With rapid global warming and climate change, a quarter of Earth's species could be at risk of extinction by 2050 (Nature Conservancy, 2010). Riebeek (2010) explains that global warming is the rapid increase in the average temperature of the Earth's surface over the last century and is mainly due to the increase in greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The current cycle of global warming is changing the climate rhythms that all living things rely on. Currently, these changes are having the most visible and significant impacts on the polar regions. Marine and terrestrial fauna of the Earth's polar regions are negatively affected by global climate change due to rising temperatures, most of which are now listed as endangered species due to habitat destruction and alteration of their food web. Earth's polar regions are the ice-covered areas located at the northern and southern ends of the globe known as the Arctic and Antarctica respectively. Life in these regions is incredibly difficult, so there are few specific species that live there. The North Pole; the Arctic is most affected by rising temperatures as it has been shown to be warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. This heat then causes the ice to melt. The Arctic region is home to polar bears. They roam this frozen continent and feed on seals and walruses as they emerge for air from the holes they create in the ice. Polar bears are among nature's last survivors as they are able to live and thrive in one of the world's harshest environments. However, their homes are melting, plus the Arctic now experiences longer summer periods where more ice forms… middle of paper… and forms in the Antarctic would disappear. Unfortunately, when the ice melts, so does their food. This is causing a large cascade effect as krill populations are declining but are in high demand as penguins feed on them. It is also a crucial part of the blue whale's diet. Without this important source in abundance, everyone is forced to eat less as there is great competition for this limited resource. Therefore, they are unable to produce the necessary nutrients for their young, causing a decline in reproduction rates. Global warming and resulting climate change are slowly destroying the earth's polar regions and everything that depends on it. These regions are home to various animals endemic to these places but are now struggling to survive and adapt to the changes occurring in their environments, while some may survive, others may become extinct.