I need feedback on my research paper. Any help would be appreciated. Also, I need to figure out what else to include in my conclusion. Thanks.

Polar bears are found in the Arctic, Russia, Canada and Alaska. Polar bears are very large animals; males can reach ten feet long and weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds and females are about have the size of males (Polar Bear Description, n.d.). Polar bears are designed for their surroundings: large paws with papillae, “tiny grippers”, which allow them to walk on ice easily and to swim and dive (Polar Bear, 2009, para. 3), and coats which help to camouflage them from predators and, along with blubber, keep them warm (Polar Bears, 2006). Polar bears have a diet of mainly seals; however, they many also be found eating larger mammals, like walruses and whales (Polar Bear, n.d.).

Global warming is the rise in the average temperature in the Earth’s atmosphere and is a controversial topic that has been in the new a lot more in recent years. Global warming is a complex issue that world leaders have to confront (Global Warming & Climate Change, 2012). Global warming is partially a result of chemicals released into the atmosphere by humans and the production of greenhouse gases. Global warming is threatening the lives of polar bears because polar bears live in very cold climates and the warming trends that are caused by global warming are causing polar bears’ habitats and food sources to be altered (Effects on Wildlife and Habitat, n.d.). There are environmental agencies that are trying to help polar bears by making the public aware of the effects chemicals have on the environment. Polar bears are on the verge of extinction due to global warming. Scientific studies estimate that two thirds of polar bears will be extinct by 2050 (Global Warming and Polar Bears, n.d.).

Global warming is becoming a constant topic within the news. This is helping to explain exactly what global warming is and how it is affecting us. Author Juliet Eilperin of The Washington Post writes “heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning fossil fuels are making the Arctic warm twice as fast as lower latitudes, and Arctic summer sea ice could disappear by 2030, according to climate models” (Eilperin, 2012, p. 1, para. 3). Recently, there have been many temperature records broken in the United States. According to scientific data, “America has broken more than 40,000 high temperature records in comparison to fewer than 6,000 low temperature records” since January, with 3,215 of those in June alone (Pounsberry, 2012, para. 3). The NCDC (National Climate Data Center), an organization which records data regarding climate change, states that human activity is the main cause in the rise of carbon dioxide levels. The rise in the carbon dioxide levels is what leads to more greenhouse gas emissions, and the levels continue to rise (Global Warming FAQ’s, n.d., para. 5). Scientists are saying that the carbon dioxide levels in the Arctic are at their highest they have been in the last 800,000 years (Borenstein, S., 2012). There is other research that shows that “Arctic sea ice extent for January 2011 was the lowest in the satellite record for that month” and “The winter's maximum Arctic sea ice extent tied for the lowest on record. The year saw the second lowest Arctic ice levels since 1979 when observation began” (Global Warming and Polar Bears, n.d., para. 3).

The NCDC has compiled data that shows how much temperatures have risen over the last 140 years, or so. Figure 3.6 below shows that over the last 140 years the land-surface temperature has risen considerably. “Global surface temperatures have increased about 0.74°C (plus or minus 0.18°C) since the late-19th century” (Global Warming FAQ’s, n.d., para. 6). The temperatures continue to rise and there does not seem to be a solution to reverse the effects of global warming. Some areas of southeastern United States and the North Atlantic have cooled slightly; however, “the 10 warmest years (on record) have all occurred since 1995” (Global Warming FAQ’s, n.d., para. 6). There is also data that shows how much sea level has risen. Figure TS.18 shows the rise in sea level. “Global mean sea level has been rising at an average rate of 1.7 mm/year (plus or minus 0.5 mm) over the past 100 years” (Global Warming FAQ’s, n.d., para. 25). Tide gauge measurements have only been taken since 1950; but it shows the sea level has risen almost 100 mm in those 50 years of time (Global Warming FAQ’s, n.d.).

The temperature increase and the rise in sea level affect every aspect of the polar bears’ lives. Higher temperatures mean the ice does not form as early in the season and is not present for the length of time that polar bears are accustomed to. Polar bears live on ice and when the ice platforms move farther apart it causes polar bears to have to swim farther; which can be dangerous (Global Warming and Polar Bears, n.d.). Polar bear cub(s) stay with their mother’s for three years and it can be more difficult for the mother’s to travel than if they were alone (Polar Bear, n.d.). In January 2011, the LA Times reported that “researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska have tracked a female bear that swam nine days across the deep, frigid Beaufort Sea before reaching an ice floe 426 miles offshore. The marathon swim came at a cost: With little food likely available once she arrived, the bear lost 22% of her body weight and her year-old female cub, who set off on the journey but did not survive, the researchers said” (Murphy, K., 2011, para. 1-2).

Scientists and zoos are proposing to raise polar bears in captivity. Currently, there are only 64 polar bears in captivity in the United States, mainly because it is difficult to obtain them (Eilperin, 2012). I also believe it is quite expensive to build enclosures that will simulate the wild sufficiently. It is also illegal to import polar bears from outside of the United States and there are few orphans found in the wild. Consequently, there has only been one polar bear let into the United States since the late 1990’s (Eilperin, 2012).

Though there are steps being taken to help the polar bears survive, it may not be enough. Global warming is not a problem that can be corrected quickly or easily. There needs to be much more involvement by world governments to monitor the chemicals that are released into the atmosphere and to find ways to protect the wildlife that is affected by global warming.