Outline

Climate Change Endangers Arctic Polar Bears’ Survival and Indigenous People: A Critical Look at American, Canadian and Russian Governments’ Actions

Thesis Statement: Based on reports, studies and recent articles, I will argue, by establishing relationships between global warming and poor conditions of polar bears’ habitat, that if American, Canadian and Russian governments do not acknowledge enough the repercussions of the climate change, especially in Arctic regions, polar bears will definitely be in danger of extinction and imperil lives and lifestyles of Arctic indigenous people such as the ones from the Nunavut and the Alaska (the Yup’ik and the Inupiat).

I. The actual situation (2007): A melting habitat, polar bears’ extinction and losses among native communities.

A. Melting ice is leading to extinction

1. Less time to hunt

2. Body conditions and fasting

3. Reproduction and cubs’ survival

4. Decline of polar bears population

B. Adaptation is needed: survival vs. extinction

1. Deportation of polar bears

2. New and temporary habitat: beaches

3. New predator

4. Polar bear as a threat for native groups

5. Loss of their traditions (part of their culture) and lifestyle


II. Governmental actions that help to protect polar bears and native communities

A. American government

1. Listing the polar bear as an endangered species

2. Signature of a treaty with the Russian government

3. Prohibition of polar bear hunting with an exception

B. Canadian government

1. Large contributions in research

2. Green plan (not yet elaborated)

C. Russian government

1. Complete prohibition of polar bear hunting

2. Elaboration of a treaty to ask American government’s support

III. Critical look: What might have negative impacts vs. solutions in order to protect polar bears and native communities

A. American government

1. Unawareness of what “listed as an endangered species” means

2. Refusal of the Kyoto accords and resources’ extraction (oil, gas, etc.)

a. Ozone depletion

b. Fossil fuel burning cars and industries emissions

3. Not a complete prohibition of polar bear hunting

B. Canadian government

1. Refusal of the Kyoto accords and resources’ extraction (oil, gas, etc.)

a. Ozone depletion

b. Fossil fuel burning cars and industries emissions

C. Russian government

1. To be against poaching protect polar bears, but not against global warming

IV. Solutions proposed especially to American, Canadian and Russian governments, but also to the rest of the world.

A. Carbon credits and carbon tax

B. Biofuels from non-food crops (ethanol), green power, solar energy

C. Capture the carbon

D. Take stronger means to incite people to recycle (plastic bags, paper,etc)

E. Solutions with lower impact (if applied by one person), but with higher
impact (if applied by large groups)

Last Summary

Summary for the Outline

I will talk about global warming, polar bears and Canadian, American and Russian governments. Global warming (climate change) causes the melting of sea ice in Arctic regions. Polar bears are dependant of this sea ice in order to hunt, to give birth and to live. However, polar bears’ habitat is melting much more than ever because “human” factors are now involved in climate change. Industries and fossil fuel-burning vehicles increase the level of GHG (greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere. Native groups know that natural climate variation (due to many other natural factors) is possible, but this time, climate change is not due to natural phenomena. The three governments stated above have responsibilities regarding this alarming issue.

I will focus on Arctic regions only because that is where polar bears are mostly found.

Three major governments are involved in this issue. Canadian, American and Russian governments are the ones that possess parts of the Arctic regions. They are the institutions that can do something in order to prevent further damage and to repair the ones that already have been done to polar bears’ habitat

I will concentrate my research paper on the past 10 years according to the fact that global warming and polar bears’ conditions were not a “hot” topic as today.

The results (evidences) seem to really indicate that global warming (climate change) have bad repercussions on polar bear’s habitat, but only minimalist actions are done in order to help polar bears. People have to aware of the consequences of climate change, especially in Artic regions. Native groups are dependent of polar bears. It is not only a question of animals, humans and their lifestyles (cultures) are also touched by this.