Don't let our friends the polar bears disappear

Today we celebrate Earth Day! It is a special date to raise awareness about the impact of climate change and celebrate the beauty of our planet. Here at InukBags, we care about nature’s diversity, the preservation of Earth’s ecosystems, and the wilderness of outdoor spaces. Respecting nature, enjoying and helping to preserve the environment, and living with our common nature in mind is our way of being. That is why we want to put the spotlight on an endangered animal: the polar bear. These majestic creatures are ever-present in popular culture (In fact, they are our mascot!), but their numbers dwindle day by day.

Polar bears are strong, furry, ferocious, white, and beautiful. They are the largest carnivorous mammal on our planet. Thus, they keep layers and layers of fat to endure the arctic temperatures and need big amounts of food to survive. Sadly, they are an endangered species, and they could go extinct in the foreseeable future. This terrible reality usually comes with a question: how did it come to this?

The short answer is because of global warming and climate change. Temperatures in many areas of our planet are changing due to high concentrations of greenhouse gasses that heat the Earth’s atmosphere. However, one region is getting affected in particular: the Arctic.

This happens because as Earth’s temperatures go up, the ice from the Arctic Sea ice melts. Arctic Sea ice requires colder temperatures to freeze and, with a warmer winter in the region, ice that melts in the summer does not refreeze in winter. Polar bears live and hunt in the Arctic Sea ice. They are a migratory species that spend their winters on the arctic ice and their summers in Canada, Alaska, and other countries close to the Arctic.

Also, bearded seals live on sea ice, and they are the main source of food for our ferocious friends. If the ice melts, there are no seals, which means that the polar bears cannot hunt, and they could die of hunger. Remember, as one species falls, it takes with it the whole chain of species that depend on it. This forces polar bears to look for new sources of food.

They need to swim for more than a week without rest, in search of new chunks of sea ice that are big enough to serve as a home. Some polar bears also need to adapt to warmer temperatures fast if they want to survive. These conditions label them as a “globally threatened species” and raise another question: is there anything we can do to help them?

The answer is yes. Climate change and global warming need to be stopped to save the polar bears. However, they are mainly due to human activity through the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and mass production. This is a complicated matter because stopping those practices would be nearly impossible. Instead, a more viable solution would be to stabilize emissions to reduce the impact that climate change and global warming have on polar bears’ habitats.

Stabilizing emissions would increase the life quality of polar bears and reduce their endangered status. However, if humanity wants to save our furry friends, we need to act now. Even though we may never be able to reverse the effects of climate change, we can start to make some changes today to have a more sustainable lifestyle.

We can make sustainable food choices, use public transport or commute options that do not use fossil fuels and consume greener alternatives. Some materials like glass, paper, plastics, and others can be recycled to create new goods and commodities. Some entities, groups, brands, and corporations are starting to work with local organizations to create a more direct, visible, and greener impact.

Remember, change starts with action and compromise. Here, at InukBags we care about our planet, and we are developing some projects to continue reducing our carbon footprint and cooperating with our local community in green adventures. In fact, we want to announce that we are working in a give-back program that will plant trees with each backpack acquired. In this way, we will use our common nature to help to stop climate change and global warming. Please, stay tuned and aid us in our mission to help the polar bears, create a better environment, and remember our common nature!