According to Alexey Kokorin, a climatologist and expert from the "Nature and People" foundation, seal pups, known as "belki," are born in April and early May. Previously, rain was rare during this time of year, but due to climate change, it has become more frequent. This leads to the belki, which have warm but not water-resistant fur, getting wet and consequently dying from hypothermia, he stated in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Kokorin emphasized that the main impact on the climate comes from the consumption and burning of fossil fuels, which, in turn, intensifies the greenhouse effect.
"The situation with seals in the White Sea raises serious concerns, as they seem unable to adapt to the new conditions. Belki born in April or early May face frequent rains, which leads to them getting wet and, as a result, dying from hypothermia. Thus, survival for them in the White Sea is becoming virtually impossible," the expert noted.
Kokorin also informed RIA Novosti that over the past fifty years, the temperature in Russia has increased by an average of 2.5 degrees, and this change is significantly greater than in other regions of the world, where the average temperature has risen by about one degree.
