Planting Trees for Polar Bears

REVEALING RESEARCH | BEAR CARE | LEARNING TO LEAD

The Annual Newsmagazine of Polar Bears International Fall 2010 $5.00 CAD/USD

Planting Trees for Polar Bears

Fat & Happy ABCs of Climate Change LETTER from the president It’s all about the polar bear. when These words guide our work every day. inside fatter They help us imagine an Arctic where sea means ice has been restored. A land where fat, healthy cubs follow their moms across a fitter snow-swept landscape in search of seals. Among polar bears, BIG is not only Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt, breed, beautiful, it’s the healthiest way to be. and, in some cases, to den. Without sea ice, there can be no polar bears. Yet a rapid warming trend in the Arctic threat- ens their very survival. The world’s climate scientists have over- whelmingly concluded that Earth is warming—and that sea ice is retreating— due to the buildup of CO2 from human Photograph by Dan Guravich, c.1980s activity. The good news is that we still have time to reverse the trend and save 4 Data backed up those • Progressively earlier breakup dates polar bear habitat. But urgent action is observations: that limit the polar bears’ ability to needed. We’re counting on you. • Both male and female feed at a crucial time of year • Reduced reproduction In this, our inaugural issue, you’ll learn polar bears of all ages © 2009 Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com Courtesy Brookfield Zoo–Chicago Zoological Society Courtesy Brookfield about some of the ways we’re working to were losing weight • Reduced survival of cubs, subadults, and old bears due to early breakup of Robert W. Buchanan, 2010 recipient of the save polar bears—as well as how you can hen Dr. Ian Stirling began a • Fewer females were having triplets George B. Rabb Conservation Medal from become part of the solution. long-term study of the polar • Some female bears were losing their sea ice on the Bay the Chicago Zoological Society. We believe that people have power. And, bears of Churchill, Manitoba, cubs—and bearing new ones two New modeling by Dr. Andrew Derocher Win the late ‘70s, it wasn’t unusual to see years in a row and Ph.D. student, Dr. Peter K. Molnar, collectively, they can use that power not 8 only to guide their own actions to help conserve polar bear habitat, but to influence male polar bears with bellies so fat they • Fewer cubs were being weaned suc- predicts that the WHB population will corporations, industry, and governments to provide communities with greener options almost dragged the ground—or females cessfully at 1.5 years of age, a fre- be reduced to a mere handful of bears by for transportation and energy resources that lead to the reduction of CO2. with pudgy triplet cubs. Those were the quent occurrence in WHB. 2035. More worrisome, several straight days when Hudson Bay froze in early years of longer ice-free seasons—or one We’re encouraged by the fact that leading zoo organizations—which have the power to Concerned about these trends, Stirling November and provided productive seal- very long ice-free season—could lead to a reach millions of people and inspire change—have embraced climate change as a key and Derocher wrote the first paper sug- hunting well into the summer months. population collapse much sooner. initiative and are working with us. They include the Association of Zoos and Aquari- gesting a possible link between climate ums, the Canadian Zoo Association, and the American Association of Zoo Keepers. By the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, however, change and polar bear health. (Possible What Does This Mean? Stirling and his colleague, Dr. Andrew Effects of Climate Warming on Polar Bears, We’re excited to be partnering with Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Conservancy and Zoo The Western and the Southern Hudson Derocher, began to see to a troubling de- 1993) They, along with Stirling’s students, to create the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, the world’s first polar bear Bay populations of polar bears live at the cline in the weight of Churchill’s bears. continued to monitor the WHB popula- rescue center. Now under construction, it will provide a transitional home for orphaned lowest latitudes. Research shows that the They wondered: Were the changes in the tion ecology and physical condition. cubs and injured and compromised polar bears. It will offer a strong conservation mes- problems affecting Western Hudson Bay Western Hudson Bay (WHB) polar bears sage and provide scientists with research capabilities. In 1999, Stirling, Dr. Nick Lunn, and John are now impacting Southern Hudson Bay. due to natural population fluctuations—

© Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com >>> © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com Iacozza published the first results that We’re optimistic that momentum is building to create change. Programs like our Project 11 or were they the harbinger of something “Unless climate warming is stopped or re- clearly tied warming climate and earlier Polar Bear contest, Leadership Camps, and Planting Trees for Polar Bears put a dent in ON THE COVER: Totally dependent on her versed, the same trend will follow in sev- more sinister, like climate warming? ice breakup to a loss of condition and re- CO2 and inspire others. Our network of zoo-based Arctic Ambassador Centers plays mother, this cub endures long days and eral other populations in the foreseeable PBI founder Dan Guravich, who had vis- productive changes in WHB polar bears. an active role in these programs—creating a ripple effect in their home communities. nights waiting for the ice to form on Hudson future,” Stirling says. Bay. Freeze-up has been later—and break-up ited Cape Churchill for nearly a decade The WHB population declined by 22% And we’re proud and gratified that the world’s leading polar bear scientists serve on earlier—than historically normal, limiting polar to photograph the fall gathering of bears, between 1987 and 2004. This means that the time for action on our Advisory Council. In August, Dr. Steven C. Amstrup joined our staff as senior bears’ access to their food source: seals. climate change—by individuals, corpo- asked Stirling, “Where have all the big Since then, Stirling says, several more scientist. Their belief in our work—and their strong commitment to polar bears—gives rations, and governments—is NOW. PHOTO BY: bears gone?” He and his photographer us hope. Hope for polar bears, other wildlife and, ultimately, people and the planet. scientific papers based on long-term data Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com friends were no longer seeing large male established and sustained by his project, Dr. Ian Stirling, PBI senior advisory council We rely on you for support—financial support, most certainly. But also through your We are grateful to Dan for allowing us such bears at the Cape. have clearly confirmed statistically sig- scientist, is research scientist emeritus with generous access to his award-winning images. actions. Be green. Join us in saving this symbol of the Arctic for generations to come. “I thought this was a telling observation nificant cause-and-effect relationships Environment Canada and adjunct professor in and it reinforced my impression that between warming climate in Hudson Bay the Department of Biological Sciences, Univer- Robert W. Buchanan something significant was indeed hap- and . . . sity of Alberta, Edmonton. He has conducted re- President and CEO pening,” Stirling recalls. search on polar bears and polar seals for 44 years.

2 POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL | www.polarbearsinternational.org Fall 2010 | TUNDRA TIMES 3 notes from the field RESEARCH

cientists search for white bears in a white world. They Maternal Den Study Hearing Study watch northern lights ripple across the night-time sky and Howling winds, drifting snow, and tem- Scientist Megan Owen, a mother her- hear the booms of gigantic ice slabs smashing against peratures that hover at 50 below zero. It’s self, empathizes with female polar bears S all in a day’s work for Dr. Thomas S. Smith curled up with their cubs in snow dens. each other, creating tall pressure ridges and unusual formations. and his team, who study polar bear ma- Hidden from the world—warmed by © BJ Kirschhoffer | PolarBearsInternational.org© BJ Kirschhoffer Sometimes these biologists wait for days on shore, fog-bound ternal den sites on Alaska’s North Slope. their own body heat, and wrapped in or sitting out blizzards. When clear skies finally return, they Capture-Recapture Smith says that when he’s shivering in silence—Owen thinks that snow dens make perfect nurseries. scramble aboard aircraft before the arctic weather shifts again. What is this technique? frigid weather, chilled to the bone, he It’s cold, exhausting—and fascinating work. And PBI relies imagines polar bear families nestled What happens, though, when heavy oil Even after decades of working in the Arc- snugly in ice dens made dark and silent industry field equipment rumbles by? Or on their findings to inform our programming efforts and our tic, Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, PBI senior sci- by a thick blanket of wind-driven snow. when helicopters fly overhead—whomp, communications with you, our friends and members. entist, feels a surge of excitement when “Young cubs have little more than white whomp, whomp? handling his first polar bear of the season. fuzz for insulation,” he says. “They could Does the thick blanket of snow insulate “It’s always a feeling of, wow, here’s a never survive in the harsh arctic environ- polar bear families from those sounds? real, wild polar bear,” he says. “I can’t ment outside the den. That’s why it’s criti- Or do they reverberate inside the once- think of any work that’s more exciting.” cal that they’re not disturbed.” tranquil dens? Amstrup says that most of what we know about polar bears comes from capturing Smith’s research for PBI is helping scien- To find out, Owen traveled to the North them and then releasing them alive at the tists understand polar bear denning be- Slope in late winter to begin a study that capture site. havior—largely a mystery until he began complements Dr. Thomas S. Smith’s work his work 10 years ago. He and his team for PBI on polar bear denning behavior. Capturing polar bears allows scientists to use remote cameras to record den activity collect biological samples, such as blood Prior to this, Owen, a conservation pro- or fat, and measure physical stature and without disturbing the mothers and cubs. gram specialist for the San Diego Zoo, body condition. Recapturing the same “The research is important as more and had conducted a PBI study that docu- bears at another time lets scientists make more industry moves into the north,” says mented the polar bears’ hearing range. © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com comparisons and track changes. Smith. “We need to understand the den- She worked with zoo bears on that proj- Perhaps most important, capture efforts ning process to make sure that human ac- ect because such research would be next Census Taking Satellite Tracking The Big Picture that are repeated regularly over multi- tivity doesn’t disrupt it.” to impossible with polar bears in the wild. PBI supports polar bear census work in Charting polar bear movements—and Long-term data sets are necessary to help year periods allow scientists to estimate Oh, and about those temperatures: Smith Now she’s applying those findings to the the Southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas how those movement patterns may be scientists gain insight into what’s happen- population size and vital rates like repro- says he loves it when extreme cold sets in. real world. She and her team dug several —through studies led by the U.S. Geolog- changing—is another important part of ing with polar bear populations. A single duction and survival. For more, visit our artificial snow dens on the North Slope ical Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife understanding how polar bears are re- year’s census is only a snapshot in time website. It’s polar bear weather, after all. and equipped them with sensitive record- Service—to track changes in the polar sponding to habitat changes caused by and must be viewed within the context of ing devices. They then made recordings bear populations there. global warming. a much longer time period. Dr. Smith, like all of us, wants the vast arctic of various sounds near industrial sites— Standing on a shuddering ice pan is not Scientists work in the numbing cold to Data on the Western Hudson Bay polar landscape to remain ice-bound, frigid, and snowy. from trucks to buses to aircraft and even your typical workplace. It’s not your typi- place ear tags or collars carrying small ra- bear population, for example, goes back the crunch of human footprints on the cal work. And because polar bears are dio transmitters on a limited number of 30 years. It reveals a 22% drop in the size snow—to determine what sounds pen- mostly solitary and live at low densi- bears so they can follow their movements of the population over that time period, etrate the dens and from what distances. ties in a remote and difficult environ- through satellite tracking. as well as a steady decline in measure- ment—and also because they blend well ments of body condition. “Our next step,” Owen says, “is to with their surroundings—scientists have It’s vital that we continue to support cen- integrate these noise profiles with largely relied on multi-year capture- sus and tracking studies each year to help the data we’ve collected on polar recapture studies to assess a population’s polar bear scientists document trends— bear hearing.” size and health. and ring alarm bells as necessary. The findings provide governments with This will help scientists understand what key data for making decisions. Research When you support PBI, sounds reach polar bears in their dens— by Dr. Steven C. Amstrup that revealed and the size of the buffer zone needed to signs of stress in the Southern Beaufort you support the work of keep from disturbing them during this Sea population, for example, helped lead leading field scientists— sensitive period. the U.S. to the decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species. invaluable sources of fact

4 POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL | www.polarbearsinternational.org © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com Fall 2010 | TUNDRA TIMES 5 polar bear safety nets hovel ready. That sums up the en- STEWARDSHIP he young, thin polar bear drifted thusiasm of volunteers who join our close to Iceland’s coast on a melt- “We’re preparing now for the difficult tree-planting programs. These help- Sing hands show up on spring days armed ing floe, then swam to shore, Tdrawing crowds of excited residents—and challenges ahead.”— Amy Cutting, PBI Sustainability Alliance Chair with reusable water bottles, garden gloves, nervous local authorities. and apple-red cheeks. First-Ever Polar Bear Rescue Center In Iceland and Svalbard, the Yukon and Why trees? Because they’re so benefi- Greenland, northern Alaska and Nuna- ustainability Alliance members cial—and planting them is a simple, direct vut, polar bears are showing up in coast- are also lending their expertise to way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. al villages and at camping sites, forced the world-class International Polar Planting Trees for Polar Bears has three ashore by shrinking sea ice—and attract- SBear Conservation Centre that will open components: ed to the smell of food. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, this fall. And not Polar Bear Forest is a collaborative effort As the Arctic continues to warm, melt- a moment too soon. between PBI and the Wisconsin Depart-

ing the polar bear’s habitat and stranding Based in Assiniboine Park Zoo, with © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com ment of Natural Resources. The goal is them on land, scientists expect human- funding from the province, it will serve as to plant 500,000 acres on public and pri- polar bear encounters to spike sharply, a transitional home for polar bears in need Polar Bear Conservation vate lands in Wisconsin. The program is risking the lives of both bears and people. of human care—from orphaned cubs to now, more than ever, needs also educational. We’re helping the public “Too often these encounters end tragically compromised yearlings and adults. everyone pulling in the same make the connection between planting —but they don’t need to,” says Amy Cut- “We’re proud to be involved with such a direction. trees and saving polar bear habitat. ting, PBI Sustainability Alliance (PBSA) bold, necessary, and exciting endeavor,” Trees for You & Me, devised by two PBI chair. “Our role is to provide local au- says Amy Cutting. The entire spectrum of Field Ambassadors, is a friendly competi- thorities with the support they need. We’re people and organizations In addition to rescue work, the center will tion among American Association of Zoo building networks, holding training ses- support and facilitate zoo-based research concerned about wildlife Keepers (AAZK) chapters to see which sions, and identifying needed tools.” efforts that contribute to the survival of must be involved—from one can raise the most money for the Polar Bear Forest program. Last year, they PBSA includes a broad range of animal polar bears in the wild. It will also: biologists to NGOs to zoos. raised enough to plant 10,000 trees.

care specialists from PBI’s network of POLAR BEARS • Develop and distribute materials that Arctic Ambassador Center zoos, as well But most important, the educate the public about polar bears Acres for the Atmosphere is the idea of as field biologists, nonprofit partners, and and climate change public must be engaged if the 2009 PBI-AAZK Zoo Keeper Leader-

wildlife authorities. ship Camp graduates. It’s a roll-up-your- for • Increase awareness of the fragile arc- we’re to be successful. sleeves tree-planting and educational ef- Team members are gearing up to help: tic ecosystem —Dr. Andrew Derocher fort involving chapters of the AAZK, zoos • Starving and injured polar bears • Motivate people to help conserve PBI Scientific Advisory Council and throughout North America, and PBI Arc- • Orphaned polar bear cubs polar bears by reducing their carbon Past chair, IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group tic Ambassador Centers, located in over • Polar bears affected by oil spills footprint 30 zoos. Participants organize tree- and shrub-planting events through their local zoo.

ENGAGE by symbolically Get involved. Plant some trees! PBI Sustainability Alliance is working internationally adopting a polar bear today. to reduce human-bear conflicts, helping northern • Add trees to your home or your community communities live safely with their polar bears. Your contribution supports • Take part in a tree-planting our conservation efforts on day through a participating behalf of polar bears and zoo their endangered habitat. • DONATE to our Polar Bear Forest campaign www.polarbearsinternational.org Green trees. Blue ice. White bears. What could be more gratifying? Go ahead. Grab a shovel! PLANTING TREES © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com

6 POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL | www.polarbearsinternational.org Fall 2010 | TUNDRA TIMES 7 © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com EDUCATION

leaders in the making © BJ Kirschhoffer | PolarBearsInternational.org© BJ Kirschhoffer

Frontiers North’s hey launch recycling drives. What an emotional experience Tundra Buggy® Adventure They plant trees. They to see the animal that we care is the leading sponsor of green up schools, zoos, so much about in its natural PBI Leadership Camps. Tand communities. Graduates of our environment! The moment was Leadership Camps—held each fall for silent except for some sniffles from the emotional overload teens and zookeepers, and, this year, and the clicking of our cameras. for educators and communicators as Tears ran down our cheeks. Zoo–Chicago Zoological Society Courtesy Brookfield well—return with great ideas from a Men cried in front of women— week on the tundra near Churchill, and it was OK. PROJECT POLAR BEAR Canada. They’re filled with hope and This polar bear was our inspi- you’re looking for a reliable source of purpose—and a crystal clear mission: good, clean energy, look no further ration. She was the reason we and to paw. Paw to hand. We can’t These zoos also take part in PBI programs If Arctic Ambassador Centers than Project Polar Bear teens. Every year, think of a more powerful moment —including PBI Leadership Camps, our this PBI-sponsored contest challenges than this at one of the PBI Arctic Project Polar Bear contest, and Tundra Polar bears need our help. Humans must change H teens to reduce CO2 in their communities. Ambassador Center zoos. These extraor- Connections broadcasts. Teens across the U.S. and Canada par- their behavior. The time for action is now. dinary zoos have each pledged to take ac- Enriched exhibits. Public outreach. Lead- ticipate. They launch projects to reduce tion on climate change—and to inspire ership in reducing CO2. They are making CO2 and track their energy savings along We could tell you about the intensity had traveled to Churchill. Her future depends on us—and the and educate visitors to do the same. a difference for people and polar bears. the way. And if you think their efforts of the students as they learn first-hand burden of knowing this was Their message is simple: “Together we are limited to changing light bulbs, think YOU CAN HELP. Find the Arctic Am- about polar bears, the Arctic, and cli- part of the emotional roller- can save polar bears and the Arctic, but again. Some past contestants: bassador Center zoo near you from the mate change. We could describe their we must act soon.” • Created NO IDLE zones at schools coaster we all experienced. After list on our website. Then, get involved! brainstorming sessions, the leader- seeing our first polar bear, we Our network of Arctic Ambassador Cen- to encourage parents to turn off their www.polarbearsinternational.org engines while waiting in carpool lines ship skills they gain—and the action zoo keepers felt ready to face ter zoos includes nearly 30 zoos across the the challenges ahead. U.S. and Canada. What do they do? • Organized community coin drives to plans they create—to tackle CO2 re- put coins back into circulation and ductions back home. —Angela Johnson and Josianne Romasco • Feature bear-friendly exhibits that We inspire, inform, and reduce the environmental impact of Graduates, PBI-AAZK Zoo Keeper Camp showcase the beauty and power of minting

© R. P. Beck © R. P. empower kids to be But it’s better if you hear it from them. the polar bear • Conducted energy audits for local • Follow a strong stewardship ethic in businesses oming up here has made me realize how important the Arctic is, how magnificent the their day-to-day operations and pub- • Launched tree-planting projects and “C lic outreach recycling drives animals are, and how they really need our help. The polar bears are counting on us! I have a • Lead their communities in behavior They have fun. And they make a differ- new outlook on life and a strong belief in what I can do if I really try. and actions that reduce CO2 ence. Our 2009 contestants reduced CO2 • Support PBI research projects to help by nearly 100 million pounds! “Now it’s time to head back Down Under, but I’ll never forget the beauty I saw conserve wild polar bears As Grand Prize winner Emily Goldstein on my adventure in the Arctic. I’m returning to my own community to create change.” • Play a key role in the PBI Sustainabil- said, “My team saved enough CO2 to fill a ity Alliance, a front-line team helping football stadium.” Now that’s something —Stephanie Walker, Graduate, PBI Teen Leadership Camp to cheer about. to save polar bears in a rapidly warming Arctic Visit Project Polar Bear on our website.

8 POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL | www.polarbearsinternational.org AMAZING © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com Fall 2010 | TUNDRA TIMES 9 a Living in a farm community means Basic Science Climate much of our emphasis is agricultural. 3 Basic laws of physics dictate Our mobile livestock mowing service that when levels of green- good-and-green-natured now cuts over 100 acres. Additions to house gases increase, the Primer this project include weeding by geese; re- A world warms. How does this work? duction of food scraps by hogs; and bug the ABCs of what science control by goldfish, praying mantises, Energy from the sun that reaches and Earth are trying to tell us and even chickens. What’s more, many of Earth is balanced by energy that ra- these ideas were suggested by our neigh- diates back into space. bors. Atmospheric gases like CO2, how- Our Everything Old is New Again ever, temporarily trap the energy that 4program has revealed an inventive arrives from the sun as short-wave streak in Manitobans. We’re constantly radiation. This energy then radiates amazed at how people recycle and rein- back into space in the form of long-

vent second-hand items. One couple took wave radiation. © Daniel J. Cox | NaturalExposures.com 30-year-old shelves and made an ador- The greenhouse effect of this tem- able garden-themed toddler bed. Heck, porarily trapped energy is the reason they also made the adorable toddler! Now that Earth’s temperature range allows on short- and medium-term weather, What Are We to Think? that’s dedication. life to exist. That’s a good thing. as well as regional weather and even Without question there are uncertain- global climate. Politicians are joining in, too. One But when we keep increasing these ties regarding global warming. But 5has introduced a bill to ban plastic heat-trapping greenhouse gases Natural fluctuations in ocean circula- it’s unquestionable that Earth will bags. Another has invited us to share our (GHGs), we increase the amount of tion patterns, such as the Gulf Stream warm as GHG levels rise. It’s a ba- carbon-reducing pledge with the prime time that the sun’s energy stays in (or North Atlantic Drift), also have sic law of physics. And, ominously, minister and legislators. Earth’s atmosphere, which means longer-term effects on weather and the longer GHG levels are allowed to climate. Natural variations in climate increase, the less sea ice will remain. e once read that it takes 28 days to that Earth warms. make it difficult to perceive from the Because all available data indicate The Vickery Sisters: Miranda, Rachael, Madison, and Rebekah Wcreate a new habit. We can see that. Logically, a world with higher GHG weather in any one place that Earth— Over the past few years many people in concentrations is going to be warmer that polar bear populations as we as a whole—is warming. know them will not be sustained in an These four indomitable sisters live in a farm • The junior/senior high campus recy- Manitoba have developed new habits that than it would be with lower GHG con- But, what’s important to remember ice-free Arctic, the longer GHG levels community near Winnipeg, Manitoba. Each cles ink cartridges, paper, cardboard, embrace the environment, and they take centrations. Although it’s uncertain about these natural fluctuations is are allowed to increase, the greater has participated in PBI Teen Leadership and aluminum. pride in the polar bears that have made our how sensitive Earth’s climate is to the that as GHGs increase, they will oc- the threat to polar bear welfare. Camp, the PBI Project Polar Bear Con- province famous. increase in GHGs—and therefore we • The elementary campus, which is cur over a higher and climbing base- test—or both. At our request, they wrote this don’t know the precise rate of warm- “The longer we wait to do some- shared with the church, has changed This year, when we attended Boo at the line. Eventually the effects of increas- article to describe their projects and activities. ing—there’s no uncertainty that Earth thing,” says Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, ALL the bulbs to CFCs. Zoo for the second time, parents made a es in GHG will become clear. It’s not Prepare to be exhausted—and awed. will warm. ”the more thresholds we’ll have ex- • The elementary campus also added point to bring family and friends to our a matter of whether it will become booth to ask “What’s new with the polar ceeded, and the bigger the problems pider webs are spun from multiple huge bins to handle paper, plastic, GHGs, Climate, and Weather clear—only when it will become clear. bears and the polar bear girls?” Then they we’ll have created for our children and layers of silk. This combined twin- and tin recyclables from students would brag about their green accomplish- Although the laws of physics grandchildren. They will increasingly ing gives the overall structure its and the thousands who attend ser- Crossing Climate Thresholds ments over the past year! say that Earth will warm as be the ones forced to attempt to cope Sstrength. We approach our projects with vices and teaching sessions on cam- Because global warming is a GHGs are added to the atmo- with a world that’s very different from pus each week. It’s time to sing a new song, Kermit; truly, B certainty in an increasing GHG the underlying goal of creating webs. sphere, natural chaos in the climate the one in which humans became the it’s easy being green! You can do it, too. These webs, or ties, connect various • The coffee bar now boasts environ- system adds to uncertainty about C world, it’s guaranteed that we dominant life force on Earth.” groups and individuals and combine tal- mentally friendly products. will exceed certain thresholds (such We’ve kept 92 million pounds of CO2 from how fast Earth will warm. Natural as the global mean temperature in- ents and skills towards a common goal: Bonus: Our role as EnviroSpies lets us entering the atmosphere in just two years. fluctuations can mask the warming Dr. Steven C. Amstrup is retired from the USGS crease of 2 degrees, or ice-free sum- as senior polar bear scientist and was the past protecting the environment. We’re de- reward students and teachers caught in trend. mers in the Arctic) at some point. chair of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group. lighted that so many of our projects have random acts of greenness. He is known worldwide for his 30 years of grown in size and impact, and that so It’s important to remember that Again, we can’t predict exactly when research on polar bears. In August 2010, he many individuals have joined together to Many schools have embraced our idea climate is not the same as weather. these things will happen, but if GHGs joined the staff of PBl as senior scientist. save polar bears. 2of recycling coins and donating them Natural fluctuations in atmospheric keep rising, they most certainly will. This article is adapted from Amstrup, S. C., H. to charity. We love how collecting coins Caswell, E. DeWeaver, I. Stirling, D. C. Douglas, circulation patterns, such as El Niño We can also be sure that the more Our school recycling program started can heal both earth and heart! This proj- B. G. Marcot, and C. M. Hunter. 2009. Rebut- (the Southern Oscillation) and the time passes, the more likely we’ll tal of Polar bear population forecasts: a public- 1with Rebekah’s efforts after she re- ect certainly makes cents. (Putting coins Arctic Oscillation, have huge effects have exceeded particular thresholds. policy audit. Interfaces 39(4):353-369. turned from PBI Teen Leadership Camp. back into circulation reduces the environ- It’s now entering year three and it keeps mental impact of minting.) growing.

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Climate Change Fact & Fiction Polar Bears International • A National Academy of Sciences poll is the Champion for Polar Bears shows that 97% of climate scientists —experts in their field—agree that global warming is very likely mainly caused by human activity. • A review of 11 different methods of measuring the planet’s temperature —on land, in sea, in air—converge to show a warming planet. Each indicator is based on three to seven data sets. • An independent review of the much- maligned report of the Intergovern- mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found only a few minor mis- takes in roughly 500 pages of text. What’s more, the errors don’t under- mine the panel’s overall conclusions.

• Three highly respected independent Beck © V. panels cleared the climate scientists involved in so-called Climate Gate of wrongdoing. They found that state- Ways You Can Help PBI ments were taken out of context. • Donate money or securities PlatinumThank Sponsors You! • Data confirms that global tempera- • Join PBI’s Facebook page Canada Goose, Ecke Ranch, Frontiers tures in the first half of 2010 were the • Shop online in our Gift Shop North’s Tundra Buggy® Adventure, hottest since record-keeping began • Recycle, reuse, reduce Lowepro, and Volkswagen Japan more than a century ago. • Adopt a polar bear And very special thanks to our • Arctic sea ice has declined at a rate • Visit our zoo partners friends in Churchill and Winnipeg of 6.4% per decade since satellite who donate goods and services tracking began in 1979. • Purchase a gift membership during our seasonal events. • Donate goods or services The science is clear. Churchill Northern Studies Centre, • Tell others about PBI Eskimo Museum, Four Points by Let’s get busy. Sheraton, Frontiers North’s Tundra To receive our fun and informative monthly Buggy® Adventure, L & D Cable, online newsletter, PBiNews, as well as Manitoba Conservation, Nanuk occasional updates, please complete the TUNDRA TIMES™ is the annual newsmagazine of Polar Polar Bear Lodge, North Star Tours, Bears International®, a 501 (c)(3) organization. All marks sign-up form on our website. and text appearing in this literature including, but not limited Parks Canada, Polar Cinema, Port of to, Polar Bears International name, logo, and programs are We do not sell nor distribute our mailing lists. You can Churchill, Tamarack Rentals, Town of trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of Polar view our complete Privacy Policy on our website. Churchill, Wat’chee Lodge Bears International.