A US government report indicates about a third of the world’s polar bears could be in imminent danger from greenhouse gas emissions as soon as 2025.
The US Geological Survey says updated scientific models don’t bode well for polar bear populations across the world, especially in Alaska, the only US state with the white bears.
The report released this week is part of the government’s recovery plan for the polar bear.
Greenhouse gases are blamed for the climate warming that is reducing the polar bear’s summer sea ice habitat. The effects of diminished sea ice are projected to lead to population declines throughout the century.
Scientists saw no rebound in population numbers in their research models, which stretched to the year 2100.