Hello, friends in Korea! My name is Nuri, and I am a polar bear. I live in the Arctic, a cold land of snow and ice near the North Pole. I walk across the frozen sea ice to hunt for seals, my favorite food.
But my home is changing fast. The average temperature of the Earth is slowly rising. Scientists call this global warming. Because of it, the sea ice starts to melt earlier every spring. Now I have to swim much farther to find food.
Why is the Earth getting warmer? People burn coal, oil, and gas to make power and to run cars and factories. Burning these fuels makes greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. These gases trap heat around the Earth like a thick blanket.
Global warming is changing the climate all over the world, not just in the Arctic. Some places now have longer and hotter summers. Other places get stronger storms, heavier rain, and floods. In Korea, too, summer heat waves are coming more often.
The good news is that you can help, too! Turn off the lights when you leave a room to save energy. Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus instead of going by car. You can also plant trees. Trees take in carbon dioxide.
Small actions add up when many people do them together. Please protect our planet, because it is my home and your home, too.