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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA 'mass invasion' of polar bears is terrorizing an island town. Climate change is to blame.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/11/mass-invasion-polar-bears-is-terrorizing-an-island-town-climate-change-is-blame/?utm_term=.f200d1b7bc55
Fences have risen around kindergartens. Special vehicles transport military personnel to their work sites. Residents of the island settlement are afraid to leave their homes.
Novaya Zemlya is a Russian archipelago stretching into the Arctic Ocean. It once played host to Soviet nuclear tests, including the largest man-made explosion, when the king of bombs detonated in 1961, releasing 50 megatons of power and deepening an arms race that threatened to turn the Cold War hot.
Today, the barren landscape is under siege from dozens of polar bears locked in their very own sort of hot war. Marine ecologists have long been warning of the peril posed by global warming for the vulnerable species. In the far reaches of Russia, the situation has become traumatic for humans, too.
Officials in the Arkhangelsk region, where the archipelago lies, declared a state of emergency Saturday because of the marauding mammals. Polar bears are typically born on land but live mostly on sea ice, where they hunt and feed on seals. But as Arctic ice thins, an occurrence linked to the acceleration of climate change, the animals move ashore, ravenous. They scavenge, sometimes coming into contact with human populations.
Fences have risen around kindergartens. Special vehicles transport military personnel to their work sites. Residents of the island settlement are afraid to leave their homes.
Novaya Zemlya is a Russian archipelago stretching into the Arctic Ocean. It once played host to Soviet nuclear tests, including the largest man-made explosion, when the king of bombs detonated in 1961, releasing 50 megatons of power and deepening an arms race that threatened to turn the Cold War hot.
Today, the barren landscape is under siege from dozens of polar bears locked in their very own sort of hot war. Marine ecologists have long been warning of the peril posed by global warming for the vulnerable species. In the far reaches of Russia, the situation has become traumatic for humans, too.
Officials in the Arkhangelsk region, where the archipelago lies, declared a state of emergency Saturday because of the marauding mammals. Polar bears are typically born on land but live mostly on sea ice, where they hunt and feed on seals. But as Arctic ice thins, an occurrence linked to the acceleration of climate change, the animals move ashore, ravenous. They scavenge, sometimes coming into contact with human populations.
Trump is so concerned with people immigrating, he forgot about polar bears! Northern wall!
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A 'mass invasion' of polar bears is terrorizing an island town. Climate change is to blame. (Original Post)
IronLionZion
Feb 2019
OP
This is so sad. A species is starving to death and a small community is terrorized
uppityperson
Feb 2019
#2
JustAnotherGen
(31,980 posts)1. Bear has gotta bear
What do human beings expect? They want to survive too. Especailly the mama bears.
If I had a billion dollars I'd go get them and move them to a place where they were safe. Seriously. I think I love the breed of my dog (Maltese) as much as I do - because I love love love polar bears. He has the button nose and bright white of a baby polar bear.
uppityperson
(115,681 posts)2. This is so sad. A species is starving to death and a small community is terrorized
IronLionZion
(45,601 posts)3. Everyone loses with climate change
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)4. Wow. Terrorizing's usually used inappropriately. Not this time.
I'm remembering a pair of polar bear babies raised by professionals from birth. At 5 months their loving caretakers entered their enclosure for the last time. They were already becoming too dangerous.