“One female polar bear swam for nine days straight in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska, USA. Can you believe that?” Dad peered from behind his newspaper with his glasses perched on his nose.
“Subhan’Allah! How did she do it and why?” Mom questioned, while tossing a salad together for lunch.
“She paddled for 426 miles, which is the same length as 14,000 Olympic-size swimming pools, and lost 22% of her weight during this journey. Global warming is melting away the ice lands which are homes to these bears. In order to reach from one piece of land to another, they need to travel greater distances along with their cubs. These marathon swims are perilous for both parent bears and their little ones. Many of them don’t even make it to the land and drown out of exhaustion and hunger. Unless this climatic change is controlled, polar bears will have to swim this far each year, posing greater threat to their lives.”
“That is horrible!” protested Ali sitting at the dining table, while baby Hana plunged for a tomato sitting on a plate.
Mom sighed: “Everything we buy, use and throw away impacts the Earth. Driving cars, heating or cooling buildings with AC and heaters all release such greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide into the air. The amount of greenhouse gases released by your activities is called your carbon footprint.”
“I wish there was something I could do to help the polar bears. They are Allah’s (swt) creation. Won’t He be mad at us?” questioned Ali gloomily.
“You can help polar bears live longer by helping keep Earth cool and free from greenhouse gases,” offered dad.
“Really? Please tell me, dad, how can I actively contribute? I’ll even try to talk to my friends to help, Insha’Allah,” begged Ali, while baby Hana grabbed a cucumber this time.
“Hmm… let’s see… you can ride a bike instead of taking car rides. Print smart by using both sides of the paper. Try purchasing local and organic food. It is healthier for the body, more natural for the environment and takes lesser resources of the planet to prepare,” advised dad.
“That does mean saying goodbye to a lot of yummy snacks from America?” Ali whispered sadly.
“Did you know that each ingredient in a US meal has travelled an average of 1,500 miles? They were reporting on the news that if everyone in America ate at least one meal per week of local and organic food, they could save 1.1 million barrels of oil every week,” chipped in mom.
“Now I remember,” added Ali. “My geography teacher also told us that the global surface temperature has risen by 0.56 degress Celsius over the last 100 years worldwide. The last decade has been the warmest on record. Global warming is responsible for rising sea levels and shrinking habitats.”
“This means a battle of survival for some animals, flooding along the coasts, drought for inland areas and long range change in winds, rain and ocean currents,” dad announced soberly.
“I guess if Allah (swt) expects Muslims to be Khalifahs (leaders of humanity) on this Earth, they will have to think, act and solve issues differently. They will also have to make sacrifices and wiser choices in life for the sake of others,” Mom smiled, gently looking at Ali’s troubled face.
Ali began to recite: “Verily my Salah, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for the Lord of the worlds.” (Al-Anam 6:125)
“Well I think it is worth it! I can surely quit much of the junk food I buy from the supermarket and conserve water and electricity. If that can save a polar bear and her cub, I will do it!” Ali pledged with a firm look.
Mom and dad exchanged warm smiles, while baby Hana dashed off with the last of the carrot sticks left.
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