By ALICE CHEKUNOVA, age 9
Mentored by ERIN WYLIE
Since 1979, global warming has increased, according to scientists. Global warming is caused by the earth’s pollution that traps the sun’s heat in our atmosphere. In addition to other negative environmental effects, this is melting the polar ice caps. As a result, the Arctic (countries north of the Arctic Circle) will be a very different place by the end of this century, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Not everyone thinks the polar ice melting is a bad thing. A good economic effect is that people in Russia can ship goods with no ice in the way, which would increase trade. “Our clients win because their cargo is delivered faster, now we need to…try to make it a year-round route,” Fazil Aliyev, a Russian sea captain, told Reuters.
Polar ice melting is the biggest threat to the lives of already endangered polar bears. The bears need the ice to hunt; their main diet has been seal pups, who live on the ice. The food chain is becoming unbalanced because the polar bears are changing their diets. They are eating geese, which mainly spend their time on land and are easier to hunt.
The melting of the polar ice caps could affect the way people all over the world live. Many cities are making changes to become greener, which could help slow the melting. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, people can reduce air and energy pollution through simple actions like changing to more energy-efficient light bulbs, using less water and recycling.
