Orangutans (great apes that live in Sumatra and Borneo) use umbrellas! They pluck big leaves off the trees and hold them over their heads to protect themselves from heavy rainfall.
Arctic Meltdown
Arctic Meltdown It started with Canadian biologists' reports of
polar bears starving because of shorter ice seasons. Then, American
nuclear submarines announced that the Arctic ice is 40% thinner
than it used to be. Currently, Norwegian scientists are suggesting
that the Arctic ice is melting twice as fast as previously thought
and could be completely gone within decades. The impact of the
"Arctic meltdown" would change weather patterns across the Northern
hemisphere and destroy the habitat of polar bears and other
creatures. Although it is not clear whether this shrinking trend
will continue, some expect it to slow down and eventually reverse.
No one knows what triggered the melting, but it is being linked to
global warming and human activities. In the last 30 years, the
Arctic has undergone a dramatic change which can be seen in the
lower levels of body fat that polar bears depend on to carry them
through the ice-free season. It was originally believed that the
ice was melting at a rate of 3 per cent per decade, but Norwegian
teams are reporting melting at a rate of 7 per cent per decade. A
new report released by U.S. scientists claims that the ice has
thinned from 3.1 meters to 1.8 meters, which is a melting rate of
about 15 per cent per decade. The ice plays a major role because it
helps to control the earth's climate by acting as a reflector and
bouncing solar energy back into space. By looking at the global
climate model, climatologists found that there was a 2 per cent
chance of the melting being caused by natural variance and believe
global warming to be the cause. But Environment Canada has yet to
be convinced and is worried about the effects of "crying
wolf. 4 DECEMBER 1999
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