Polar Regions: Human Impacts (Our Fragile Planet)

217 Pages·2008·11.67 MB·English

by  Dana Desonie

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POLAR REGIONS
Human Impacts
OUR FRAGILE PLANET
atmosphere
Biosphere
Climate
geosphere
Humans and the natural environment
Hydrosphere
oceans
polar regions
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POLAR REGIONS
Human Impacts
DANA DESONIE, PH.D.
Polar Regions
Copyright © 2008 by Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Chelsea House
An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York, NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-­in-­Publication Data
Desonie, Dana.
Polar regions: human impacts / Dana Desonie.
p. cm. — (Our fragile planet)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6218-8 (hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-8160-6218-8 (hardcover)
1. Ecology—Polar regions—Juvenile literature. 2. Nature—Effect of human beings on—Juvenile
literature. 3. Polar regions—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.
QH541.5.P6D47 2007
578.0911—dc22 2007029994
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Text design by Annie O’Donnell
Cover design by Ben Peterson
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Cover photograph: © Thomas & Pat Leeson/Photo Researchers, Inc.
Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction x
 Part oNe
the Polar regions 1
1. The Unique Polar Regions 3
2. The Nature of the Arctic and Antarctic 13
3. Life on Land in the Polar Regions 23
4. Life in the Polar Seas 36
 Part tWo
atmospheric Pollution and the Polar regions 51
5. The Antarctic Ozone Hole 53
6. Global Warming and the Polar Regions 64
7. The Effects of Global Warming on the Polar Regions 79
8. Future Polar Climate 93
9. Tackling Global Warming 101
(cid:2) PART THREE
Chemical Pollution of the Arctic 109
10. Arctic Chemical Pollution 111
11. The Effects of Chemicals on Arctic Wildlife 125
(cid:2) PART FOUR
Overfi shing and Overhunting
in the Polar Regions 141
12. Threats to Fish and Fisheries 143
13. Threats to Marine Mammals and Birds 152
(cid:2) PART FIVE
The Future of the Polar Regions 167
14. Protecting the Polar Regions 169
Conclusion 177
Glossary 181
Further Reading 194
Index 197
About the Author 202
Preface
T
he planet is a marvelous place: a place with blue skies, wild
storms, deep lakes, and rich and diverse ecosystems. The tides
ebb and flow, baby animals are born in the spring, and tropi-
cal rain forests harbor an astonishing array of life. The Earth sustains
living things and provides humans with the resources to maintain a
bountiful way of life: water, soil, and nutrients to grow food, and the
mineral and energy resources to build and fuel modern society, among
many other things.
The physical and biological sciences provide an understanding of
the whys and hows of natural phenomena and processes— why the sky
is blue and how metals form, for example— and insights into how the
many parts are interrelated. Climate is a good example. Among the
many influences on the Earth’s climate are the circulation patterns of
the atmosphere and the oceans, the abundance of plant life, the quan-
tity of various gases in the atmosphere, and even the size and shapes of
the continents. Clearly, to understand climate it is necessary to have a
basic understanding of several scientific fields and to be aware of how
these fields are interconnected.
As Earth scientists like to say, the only thing constant about our
planet is change. From the ball of dust, gas, and rocks that came
together 4.6 billion years ago to the lively and diverse globe that orbits
the Sun today, very little about the Earth has remained the same for
long. Yet, while change is fundamental, people have altered the envi-
ronment unlike any other species in Earth’s history. Everywhere there
are reminders of our presence. A look at the sky might show a sooty
cloud or a jet contrail. A look at the sea might reveal plastic refuse,
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oil, or only a few fish swimming where once they had been countless.
The land has been deforested and strip-mined. Rivers and lakes have
been polluted. Changing conditions and habitats have caused some
plants and animals to expand their populations, while others have
become extinct. Even the climate—which for millennia was thought to
be beyond human influence—has been shifting due to alterations in
the makeup of atmospheric gases brought about by human activities.
The planet is changing fast and people are the primary cause.
Our Fragile Planet is a set of eight books that celebrate the
wonders of the world by highlighting the scientific processes behind
them. The books also look at the science underlying the tremendous
influence humans are having on the environment. The set is divided
into volumes based on the large domains on which humans have had
an impact: Atmosphere, Climate, Hydrosphere, Oceans, Geosphere,
Biosphere, and Polar Regions. The volume Humans and the Natural
Environment describes the impact of human activity on the planet and
explores ways in which we can live more sustainably.
A core belief expressed in each volume is that to mitigate the
impacts humans are having on the Earth, each of us must understand
the scientific processes that operate in the natural world. We must
understand how human activities disrupt those processes and use
that knowledge to predict ways that changes in one system will affect
seemingly unrelated systems. These books express the belief that sci-
ence is the solid ground from which we can reach an agreement on the
behavioral changes that we must adopt—both as individuals and as a
society—to solve the problems caused by the impact of humans on our
fragile planet.
Acknowledgments
I
would like to thank, above all, the scientists who have dedicated
their lives to the study of the Earth, especially those engaged in
the important work of understanding how human activities are
impacting the planet. Many thanks to the staff of Facts On File and
Chelsea House for their guidance and editing expertise: Frank Darm-
stadt, Executive Editor; Brian Belval, Senior Editor; and Leigh Ann
Cobb, independent developmental editor. Dr. Tobi Zausner located
the color images that illustrate our planet’s incredible beauty and the
harsh reality of the effects human activities are having on it. Thanks
also to my agent, Jodie Rhodes, who got me involved in this project.
Family and friends were a great source of support and encourage-
ment as I wrote these books. Special thanks to the May ’97 Moms,
who provided the virtual water cooler that kept me sane during long
days of writing. Cathy Propper was always enthusiastic as I was writing
the books, and even more so when they were completed. My mother,
Irene Desonie, took great care of me as I wrote for much of June 2006.
Mostly importantly, my husband, Miles Orchinik, kept things moving
at home when I needed extra writing time and provided love, support,
and encouragement when I needed that, too. This book is dedicated
to our children, Reed and Maya, who were always loving, and usually
patient. I hope these books do a small bit to help people understand
how their actions impact the future for all children.
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