Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Can't get it up

It is a sad time for polar bears. Due to anthropogenic pollution and the radiative effects of climate change, humans are altering not only the environment of polar bears but their natural physiognomy as well. In a report published by VICE, the concentration of PCB's, released from industrial process, is higher in polar bears. PCB's are endocrine disruptors-- they damage reproductive capacities. In this case, they are damaging the Bacula-- essentially the cartiliginous material composing the boner of the bears. It's this combination of factors that poses the most pressing threat to the bears. "Bears are drawing down further into their fat stores for energy late in the fasting periods," Dr. Andrew Derocher, scientific advisor to Polar Bears International and a University of Edmonton professor of biology, told me. As thinner bears draw down their fat stores due to above-average fasting, "the remaining pollution is released and circulates at higher levels. This means cubs getting milk from their mothers are getting higher doses of pollution and, for those bears that aren't lactating, it means they have to deal with higher pollution levels."

But don't take my word for it, read more here

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