Saturday, February 05, 2011
Polar Bear Swam Non-Stop Nine Days to Reach Safety
Researchers at the US Geological Survey in Alaska tracked a female polar bear as it swam nine days to cross 685 kilometres of open Bering Sea before finally reaching the safety of an ice floe. En route the mother lost her cub. When she finally clambered out onto the ice she had lost 22% of her body weight.
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3 comments:
An incredible journey for a polar bear. At least she made it to an ice floe, but some day it will be a journey to nowhere.
Data reported on ClimateProgress.org 3/2/11 indicate the lowest ice extent for January since the beginning of satellite records, freezing of Hudson Bay one month later than normal, and well above average temperatures for December and January.
Canadians seem to be aware of what is going on, with an EKOS poll reported by CBC 25/1/11 indicating:
"Responses in both the North and South suggest that the Arctic is a cornerstone of national identity, that it is the country's foremost foreign policy priority, that environmental issues are the North's primary concerns, and that the region is under-resourced." 39% of North respondents and 33% of South respondents said that the environment was the Arctic's most important issue.
There is solid support here for our government to monitor and report the changes that are happening in the Arctic, and to set forth policies for mitigation and adaptation. It's not all about sovereignty and security, and the public knows it.
Any politician who has the foresight and guts to address climate change and environmental issues in the Arctic will get my vote and support. These issues are greater than party loyalty.
"Any politician who has the foresight and guts to address climate change and environmental issues in the Arctic will get my vote." I agree but there's no one on the horizon today who fits the bill. What you're talking about is Progressive politics, genuine "able to govern" politics, not the petro-politics at work today.
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