Polar Bears vs. Oil Drilling According to National Geographic in 2008, “The Endangered Species Act" has listed polar bears as threatened everywhere in the world they occur. Polar bears can only survive in areas where the oceans freeze" (National Geographic 2008). This decrease in population is a result of oil drilling in the arctic. The negative effects of oil drilling have spread to habitat loss, consumption of health declining chemicals, and impacts on polar bear family life/ birth rates. While individuals might not see this as an issue, due to the importance of oil in society, not only are individuals harming this species but humanity is also harming the environment. To begin, Human man is depleting the ice caps in the arctic. With humans
…show more content…
Stated in Fueling Extinction, swimming in oil contaminated water can have serious complications such as, "A polar bear cannot regulate its body temperature when its coat is covered in oil" (Chute 2014). This can cause serious health problems for the population and negative effects when giving birth. Adding onto the concern of oil spills is the effects of mammals ingesting oil. Relating to this topic, research states that, "Bears are known to consume foods (and non-food items) fouled with petroleum products, and they groom intensively when their fur and environment are fouled" (Neff 1998). Finally, when looking at the physical impact oil rigs have on the population, is the amount of seismic blasts that go off at these rigs yearly. Due to the noise and reaction on the ground it disrupts all the polar bears near them. Seismic blasts are proven to be disrupting enough that they cause mother bears to leave their cubs. In the beginning of life, it's almost impossible for young cubs to fend for themselves in the arctic which makes their mother leaving so severe. According to the book On Thin Ice, by Richard Ellis, “Drilling also brings seismic blast¬¬- a process referred to as “the most severe acoustic insult to the marine environment, short of naval warfare” (Ellis 2009). Overall, the negative effects that oil drilling has on the population are numerous and the side effects continue to
Stated in Fueling Extinction, swimming in oil contaminated water can have serious complications such as, "A polar bear cannot regulate its body temperature when its coat is covered in oil" (Chute 2014). This can cause serious health problems for the population and negative effects when giving birth. Adding onto the concern of oil spills is the effects of mammals ingesting oil. Relating to this topic, research states that, "Bears are known to consume foods (and non-food items) fouled with petroleum products, and they groom intensively when their fur and environment are fouled" (Neff 1998). Finally, when looking at the physical impact oil rigs have on the population, is the amount of seismic blasts that go off at these rigs yearly. Due to the noise and reaction on the ground it disrupts all the polar bears near them. Seismic blasts are proven to be disrupting enough that they cause mother bears to leave their cubs. In the beginning of life, it's almost impossible for young cubs to fend for themselves in the arctic which makes their mother leaving so severe. According to the book On Thin Ice, by Richard Ellis, “Drilling also brings seismic blast¬¬- a process referred to as “the most severe acoustic insult to the marine environment, short of naval warfare” (Ellis 2009). Overall, the negative effects that oil drilling has on the population are numerous and the side effects continue to