Polar bears need lots of sea ice to hunt for food, mate with other bears, have cubs … and survive, but they are constantly facing rapid loss of arctic habitat because of global warming.
Polar Bears International has shared with us some information about the launch of a their new multifaceted online community called My Planet, My Part that offers visitors inspiration and information about how we can all help save polar bears and improve the health of the planet by reducing their carbon footprint.
The new site offers live high definition videos of polar bears, a forum to meet other like-minded individuals, educational web casts with experts on the arctic tundra – all together in one place.
• Users can watch live HD video of polar bears
• Participate in interactive webcasts with world-leading conservation experts
• Find facts and tools to help save polar bears and arctic sea ice by reducing your carbon footprint
• Enter to win a trip to view polar bears in the wild
The launch of My Planet, My Part is timely as it is now the middle of “polar bear migration season”, the time of year when we wait for the crucial winter sea ice to form so that polar bears can return to hunting.
“In Hudson Bay, the sea ice is breaking up earlier in the spring, and forming later in the fall due to global warming. Forced on land, polar bears are food deprived and must live on stored energy reserves. In 2011, the polar bears near Churchill had to wait until early December to return to the sea ice- three weeks later than just 30 years ago,” said Amstrup. “There is only so long they can wait, and this population is gravely threatened. As a result of reduced feeding opportunity, we are seeing thinner bears and poorer survival of cubs. When scientists say survival rates are poorer, it means more bears are starving to death. Ultimately, all polar bears will disappear if the world continues to warm.
“But the most important thing to remember is that hope remains,” he said. “By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we can arrest the rise in temperatures and save polar bears from extinction.”
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You can help out polar bears by taking action today and becoming an ambassador for polar bears. Upload your stories, photos, and videos of how you’re reducing your footprint at home, school, work, or your community to the My Planet, My Part online community and you could win a Trip for 2 to Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), to see wild polar bears with Frontiers North Tundra Buggy Adventures. Submission deadline: November 30, 2012.
So why not go now and share your stories, photos and video of how you’re cutting carbon emissions in your home, school and/or community.
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/myplanetmypart
[source: email submission & polarbearsinternational.org]
