Toxic Pollutants
Polar bears are at the top of the food chain and because of this they are exposed to high level of pollutants that accumulate throughout the food chain eventually leading to the polar bears, at the top (IUCN 2011). Many of these pollutants resistant degradation and can persist in the environment for decades. (IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group 2009). Due to wind and ocean currents, many of these pollutants make their way to the Artic and harm the organisms there. Chemicals such as Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) are used in numerous industrial and commercial applications. Once they enter the oceans, they become concentrated as they accumulate up the food chain, and eventually the polar bear. These chemicals can cause problems in the immune systems of polar bears and make them more susceptible to diseases, as well as interfering with growth and reproduction.
Other serious pollutants of concern are organochlorines that are either used in industries or as pesticides. Some of these include pesticides include: DDT, dieldrin, toxaphene, and chlordanes. These pollutants eventually make their way to the Artic due to water currents. A unique feature of these organochlorines is that they are “fat loving” molecules so they adhere to fat molecules inside animals (World Wildlife Fund 2011). These pollutants then accumulate higher and higher up in the food chain. Due to the inability of small organisms to excrete and metabolize those pollutants, they eventually build up in the food chain until they reach the polar bears. These pollutants all have negative effects on polar bears. Although pollutants like PCB have been banned, they are still used in Europe, Russia, and Asia.
Oil Activity in the Artic:
Petroleum operations, transports, spills, and installations are expected to increase in the Artic and cause polar bears further problems. Oil and oil related products pose serious threats to the already endangered polar bears. When oil comes in contact with the fur of the polar bear, this causes problems with the insulating effect of the polar bears’ fur (Norris and Stefan 2002). As a result of this, the polar bears must use up more energy to keep themselves warm. In order to do this they must get energy from food, however with the melting of the Arctic ice and the loss of their preferred habitat, polar bears are facing difficulties in catching prey. Also, if polar bears ingest, the oil can cause serious kidney and liver damage to the polar bears. In addition, the extraction and drilling of oil often leads to the release of toxic chemicals and substances that can be dangerous to polar bears. If oil spills do occur, there has been no proven method due to clean-up this mess due to the extreme conditions of the Artic (National Wildlife Federation). Oil spills can be harmful to polar bears because they will die from ingesting the oil while they try to clean themselves (Norris and Stefan 2002).
For these reasons, shipping, gas development, oil and gas drilling, and other such activity should not be allowed on polar bear habitats. These activities will simply add more black carbon into the Artic and speed up global warming which will further melt the Arctic ice and cause more problems for the already endangered polar bears.
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| Oil Spill in the water |
Eskimo/Inuit culture Interactions:
With climate change taking place, the Eskimo/ Inuit culture will be affected. Most of these communities and groups of people are found near coastal areas and depend on coastal ecosystems to sustain themselves (10). As the Artic sea ice continues to melt, this will create more interactions between polar bears and the Eskimo/Inuit cultures. Polar bears will be forced further inland as they will need to catch and hunt for food. Furthermore, many Eskimo/ Inuit cultures involve the harvesting of polar bears. Hunting is another threat to polar bears because it is a large contributor or polar bear mortality (11). Harvesting polar bears leads to the sale of pelts which brings in tons of money into these villages annually and helps contribute to these tribal economies. In the past, this harvest was not a big concern to polar bears. However, with the use and introduction of technology, polar bear harvesting has become more mobilized (12). Hunters will now be able to kill more polar bears annually. With the already declining population of polar bears, such actions of hunting and harvesting along with other the other threats mentioned above might push polar bears to numbers that are not sustainable in the future.
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| An Inuit hunter with a polar bear |
