The Arctic1 region is a bone-chilling, uninviting2 place to live—for people. For polar bears, however, it is perfect. Or it was. The bears’ icy home is melting. Decades of global warming is why.
And it’s not just happening in the Arctic. The whole world’s climate is changing. Climate change occurs naturally, but now people are causing it—or at least speeding it up. Scientists believe that our use of fossil3 fuels causes global warming.
In the past, animals could adapt to gradual climate change by modifying behavior: migrating4 earlier or later, moving to cooler or warmer places, or finding a new niche5. Today, environmental pressures from growing human populations, along with the faster rate of climate change, make survival for many animals a big challenge.
If temperatures keep rising at the current rate and habitats6 keep shrinking, polar bears, penguins7, frogs, and many other animals may not survive. The bad news is that one person can’t fix such huge problems. The good news is that millions can. Of the 6.6 billion people on Earth, nearly 2 billion are kids. Everyone—even you—has the power to make a difference8.
Read on to find out about a few problems associated with global warming.
Polar Bear
STRAIGHT9 SCOOP10 Some of the polar bear’s icy home is melting as global temperatures rise.
BACKSTORY Polar bears live only in the Arctic and subarctic11. These bears depend on the ice—using it as their platform to hunt for seals far out at sea. Without ice-covered waters, polar bears go hungry, and cubs can’t survive. Some scientists estimate that much of the Arctic will be ice-free in summer by the year 2100.
Sea turtles
STRAIGHT SCOOP Rising sea levels may cause a loss of nesting beaches.
BACKSTORY Sea turtles bury their eggs on sandy beaches. As global warming causes seas to rise, many beaches will be washed away, leaving fewer places to nest. The sand’s temperature also affects the number of male and female turtles that hatch12. If global warming causes temperatures to rise by just a few degrees, there won’t be enough males to support the population. If it gets even warmer, no eggs will hatch at all.
Galapagos penguins
STRAIGHT SCOOP Lack of seasonal cool seas threatens these penguins.
BACKSTORY When warm waters stay in a Pacific Ocean area longer than usual, it’s called an El Nino. One result is that fish tend to leave in search of cooler water. When that happens many Galapagos penguins starve. Lack of food and other pressures during a recent El Nino killed 65 percent of them. There are only about 1,500 left. Global warming could cause more frequent El Ninos.
Elephants
STRAIGHT SCOOP African elephants face pressures from climate change and habitat loss.
BACKSTORY Elephants live in a variety of habitats, from grasslands to forests. Global warming, though, could make their homes too hot and dry to support their food and water needs. They have always been able to travel to find new food-rich habitats when they’re needed to. Now, unfortunately, they have nowhere else to go. Cities, industry, farms—all kinds of human activity—either already use or block the elephants’ access to new habitats.
Frogs
STRAIGHT SCOOP A deadly fungus13 is killing amphibians14, including frogs.
BACKSTORY Global warming has created climate conditions that allow fungus to thrive15 and spread to new areas. When the fungal disease grows on amphibians’ skin, it prevents them from breathing properly, eventually killing them. The fungus is a threat to amphibians around the world. It has already caused the extinction16 of many species of frogs and toads.
Humans
STRAIGHT SCOOP We’re at risk, too.
BACKSTORY Reducing our carbon footprint helps save plants, animals, and ourselves. Habitat destruction, pollution, global warming—all the things that affect the survival of animals—affect us, too. So everything we do to save them helps us.
对于人类而言，北极是一个寒冷刺骨、不适合生存的地方。然而对北极熊而言，它却是完美的居所，至少曾经如此。如今北极熊的冰雪家园正在融化，其根源就是几十年来全球气温持续变暖。
这种现象不仅发生在北极，世界各地的气候都在变化。气候变化本是自然出现的，但现在却是人为导致——或至少加速了它的进程。科学家们认为，全球变暖是我们使用化石燃料的结果。
在过去，动物们可以通过改变行为来适应气候的渐变：如提早或推迟迁徙时间，转移到更凉爽或暖和的地方，或是另找一个新的归宿。而现在，人口增长所造成的环境压力以及气候变化的提速，给许多动物的生存带来了巨大的挑战。
如果气温继续以目前的速度上升，而动物的栖息地持续萎缩，那么北极熊、企鹅、青蛙以及众多其它动物可能会绝种。坏消息是，一个人的力量无法解决这些巨大的难题；好消息是，千百万人齐心协力就能解决。地球上66亿人当中有近20亿是孩子，每个人——包括你——都能做出自己的贡献。
下面我们为你介绍几个与全球变暖有关的问题。
北极熊
信息速递 随着全球气温升高，北极熊的部分冰雪家园正在融化。
背景知识 北极熊只在北极和亚北极生活，因为它们离不开冰——把它作为到远海捕食海豹的平台。如果没有冰层覆盖的水域，北极熊就得挨饿，幼仔也不能存活。一些科学家估计，到2100年夏季，北极大部分地区的冰层将不复存在。
海龟
信息速递 海平面上升可能导致海龟无家可归。
背景知识 海龟通常把蛋埋在沙滩上。由于全球变暖导致海平面上升，很多海滩都将被水淹没，留给海龟安家的地方也将减少。沙的温度影响到孵化的雌雄海龟的数量。如果全球变暖使得气温升高哪怕仅有几度，雄海龟的数量也将不足以支撑族群的繁衍。如果继续升温，则孵化将绝无可能。
加拉帕戈斯企鹅
信息速递 季节性凉爽海域的缺乏正威胁着这些企鹅的生存。
背景知识 当暖水在太平洋某个区域停留的时间超过常规时，我们称之为厄尔尼诺现象。其后果之一就是鱼儿为了寻找较凉爽的水域而离开。当发生这种情况时，以鱼为食的加拉帕戈斯企鹅就得挨饿了。在最近一次厄尔尼诺现象期间，65%的企鹅因缺乏食物和其他压力而死去，仅有1500只存活。全球变暖可能导致更频繁的厄尔尼诺现象。
大象
信息速递 非洲大象正面临来自气候变化和栖息地减少的压力。
背景知识 大象生活在从草原到森林的各类栖息地之中。但是，全球变暖可能会使它们的家园过于炎热和干燥，不能维持其食物和饮水的需要。一直以来，如情况需要，它们总能通过迁徙找到食物丰富的新栖息地。但不幸的是，现在它们已无处可迁了。城市、工厂、农场——各种各样的人类活动——要么占用、要么阻断了大象进入新栖息地的通道。
青蛙
信息速递 一种致命的真菌正在杀死包括青蛙在内的众多两栖动物。
背景知识 全球变暖导致的气候变化使得真菌大量繁殖并向外扩散。两栖动物的皮肤一旦被真菌感染，它们将无法正常呼吸，并最终死亡。真菌威胁着全球的两栖动物，它已经导致多种青蛙和蟾蜍的灭绝。
人类
信息速递 我们同样面临威胁。
背景知识 减少我们的“碳足迹”（即二氧化碳排放）有助于拯救植物、动物和人类自身。破坏栖息地、环境污染、全球变暖——所有这些影响动物生存的因素——同样影响着我们。因此，我们为拯救动物所做的一切也是帮助我们自己。
1. arctic adj. 北极的
2. uninviting adj. 无吸引力的，不合意的
3. fossil n. 化石
4. migrate v. 迁徙
5. niche n. 生物居所的特定区间
6. habitat n. 栖息地
7. penguin n. 企鹅
8. make a difference 有影响（关系）
9. straight [streit] adj. 可靠的
10. scoop n. 最新消息；独家新闻
11. subarctic adj. 亚北极的
12. hatch v. 孵化，孵出
13. fungus n. 真菌
14. amphibian n. 两栖动物
15. thrive v. 繁荣
16. extinction n. 灭绝，消失