Help Save the Polar Bear!
Rising temperatures due to Global Warming are threatening the Polar Bear's habitat.
The Polar Bear Needs Us: Global Warming is reducing the amount of pack ice in the Arctic, which the polar bear depends on for survival.
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The Petition Letter You'll be Sending:
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
I am deeply concerned about climate change in the Arctic and the threat this poses to the polar bear.
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at almost twice the rate of that of the rest of the world, and it is threatening to place the entire Arctic ecosystem in jeopardy. For the polar bear, an irreplaceable symbol of the Arctic, climate change could lead to their extinction.
The polar bear depends on sea ice to survive, hunting for seal until the ice disappears every summer. As climate warming reduces the extent of the pack ice, the polar bear loses precious hunting time, and the number of polar bears declines.
I call on the Government of Canada to protect the polar bear's habitat and slow the effects of global warming in Canada's treasured Far North.
I call on the Government of Canada to take the lead in protecting our natural heritage. We must provide international leadership in the battle against global warming.
I call on the Government of Canada to establish strong regulations concerning access to and removal of natural resources from within Canada's North. Oil and gas development should not come at the expense of our nation's wildlife.
I call on the Government of Canada to maintain essential habitat for all Arctic wildlife, and ensure that Canadian communities in our North are not disrupted by climate change.
Thank you for considering my views.
Effects of Global Warming on the Polar Bear:
Global warming is melting the polar ice caps, robbing polar bears of the ice floes they need to hunt prey. As the annual sea ice melts, polar bears are forced ashore to spend their summers fasting. If the Arctic ice cap continues to melt sooner and form later, polar bears will become too thin to reproduce and they will become extinct by the end of this century.
The polar bear's home – the Arctic – is experiencing the effects of global warming more than any other place. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at almost twice the rate of that of the rest of the world, and this is threatening to place the entire Arctic ecosystem in jeopardy.
Arctic sea ice is melting at what appears to be a greater rate every year – sea ice that not only provides hunting ground for polar bears, but shelter and transportation for seals, walrus, arctic foxes, and the Inuit people. The underside provides a surface for algae that support cod, char, beluga, and narwhal. The white sea ice also has a cooling effect on climate by reflecting light away from Earth's surface. As it melts, the global warming advances even more quickly.
Polar Bear Facts:
- Common Name: Polar Bear
- Latin Name: Ursus Maritimus
- Status: Special Concern (according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada)
- Size: Males are typically between 2 and 3 m long and weigh up to 500 kg, though a few weigh as much as 800 kg. Females weigh between 150 to 250 kg.
- Population: 22,000 to 27,000
- Life Span: 20 to 25 years
- Range: Most polar bears live in Canada, but other populations exist in Alaska, Russia, Greenland and Norway.
- Threats: climate change, air pollution, oil spills, toxic chemicals.
Polar Bear Pictures:
Sign the Petition to Save the Polar Bear!
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