When Ice Turns to Water, the World Falls Apart

THE ENDANGERMENT OF ARCTIC ANIMALS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND CAPITALISM Written by Elizabeth Karnowski, Culture Staff Writer Graphic by Shea Murphy, Contributing Graphic Artist

The glossy, frozen, winterwonderland essence of the Arctic Circle continues to disintegrate as the effects of climate change increase. Icy climates are growing warmer by the year, contributing to the endangerment of several longappreciated arctic species.

The Arctic is impacted by global warming more than any other place in the world. It’s a basic fact of science that ice turns to water when it melts. Because the ice in the Arctic is melting, there’s a higher amount of water on Earth to absorb sunlight. As a result, the world gets warmer and sea levels rise.1

Expansion in oil and gas drilling in the Arctic further pollutes the arctic environment. Direct contact to oil and gas causes immediate and potentially fatal damage to animals, but there are invisible threats that come from the oils, too.2 Toxic substances from oil and gas stay on ice and in water, creating lasting damage to polar bears’ health and the Arctic Tundra biome.

A lot of conservation efforts are targeted towards polar bears due to their importance to other wildlife in the Arctic and their spot at the top of the food chain.3 As the climate changes, there are fewer opportunities for polar bears to hunt and store energy, leading to unhealthier animals. Polar bears with poor health have lower reproduction rates, which can eventually lead to extinction.4 Polar bears rely on ice caps to hunt and as the climate gets warmer, melting the ice, it becomes significantly more difficult for the animals to catch their food.5

1 “The Arctic & Global Warming,” Green Peace, accessed Nov. 2021. 2 Ibid. 3 “Threats to Polar Bears,” World Wildlife Fund, accessed Nov. 2021. 4 Ibid. 5 Henry Fountain, “Global Warming is Driving Polar Bears Toward Extinction, Researchers Say,” The New York Times, Although conservation efforts focus largely on protecting polar bears, other arctic species are also in danger of losing their homes.

Walruses, for instance, are now at risk of losing their prey and shelter. The species depends on sea ice to lay on but as the ice melts, they are left sitting onshore. While seemingly harmless, the situation can turn deadly when the area is overcrowded; at times up to 35,000 walruses can end up in the same area in a deadly stampede.6 Sea ice offers a rich place for walruses to find food, and as it melts, they must swim further from their babies to provide nourishment to their kin.7

Furthermore, it becomes difficult for reindeer and caribou to find food as climate change leads to old plants dying and new, unfamiliar species of plants growing in their place. Eventually, these creatures have to adapt to the new forms of food, but it takes the efforts of reversing thousands of years of current diet adaption.8

The narwhal, while sometimes believed to be a fictional animal, is a real species that is also in peril due to climate change. As the amount of ice decreases, so does their shelter used for rest and refuge. Not only does their shelter space continue to decrease, the competition for food increases.

July 20, 2020. 6 “Walrus,” World Wildlife Fund, accessed Nov. 2021. 7 “Pacific Walrus,” Defenders of Wildlife, accessed Nov. 2021. 8 “Reindeer and Caribou,” World Wildlife Fund, accessed Nov. 2021.

This competition may eventually lead to predation, further increasing the risk of narwhals losing their lives.9

Research indicates that 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions: The quicker brands realize this and follow suit with corrective environmental action, the sooner the effects of climate change can plateau.10 Several companies have led the way in taking increased accountability for their role in harming the Arctic. In 2019, The Arctic Corporate Shipping Pledge started a commitment by consumer goods companies to not ship their products through the Arctic.11 Companies like Aritzia, Nike, Ralph Lauren and Asos, among others, have already taken the pledge for their conservation efforts.

9 “Narwhals and Climate Change Fact Sheet,” Convention on Migratory Species, n.d. 10 Tess Riley, “Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says,” The Guardian, July 10, 2017. 11 “Take the Arctic Corporate Shipping Pledge,” Ocean Conservancy, n.d. Other companies have taken their initiatives a step further by incorporating saving the Arctic into their brand image. In 2011, Coca-Cola and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) became partners to raise money for the protection of polar bears’ Arctic habitat.12 This partnership was a result of Coca-Cola’s commitment to contributing to a more sustainable environment, using polar bears on their packaging to bring awareness to the partnership and the cause.

Many brands have acknowledged their awareness of climate change by publicly announcing their commitments to help stabilize the global temperature. However it is important to note that companies promising a net-zero by 2050 or other over-arching claims aren’t doing enough. Companies must take a step above performative measures to ensure their production has the smallest possible impact on the environement—our future wellbeing depends on it.

As individuals, we can practice sustainable living by supporting local, sustainable businesses, switching to renewable sources of energy, driving electric vehicles and overall advocating for a healthier planet.13

Being educated about the severity of climate change in the Arctic Circle is one way to acknowledge that as arctic species become more endangered, the endangerment of other species will soon follow. Preserving essential parts of our ecosystem such as the Arctic takes a village, but it’s a worthwhile effort to ensure the longevity and diversity of life on Earth. ■