar bears are already doomed.
One possible take-away, for me at least, is that we’ve failed polar bears, but its not too late to save other species…or ourselves.
The idea that polar bears are now among the walking dead because of our way of life, should be be used to justify change; not to justify continuing on.
one of my friend’s dad actually said he’d be willing to shoot every polar bear between the eyes himself if it meant he could put gasoline in his truck. people love their glorious civilization–at all costs.
Hobostripper,
Modern civilzation is fucked. I believe a lot of species, not just polar bears will suffer from global warming and ppl are concerned about Britney Spears comeback show (please give me a break)!! Kind of makes ya sick. I think David Suzuki (pardon the spelling of the last name)has a website out there on global warming.
I’m currently reading a book explaining the effects of global warming reference to the birds. This global warming crap must be stopped by the ordinary person because I don’t believe that the govt. gives a damn about it!! 😡
You might all find some joy in this polar bear/huskie meeting:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/audiogallery/soundseen.shtml