Earth Day
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Our climate is no longer what it used to be. That much is known. I may not have been in Vancouver all my life, but I have been told by life-long Vancouverites that winters here in recent years are extremely mild compared to the winters of yesteryears. This is a major concern, not just for our future, but for all the flora and fauna around us.
Founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970, Earth Day is now observed as a day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. While the entire Earth is affected by our warming climate, the ice caps are hit the worst. Polar bears could face extinction, whales go hungry, and seals have nowhere to rest - all because of the warming Arctic. Here are some (particularly heartbreaking) photographs of this bleak reality:
Taken by Paul Nicklen, this picture shows lagoons of meltwater covering the ice on Canada’s Beaufort Sea. Over the past 30 years, Arctic sea ice has thinned as much as 40 percent. (National Geographic)
Taken by Ralph Lee Hopkins, this picture shows a polar bear leaping off of sea ice near Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. Where hey were once able to simply walk across, they now have to resort to leaping and swimming.