POLAR BEAR MAKES THE LIST

In spring 2008, the polar bear made it onto the endangered species list. An endangered species is an animal or plant that is likely to face extinction in its natural habitat. Polar bears had already been on the threatened species list which is a list of species that is likely to become "endangered" in the near future.

The polar bear is on the endangered species list due to global warming. Global warming is a form of climate change caused by greenhouse gases that become trapped in the atmosphere. Oil and gas heaters, coal-powered energy plants or cars using oil or petrol (or gasoline) all require fossil fuels that lead to global warming. Energy sources that don't cause global warming include solar, wind and hydro-electricity power. Many of the world’s biggest companies attack such forms of power, because they want to protect the huge profit they make from fossil fuels.

Polar bears live mainly on the sea ice in the Arctic. This is where they hunt for fish and build up food reserves. When the ice melts, many polar bears move to land and live away from their stored food. In the Arctic, global warming is causing the ice to melt earlier and form later. This results in a shorter feeding season for the polar bear. Some risk their lives to find ice. If they have to swim too far, they will drown from exhaustion and hunger. According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 25% of Arctic sea ice has disappeared in the past 30 years.

It is important that animals such as the polar bear make it onto the endangered species list. Once they are on the list, there are laws that protect these animals from being hunted for food or sport. Companies also receive money to protect the habitat and recover the species. Fortunately, most of the species that make it onto this list manage to survive and are removed from the list. It is rare for a species to go extinct after they make the list. Sadly, many species go extinct before they are listed.