Polar Bears in Trouble

Transcription

1 release dates: February 24-March (07) 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc. By BETTY DEBNAM Icy Habitat Disappearing Polar Bears in Trouble The beautiful, powerful polar bear is in danger. Polar bears spend most of their lives on floating ice in the sea. But that ice is melting, and polar bears have nowhere else to go. In December, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommended that the government list the polar bear as threatened. This would give more protection to polar bears and their habitat. Habitat Polar bears can live only in places where the sea is covered with ice most of the year. Their home is in the north, the Arctic. There are about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the world. More than three-quarters of them live in North America. There are five main polar bear groups, spread across the cold areas in northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. Most polar bears stay on sea ice all year, spending only short periods on land. Scientists say there has been more ice melt than normal in the last 15 years. In the last six years, the melting has speeded up even more. The importance of ice Bears do most of their hunting from ice close to, or attached to, the shoreline. There has been ice near the land for hundreds of years. Now, however, much of the ice is far from land. It can be 200 miles out during the summer. But polar bears can swim only about 60 miles a day. They cannot swim in high waves for much longer. Many bears are drowning before they can reach the next ice floe. In one of the top polar bear habitats in Canada, scientists have found that the ice is melting four weeks earlier than it did 20 years ago. This means there is less time for bears to hunt. They are not getting enough to eat. Bears in this area have been losing weight they need. The polar bear s average body size is also down. Scientists are seeing the same problems in other areas as well. Polar bears are running out of icy places to live and hunt. Most experts believe global warming is the reason polar bears are in trouble. The ice they live on is melting. Scientists estimate that there will be no ice left in the Arctic within 35 years. A few polar bears would probably survive for a while longer, in zoos or in the wild. But experts are afraid polar bears could completely disappear within 100 years. Females are now having fewer cubs. There are about one-quarter fewer polar bears than normal in their Canadian habitat. photo by Scott Schliebe,

2 9-2 (07); release dates: February 24-March 2 How to Help Polar Bears The Mini Page talked to experts from the San Diego Zoo and Polar Bears International, an environmental group doing research on ways to protect polar bears. These experts say people can do a lot to change things for the better. People have saved other animals in danger in the past. For example, the bald eagle was once endangered. Today it is doing well. Experts tell us this happened because people cared enough to take action. Much of our energy comes from fuels such as oil and gas. When these fuels are burned, they can give off carbon dioxide. Experts believe this gas increases global warming. Whatever people do to save energy helps stop global warming. Here are some things you can do to help the polar bears and other animals right now: Replace the regular lightbulbs in your house with energy-saving lightbulbs. This will help save your family money, too. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Turn off your computer when you are not using it. This will help save some money too, because computers cost 12 to 20 cents per hour to operate. Turn off the TV. Don t wander off and forget about it. It costs about 20 cents an hour to run the TV. Turn off your stereo and video player, too. Recycle. Making products requires energy, or fuel. If your family recycles aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic and cardboard, you can reduce the carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere by about 850 pounds a year. Take your bike or walk to school at least two days a week. If you do this, rather than catching a ride, you can lower the carbon dioxide going into the air by about 1,600 pounds a year. photo courtesy San Diego Zoo This polar bear basks in the sun. The polar bears ice may be melting because of global warming. Mini Spy... Mini Spy and her friends are visiting a polar bear habitat. See if you can find: word MINI horse s head hammer peanut ruler candy cane doughnut kite fish heart top hat nail file arrow tooth number 8 Basset Brown The News Hound s Polar Bears TRY N FIND Words that remind us of polar bears are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: HABITAT, MELTING, THREATENED, PROTECTION, ARCTIC, ALASKA, CANADA, RUSSIA, GREENLAND, NORWAY, SWIM, HUNT, TAIL, GLOBAL, WARMING, CUB, SEAL, FLOAT, FUR, DEN, ENVIRONMENT. YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE POLAR BEAR! L A B O L G G N I T L E M L H W S S F D N A L N E E R G A A A C W E U N O R W A Y K V R B R H U I A R C A N A D A K C I M U N B M L L A K S A L A T T I N V N E D K A I S S U R I A N T T N E M N O R I V N E C T G L I A T N O I T C E T O R P T A O L F D E N E T A E R H T

3 Connect the dots to discover the subject of our story. 9-3 (07); release dates: February 24-March 2 Rookie Cookie s Recipe Twice-Baked Potatoes You ll need: 4 medium russet potatoes (7 to 9 ounces) vegetable oil to rub on potato skins 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup milk What to do: 1/2 cup sour cream 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt pinch of ground black pepper 1. Rub potato skins with vegetable oil to ensure crispness. 2. Bake potatoes for 1 hour at 400 degrees until done. 3. Carefully remove potatoes from oven and cool for 10 minutes. 4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp with a small spoon. Mash potato pulp with a fork until smooth. 5. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. 6. Spoon the mixture into the empty potato shells. 7. Increase the oven setting to broil. Broil potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes until spotty brown and crisp. You will need an adult s help with this recipe. Meet Freddie Highmore Freddie Highmore, 15, plays Arthur in the movie Arthur and the Invisibles. This movie combines live actors with animated characters. Freddie (or Alfred) grew up in London. He has already appeared in several movies. His mother is a talent agent, and his father is also an actor. Freddie acted with his dad in the TV movie Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story. He has also acted with his older brother, Bertie. Freddie began acting in small parts on TV shows when he was 7. He played Peter in Finding Neverland. Actor Johnny Depp was so impressed with Freddie s acting in the movie that he asked him to take the role of Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Freddie enjoys soccer and video games and plays the clarinet. He is learning to play the guitar. He has decided that he does not want to be an actor when he grows up. SALE! The Mini Page Help for Planet Earth A popular resource book containing solutions for problems of trash, air and water quality, and wildlife habitat. To order, send $3.00 total cost (includes all postage and handling) for each copy. Send check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to: Andrews McMeel Universal, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS or call toll-free Please send copies of The Mini Page Help for Planet Earth (Item # ) at $3.00 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) Name: Address: City: State: Zip: All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category? Oliver: What did one termite say to the other when he saw a building burning? Opal: Let s have a barbecue! Orville: What is a termite s favorite hot cereal? Orrin: Oakmeal! Oscar: What does a termite say for good luck? Owen: Chew on wood!

4 9-4 (07); release dates: February 24-March 2 More About Polar Bears Polar bear bodies Polar bears are specially made for life in cold sea areas. They are better suited for swimming or walking on the ice than for walking on land. Polar bears depend on the fat from the young seals they eat. Land animals do not have enough fat to keep the bears alive. Polar bears have lots of blubber and air in their bodies, which helps keep them warm and helps them float. Their fur is made of hollow tubes of hair filled with air. Polar bears have clear hairs with shiny surfaces. Since the hairs reflect light, the bears look white to us. The white-looking hair helps camouflage the bear, or helps it blend in with its surroundings. The bears have black skin that also absorbs the heat of the sun. The bottom layer of their hairs is oily and water-resistant. Their short snout, small tail and small ears help prevent heat loss by leaving less body surface area exposed to the cold. Polar bear paws, which can be 12 inches wide, give them great traction on the ice. These huge paws spread their weight across more area. This helps them walk across thinner ice than a human could. Polar bears front legs make good paddles. Their forepaws are partially webbed to help them swim. They have an excellent sense of smell and sharp eyesight and hearing. The Mini Page thanks Carmi Penny, curator of mammals, San Diego Zoo; and Robert Buchanan, Polar Bears International, for help with this issue. photo by Andrew Circo, courtesy San Diego Zoo Cubs Polar bear mothers build dens in the fall. These dens are usually about the size of a phone booth. They are often in snowbanks near streams or by steep slopes. Bears living farthest north may build dens on the ice. Mother polar bears go into a deep sleep. This is not hibernation. They wake up to care for their cubs. Mother bears start coming out of their dens to hunt around March. They have been living on their body fat, and may not have had anything to eat for about nine months. They need to get food fast to survive and help their cubs. If there is not enough nearby ice to hunt from, the mother may have to swim to new areas. She may have to abandon her cubs to search for food. In the last few years, scientists have been seeing disturbing behavior. Male bears have been hunting females and cubs for food. This is another sign polar bears are not able to hunt for enough food. Look through your newspaper for stories about the outdoors in winter. Next week read all about how newspapers work. Mother bears have one or two cubs each time. Newborn bears are about the size of a guinea pig. The babies are born around December or January, and stay in the den until around March or April. Cubs stay with their mothers for about two years. Fixing the problem Experts believe it is young people who will make the difference and help save the environment. Kids today may invent technology that does not pollute. They could find new ways to save resources. There is a great deal of hope that people can fix this problem. Scientists are trying to find ways to help polar bears. The bears can t move any farther north, because they are already at the far north of the planet. Scientists are searching in the Arctic for pockets where ice may stay, and polar bears can live. Scientists are also running tests to see how human activities affect polar bears. For example, they are testing to see whether oil drilling equipment hurts a bear s hearing. Zoos are keeping small numbers of polar bears safe. People can learn about them in zoos. photo by Michael Spindler, Seals are a polar bear s main food. The bear sits by a seal s breathing hole on the ice for hours, waiting for a seal to pop out of the hole. Sites to see: animalbytes/t-polar_bear.html

5 Read all about polar bears photo by Scott Schliebe, in by Betty Debnam Appearing in your newspaper on. from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam 2007 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc. (Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-4 1 /4-inch ad promoting Issue 9.) release dates: February 24-March (07) from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam 2007 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc. Standards Spotlight: Polar Bears in Trouble Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page s content and offer activities that will help your students reach them. This week s standards: Students understand the characteristics and life cycles of organisms. (Science: Life Science) Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. (Science: Life Science) Activities: 1. Make a series of polar bear trading cards. Use 3-by-5-inch cards. Draw pictures of polar bears on one side of the cards. Put interesting facts about them on the other side. 2. Make a collage of newspaper words and pictures of animals you associate with cold weather or cold places. 3. Talk with a group of friends about problems polar bears have. Make a list of three things you could do to help polar bears. 4. How do each of these characteristics help polar bears: (a) blubber, (b) webbed forepaws, (c) small ears, and (d) black skin? 5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about other animals whose lives and habitats are threatened by global warming. Use these questions to guide your research: What animal would you like to investigate? How big is this animal s population today? Where does the animal live? How is its habitat threatened? What are people doing to help save it? Write several paragraphs discussing your findings. (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) Supersport: Martin Brodeur Height: 6-2 Birthdate: Weight: 215 Hometown: Montreal, Canada The pucks fly at him, from close range, from all angles, and with bullet-like speed. But nobody handles them better than Martin Brodeur, generally considered the best goalie in the National Hockey League. A veteran All-Star now in his 13th season, Brodeur had a 2.21 goals-against-average, best in hockey s modern times. He has helped the New Jersey Devils win three Stanley Cups, the sport s top prize. Brodeur takes his family on the ice with him well, sort of. He wears a helmet bearing the initials of his three sons and daughter. The happy father also owns a pizza restaurant in Montreal and stages a golf tournament there to raise money for a charity. But the Devils masked man gives up little to his opponents. His motto should be: The Puck Stops Here. (Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 9.) (Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 9, to be used in place of ad if desired.)