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[ Global Citizens: Environmentalism ]
drowned trying to swim too far to the next big patch of ice.
Without sea ice, polar bears can’t hunt. If they can’t hunt, they can’t
survive. This could mean the bears are in danger of going
extinct
.
Rising and Warming Waters
The ice caps melting in the Arctic causes sea levels to rise.
It also makes water warmer. By the end of this century,
scientists predict that sea levels could rise by as much as 2 feet
(61 centimeters). This means some coastal areas and islands
would disappear, along with people’s homes. Islands that could
disappear are Bermuda and the Bahamas. Some low-lying coastal
cities, like Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, Japan,
could all be threatened.
Miami is already dealing with rising sea levels. Sometimes
seawater rises up through their drains. They call this “sunny day
flooding.” To combat the surging tide, the city has raised roads and
installed pumps. But these solutions will only last for 40 to 50 years.
The warming water is causing fish to lose their homes, too.
Coral reefs
are home to thousands of different species of fish.
But the reefs can’t survive warm waters. When the waters get
too warm, the coral reefs die and leave the fish homeless.
