BLOG ACTION DAY - Global Warming: Extreme Story Ending

"and they lived happily Never after"...thanks to Global Warming!

"y Nunca vivieron felices para siempre"...gracias al Calentamiento Global!

“The happiest penguin ever”…that is how our little penguin friend was feeling as he reunited with his friend Osi Posi. When I saw them that moment, so full of joy, I just hoped they could be always that happy (and I know most of you did too) …and that their story could end as fairytales do; “and they lived happily ever after” However, life is harder than fairytales, not that it’s hard itself, but we humans make it that way. Our friends’ story is no fairytale…its taking place right here, right now….and it seems it’s end is not going to be as happy as expected…Why? …Simply because our friends are a family of penguins and a polar bear, they belong to the two popular species that are fighting for survival in the face of GLOBAL WARMING. When we talk about global warming, we're usually talking about a change of degree over many years, it's hard to believe that can have much impact, but it does!

"We're wrong if we think that climate change is something that will happen far off in the future. Polar bears are starving now and we need to act now to stop climate change," said Kevin Jardine, Greenpeace climate impacts specialist. (Polar Bears starving due to climate change) According to a recent report, polar bears could be two-thirds gone by 2050. The shrinking bear population is a direct result of melting ice in their Arctic habitat. Polar bears need the sea ice to stand on when they hunt seals, their primary food, but there’s less sea ice throughout their Arctic range due to climate change. (Goodbye polar bears?)

While polar bears are struggling on the top of the planet, penguins are fighting for survival down south. “There are quite a few species which are disappearing, there are only 17 species of penguins in the southern hemisphere, and 11 of those are considered to an endangered or threatened species,” said Paul Leonard of the New England Aquarium. Changes in weather are impacting food supplies and mating seasons for penguins. (Penguins, Polar Bears Feel Global Warming Effects)

When we talk about the earth heating up - the greatest increases in temperature are actually being experienced on the north and South Pole. That's one of the reasons why these two species are among the most heavily impacted. (P) But global warming will also hit communities on every continent. That’s a guarantee. It will destroy many of them. Imagine it becoming so inhospitable that you have to abandon your community. The flooding becomes too frequent. The forest fires nearby choke the air. The water supply is contaminated by storm surges. Droughts destroy farmland and food is scarce. Sound far-fetched? It's already happened in Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, Africa and Australia. Still think global warming is no big whoop? (Effects)

If GLOBAL WARMING continues, “they lived happily NEVER after” would be the sure end of the story…that if they live at all! And most of our stories could end like that too if we don’t act right now to stop climate change! So, click on these useful links to help this story get a happy ending:

· Learn More
· Take Action! A list of few things that you can do to make a difference.
· Sign a Petition to End Global Warming
· Polar Bear SOS
· Penguins United

Keep our friends and Global Warming in mind...download as wallpaper

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