Polar Bear Population Reaches Historic Highs: Is There Something Fishy about Extinction Fears?

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If polar bears had any clue of the scale of speculation about the extinction threat they are facing due to climate change, they would have probably said, "you're kidding, right?"

If you think statistics are a pointer towards the growth or decline of a species, it will be interesting to have a look at the estimates published in a 2008 report by U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the polar bear population is currently at 20,000 to 25,000 bears, up from as low as 5,000-10,000 bears in the 1950s and 1960s. A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey of wildlife in the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain noted that the polar bear populations 'may now be near historic highs,'" it read.

So what is going on here? Why do I keep hearing about how the polar bears are going to go extinct because of 'global warming'?

I am a firm believer in climate change and think that it has happened on this planet thousands of times, do I think that people have anything to do with it? Doubtful. But, why do we use these poor animals extinction as a ploy to believe in anthropogenic climate change?

I am super happy to hear the polar bears are doing great and actually thriving in the world today, I am upset that people use lies to convince you of more lies.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Perhaps because now they can not be killed for their beautiful fir, you know their skins were very popular at one time. If their population keeps growing it will endanger their feeding grounds they will start to starve.

Yes it called B.S from TPTB. Global warming was just an excuse to Tax us even more.

Sure we have to find alternatives to Fossil Fuels, because they aint going to last forever, but whilst they can Tax the energy they are supplying to us and the service providers can charge exceptionally high prices, they will still try to sell us Global Warming.

Anybody buying it now?

Originally posted by Cobaltic1978
Yes it called B.S from TPTB. Global warming was just an excuse to Tax us even more.

Sure we have to find alternatives to Fossil Fuels, ecause they aint going to last forever, but whilst they can Tax the energy they are supplying to us and the service providers can charge exceptionlly high prices, they will still try to sell us Global Warming.

Anybody buying it now?

Hell no, never did buy it. Makes me wonder about ELEs and such.

I agree with OP. I am a firm believer in the cycle of warm and cool periods in Earths past. I'm also a believe that nature will survive just fine with it a few degrees hotter. Several comet impacts and she's still kicking. Animals and plants die off and different ones take their place. I doubt we are causing as drastic an impact as people make out. And even if we are we are only hurting ourselves. Once we die nature will make a come-back as per always.

as far as I have it, because their natural habitat has been destroyed so much, they tend to aggregate closer to firm land where there are more humans, so making it easier for humans to see a perceived increase in their population.....

the polar bears are okay. the alarmism picked up by ngos was started by some scientist who didn't do his homework. other scientists pointed it out, he resigned or lost his job. jadajada, no time to look up the exact story.
the only reason you still keep hearing stories about poor polar bears is because bad news sells just so much better.

Originally posted by Hellhound604
as far as I have it, because their natural habitat has been destroyed so much, they tend to aggregate closer to firm land where there are more humans, so making it easier for humans to see a perceived increase in their population.....

Okay, did you not read the quote that the OP provided?

They have obviously been monitoring numbers, so I don't think it would be perceived figures??

I'm sure we are going through a climate change, but how long have records been kept? We have recently experienced a very warm spell in the U.K and we were advised that it was the warmest October day since the 1700's. So that's between 250-300 years ago. If it was happening then, I guess the Climate Changes we are going through is a contiuous one.

Wait... I thought the ice was melting and the Polar Bears were going to drown... even though they are some of the best swimmers in the world.

This is what happens when you believe in claims that lack some serious evidence, you find something that contradicts your beliefs and then you have to question what you have been told. It is about time that people stop listening blindly to these Global Warming Alarmist and start making a real effort to understand the data.

Man has a very minimal effect on Global Warming, but there are things we can control. If anyone remembers 4th grade science class and a process known as Photosynthesis, you would remember that trees and plants take in Co2 and release Oxygen.

If you really want to combat Global Warming, you would get involved in stopping these huge Corporations from chopping down every tree they can find for business. That alone would do more to combat "Global Warming" than separating your trash from things that are biodegradable or not or using those really neat "Green" light bulbs.

here is finally one of the right articles : www.polarbearsinternational.org...

and as to what some previous poster posted.... remember, that dissolved CO2 in the water also causes increased acidity in the oceans ..... and that the increased acidity also dissolves more calcium (remember most of the ocean floor are actually covered in calcites), and that in turn, releases even more CO2 .... and so on .......

If the ice caps melt, where will the Polar Bears go?

They're not adapted to warmer environments and doubt they could survive.

Originally posted by WaylonSmithers
If the ice caps melt, where will the Polar Bears go?

They're not adapted to warmer environments and doubt they could survive.

... it is the same as for some fauna/flora that lives on mountain peaks ..... if it gets warmer, they can't go further up, and they can't go down, so they are trapped ..... and they will all die ...