WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Polar bear mothers will have a harder time carrying cubs to term as Arctic sea ice dwindles, a new study said, and the U.S. government recognized that Pacific walruses need protection in their melting icy habitat.
Arctic ice reached the third-lowest level ever recorded in 2010, and was at record low levels in January. Because the Arctic is a major weather-maker for much of the Northern Hemisphere, these changes are being blamed for severe storms in some of the world's most densely populated areas.