The Climate's Going To The Dogs!

Taken from: www.boston.com

Their bodies quiver under the harness as the morning sun shines brightly through the dark, naked trees.  The teams are the embodiment of excitement; while the dogs pant loudly, an occasional bark is voiced, and their hearts beat quickly in anticipation of what is to come.  Yet, what typically occurs next in sled races, such as the Iditarod, is not happening now.  Mary Pilon, in her article, “Warm Weather Forces Changes Ahead of Iditarod Race,” claims that global warming caused the numerous sled race cancellations.  By researching how the warmer temperatures affect the canine racers and how much the environment has changed, one may better see the effects of global warming.

Taken from: www.mushingbootcamp.com

First, global warming has affected the sled races by undermining their safety, which is primary concern.  The dogs normally run through great stretches of wilderness (distances of 200 to 400 miles is normal in a race), so the tracks need to be in top condition to insure a successful run [Pilon].  In other words, the woods should be full of snow and all river crossings must be frozen over.  However, with temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, there is a greater danger for accidents; so many planned races have been cancelled [Pilon].  Other effects of the warming climate include the exposed, rough terrain that ruins the harness and other equipment used, which subsequently could break during the race.  Also the dogs may suffer more health issues in warmer temperatures as there is a higher risk of overheating and feet injuries from the exposed bramble [Pilon]. 

Taken from: www.articles.ktuu.com

The most disturbing fact, however, is the change of the environment due to a massive lack of snow in sled dogs areas, such as the Great Lakes and Alaska.  Southern Alaska has been hit the worst as Mary Pilon records,

“During last year’s snow season, defined as July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, Anchorage had 134.5 inches of snow, according to Jake Crouch, a climate scientist with the National Climatic Data Center. This season’s tally in Anchorage was 39.2 inches, through Wednesday. North of Fairbanks, another area where mushers train, snowpack is 21 percent of average.”

This is not a drastic or singly-occurring change, though, as places like Alaska have been warming up steadily the past century.  Indeed, the climate change has been so prevalent that some of the dog breeders have even started to breed dogs with thinner coats [Pilon].

Taken from: www.topnews.in

                Overall, global climate change affects many aspects in life, from the amount of snow in Alaska to events like the Iditarod.  Though Alaska and other areas of extreme temperature may be the only initial places affected by climate change, the earth’s warming really is a threat to human and animal life.  Perhaps a prime example of this is the warm winter the Midwest has experienced the past two years, or the imbalanced weather patterns and disasters (like Hurricane Sandy) that has recently occurred   Who knows what is next to come?  As one of the mushers, Blake Freking, summarizes, “With global warming, it’s hard to deny that there are some big changes going on right now … We’re in it. It isn’t looking good” [Pilon].

Works Cited

Pilon, Mary. "Warm Weather Forces Changes Ahead of Iditarod Race." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Feb. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2013.