Polar Bears in the News
The following news stories focus on polar bears and/or climate change:
Calgary Herald, "Manitoba's Polar Bears May Woo Obama's Daughters," November 6, 20009. Canada's Ambassador Gary Doer and his family met with President Obama on Wednesday and invited his daughters to Manitoba to see Churchill’s polar bears.
Daily Mail, "Willy the Polar Bear's Delight as He's Delivered a Special Treat," November 3, 2009. Two-and-a-half tons of ice cubes partially covered in maple syrup were trucked into the polar bear's enclosure at the North Carolina Zoo as a special treat.
Adventure World Magazine, "Expedition to Study Polar Bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea," November 2, 2009. Scientists encountered warmer than expected temperatures and thinner than expected ice on the first-ever icebreaker expedition to the polar basin.
CBC News, "Arviat on Polar Bear Watch Again," November 2, 2009. People living in Arviat, Nunavut, are on high alert, bracing for a possible repeat of last fall's influx of polar bears.
Kansas City, "First Polar Bear Confirmed for Kansas City Zoo," November 2, 2009. The Kansas City Zoo has learned it will receive a polar bear in time for the opening of a new exhibit next spring.
Live Science, "Permanent Arctic Sea Ice Nearly Gone," November 1, 2009. Multiyear ice in the Arctic—so named because it does not traditionally melt in summer like seasonal ice—has nearly disappeared.
Herald Dispatch, October 31, 2009. "Animals Celebrate Halloween," October 31, 2009. Animals including polar bears were given pumpkins at the Brookfield Zoo as part of the zoo's behavioral enrichment program.
CBC, "Canada, Greenland Will Protect Polar Bears," October 30, 2009. Canada and Greenland are setting up a polar bear commission that will ensure bear populations that are shared between both nations will be protected and managed properly.
BBC, "Polar Bear Plus Grizzly Equals?", October 30, 2009. What do you get if you cross a polar bear with a grizzly brown bear? Scientists can now answer the question, following the first study of a polar bear/grizzly bear hybrid.
BBC, "Agoraphobic Bear Fears 'Allayed'," October 30, 2009. Concerns a polar bear would suffer agoraphobia after moving from a city zoo to four acres in the Highlands were unfounded, a park chief says.
Vancouver Sun, "Canada, Nunavut, Greenland Sign Polar Bear Agreement," October 30, 2009. Canada, Nunavut, and Greenland have signed an agreement to jointly manage the increasingly unsustainable hunting of their shared population of polar bears.
Canadian Press, "Trick-or-treaters on Hudson Bay Get Helicopter Escort, Polar Bear Patrol," October 30, 2009. The Halloween drill is slightly different for kids in a remote Manitoba town on Hudson Bay.
New Scientist, "We Still Have a Chance to Save Polar Bears," October 30, 2009. With all the attention given to the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, it's easy to forget that some ice will persist for many years yet.
CBC News, "Canada, Greenland to Sign Polar Bear Agreement,"
October 29, 2009. A much-anticipated polar bear conservation agreement between Greenland, Canada, and Nunavut will be signed Friday.
Environment Newswire, "International Trade Bans Proposed for Blue Fin Tuna, Polar Bears," October 29, 2009. Proposals for tighter trade controls on Atlantic bluefin tuna, polar bears, sharks, corals, and elephant ivory have been submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for consideration at its upcoming meeting in Doha, Qatar next March.
Systems, "Ice Breaking Polar Bear Study," October 26, 2009. Scientists are studying polar bears in the northern Beaufort Sea to see how the bears are coping with sea ice changes.
New York Times, "Polar Bears vs. Resource Development in Alaska," October 26, 2009. Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell vowed last week to keep fighting the 2008 listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.
CBC Canada, "Nunavut to Lobby Against Polar Bear Trade Ban," October 26, 2009. Nunavut will lobby against a U.S. proposal to ban the commercial trade of polar bears in many countries, a move that would affect Inuit sport hunting guides across the North.
New York TImes, "Across City, Weekend Rallies to Curb Climate Change," October 26, 2009. Demonstrators in New York were part of a coordinated global demonstration about the rising level of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere, organized by 350.org.
New York Times, "Breathing Room for the Bear," October 23, 2009. The Obama administration’s proposed designation of 200,000 square miles of Alaskan waters and sea ice as critical habitat for the polar bear signals a more sympathetic attitude toward endangered species.
Associated Press, "Feds Designate 'Critical Habitat' for Polar Bear," October 22, 2009. The Obama administration is designating more than 200,000 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
USA Today, "Poll: Americans' Belief in Global Warming Cools," October 22, 2009. The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence the Earth is warming because of pollution is at its lowest point in three years, according to new poll.
BBC, "Polar Bear Unveiled at New Home," October 22, 2009. The UK's only polar bear has been given a public unveiling at her new home in the Highlands. Her new enclosure extends over four acres of land.
New York Times, October 21, 2009. The White House has completed its review of proposed habitat protections for the polar bear, clearing the Interior Department to introduce the regulations.
Reuters, "MMS Starts Review of Shell's Chukchi Drill Plan,"
October 21, 2009. The Minerals Management Service has launched its formal review of a plan by Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast.
The News Leader, "Girl 'Inspired and Passionate' After Trip to See Polar Bears," October 21, 2009. Courtney Freyhauf returned from PBI's Leadership Camp inspired and ready to make a difference.
The Tyee, "Why Are Oddballs Like This Guy Winning?", October 21, 2009. Lord Monckton's bizarre climate change denials enthrall the Fraser Institute crowd, and ripple out.
KTVA, "State Wants Feds to De-List Polar Bears as Threatened," October 21, 2009. The State of Alaska has filed a lawsuit with the federal government to remove polar bears from the Endangered Species Act.
Associated Press, "Shell Gets Conditional OK for Beaufort Drilling," October 19, 2009. A federal agency has approved a plan by Shell Oil to drill exploratory wells on two leases in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast — a decision that environmental groups contend ignores threats to the Arctic environment and its wildlife.
Toronto CTV, "Climate Change Issue a Fake Debate, Expert Says," October 18, 2009. Confused by all the mixed messages about climate change? There's a good reason for that, says a public relations expert, who argues in a new book that the so-called global warming debate is a tug-of-war between clever PR tactics and sound science.
Canadian Press, "Inuit Angry Over U.S. Proposal to Eliminate All Trade in Polar Bears," October 17, 2009. Canadian Inuit are outraged over a U.S. plan to use an international treaty to eliminate all trade in polar bears anywhere in the world.
Associated Press, "U.S. Seeks Tougher Protections for Polar Bear," October 16, 2009. With global warming shrinking Arctic sea ice that polar bears depend upon for survival, the U.S. is seeking to remove another major threat: international trade in the bears' fur and other parts.
CNN, "Arctic Ice to Vanish in Summer, Report Says" October 15, 2009. New data released Thursday suggests that the Arctic Ocean will be "largely ice free" during summer within a decade.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Bears Get a Taste of Halloween at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo," October 15, 2009. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo fed pumpkins to Aurora, a polar bear, and two grizzly bears to kick off Boo at the Zoo, an eight-night Halloween celebration when the zoo is open after dark.
Journal Online, "Britain's Only Polar Bear to Be Moved to Northern Retreat," October 14, 2009. Britain's only polar bear will soon be moved from her enclosure in the Edinburgh Zoo to a new, larger exhibit in the Highland Wildlife Park.
Nunatsiaq Online, October 12, 2009. Lower hunting quotas and a larger harp seal population have led to an increase in the Davis Strait population of polar bears, although biologists expect the trend to reverse due to shrinking sea ice.
Southside News, "On the Tundra with Brookfield's Polar Bear Expert," October 11, 2009. Christy Mazrimas-Ott travels to Churchill each fall as an in-field ambassador for Polar Bears International.
Marketing, "Polar Bear Tweets Make Environmental Stand," October 7, 2009. The Toronto Zoo’s polar bears are making an environmental statement through a site called PolarTweets.com.
Reuters, "Alaska Oil Explorers Encountering More Polar Bears," October 6, 2009. Close encounters with polar bears have increased dramatically along the North Slope in recent years. Scientists says that the bears follow the coastline after they're driven ashore by melting sea ice.
Mother Nature Network, "New Polar Bear Rule Sent to White House," October 6, 2009. Protection for polar bears' shrinking icy habitat is the subject of a proposed rule sent to the White House by the Interior Department. Details were not made public, but the Obama administration has said it would keep a Bush-era provision playing down effect of climate change.
TG Daily, "Recession Good for Polar Bears," October 6, 2009. The recession is "a window of opportunity to curb climate change and build a low-carbon future," says the International Energy Agency.
Zoo and Aquarium Visitors, "Louisville Teens Help Fight Climate Change," October 5, 2009. Several teens participating in PBI's Project Polar Bear contest have caught the attention of their community. The teens developed a free Energy Use Evaluation Kit for businesses.
Newswire, "Tiffany & Co. Honors Chantal Kreviazuk And Raine Maida," October 5, 2009. Singer Chantal Kreviazuk was awarded the 2009 Tiffany Mark Award, which honors Canadians who are making their "mark" professionally and in their community. Tiffany cited the singer's work with Polar Bears International among other charities.
Daily Mail, "What's for Tea?", October 5, 2009. Amazing photographs of the polar bear who took an interest in the menu on an Arctic ship during a Svalbard cruise.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, "Polar Bear Tourism Booms in Kaktovik and on the North Slope," October 4, 2009. Tourists head out by boat to see polar bears in northern Alaska.
BBC News, "Polar Bear Cub a Hitches a Ride," October 2, 2009. A tourist from the UK snapped a photo of a polar bear cub hitching a ride on its mother's back at the mouth of a fjord in the Svalbard archipelago.
Japan Times, "Japan Faces Pressure to Stop Importing Polar Bear Products," October 2, 2009. Japan is considered the world's No. 1 importer of polar bear products like furs and rugs. But with the bears at risk due to climate change, Japan could become a target of criticism for its lax policy.
New York Times, "Walruses Suffer Substantial Losses as Sea Ice Erodes," October 2, 2009. Half a century after Pacific walruses began recovering from industrial-scale hunting, marine biologists are growing worried that the marine mammals—like polar bears—face a mounting threat from global warming.
BBC News, "Belfast's Bear Back Under Glass," October 1, 2009. A polar bear that once lived at the Belfast Zoo is back on display as a stuffed bear at the Ulster Museum.
Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Arctic Blast," September 30, 2009. A Hopkins High School junior is headed to the Arctic Circle to help save the polar bears, as part of Polar Bears International's leadership camp.
Nunatsiaq Online, "Baffin Hunters Threaten Revolt Over Nunavut Government Polar Bear Quotas," September 30, 2009. Hunters from Pond Inlet, Clyde River, and Qikiqtarjuaq said they will "hunt what we want" if the GN reduces the Baffin Bay polar bear quota from 105 to 64.
New York Times, "EPA Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions," September 30, 2009. Unwilling to wait for Congress to act, the Obama administration announced that it was moving forward on new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from hundreds of power plants and large industrial facilities.
Associated Press,, "Feds to Decide on Listing Ice Seals as Threatened," September 29, 2009. A federal agency must decide within three weeks whether spotted seals, which depend on sea ice off Alaska's coast, should be listed as a threatened or endangered species.
CBC Canada, "Baffin Bay Polar Bear Hunt Quota Goes Before Hearing," September 28, 2009. The disagreement between biologists and Inuit hunters over the number of polar bears in Nunavut's Baffin Bay region will take center stage again this week when territorial wildlife regulators consider a new request to reduce the annual hunting quota in the area.
Press Republican, "Tracking Nanuk," September 26, 2009. Close encounters with polar bears at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in the Cape Tatnum Wildlife Management Area.
New York Times, "It's Easy Being Green," September 25, 2009. Saving the planet won't come free, but it won't cost that much either—the equivalent of each of us buying a postage stamp a day.
Winnipeg Free Press, "Bear Debby Leaves a Hole," September 25, 2009. Despite a new commemorative statue of Debby, the Assiniboine Zoo's polar bear who died at the age of 42, zoo visitors miss their bear.
New York Times, "The Arctic and Climate Change," September 24, 2009. One of Polar Bears International's Leadership Camp graduates urges individuals and governments to take action against climate change.
Alaska Public Radio Network, "Polar Bear Commission Meets in Moscow," September 24, 2009. The first meeting of a U.S./Russia bilateral polar bear commission is taking place in Moscow this week. Delegates will discuss the shared population of polar bears in the Chukchi Sea.
CBS News, "Famed Polar Bear Knut Enters Dating World," September 24, 2009. Knut, the Berlin Zoo's famous polar bear, has been introduced to a potential love interest.
Geek Com, "Polar Tweets Allow You to Tweet for the Environment," September 22, 2009. The Toronto Zoo is sponsoring a website called Polar Tweets to raise awareness about climate change. Environmentally friendly tweets prevent the bear from sinking into the ocean.
NPR News, "Obama Determined to Act on Climate Change," September 22, 2009. President Obama warned the United Nations on Tuesday that there is no time to waste in addressing the problem of climate change.
News Miner, "Bear Necessities," September 22, 2009. Native hunters in far northern Canada have lost a critical source of income because U.S. hunters are no longer traveling to the villages to seek the bears, a consequence of the polar bear's listing as a threatened species in the U.S.
Associated Press, "White Bear Takes Center Stage in Climate Drama," September 21, 2009. Wildlife activists and local hunters fight over whether the bear should be classified as 'threatened'.
Los Angeles Times, "As Ice Melts, as Court Briefs Fly, the White Bear Will Hold Center Stage in Climate Drama," September 20, 2009. Native hunters from Canada are contesting a U.S. ban on imports of polar-bearskin rugs. The 2008 ban has destroyed an estimated $3-million-a-year trophy hunting business.
Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, "Courtney Freyhauf, a 16-Year-Old, Is Being Sent to the Arctic by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo," September 18, 2009. The zoo volunteer was selected to take part in Polar Bears International's Leadership Camp, held during the polar bear migration in Churchill.
CBC News Canada, "Nunavut Tests Aerial Surveys of Polar Bears," September 18, 2009. Scientific efforts are underway in Nunavut to develop less invasive ways of surveying polar bears, addressing Inuit concerns about the physical handling of bears.
Zikkir Science & Technology News, "Study Confirms Direct Link Between CO2 and Antarctic Ice Sheets," September 17, 2009. In what has been described as "inverse global warming," a team of scientists has confirmed a direct link between declining CO2 levels and the formation of Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago.
Commons Dreams, "Up to 200 Walruses Dead in Alaska as Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Third-lowest Level Recorded," September 17, 2009. The Arctic sea ice has reached the third-lowest level ever recorded, and up to 200 walruses have been reported dead, further evidence of global warming's brutal transformation of the Arctic.
KTUU, "Polar Bear Battle Heats Up," September 17, 2009. Canadian officials met with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to discuss the fact that U.S. hunters are now banned from bringing polar bear parts and hides into the country. Both groups oppose the ban.
Earth Week, "New Arctic Emerging from Climate Change," September 17, 2009. An exhaustive survey of the polar environment indicates that the Arctic as we know it may soon be a thing of the past.
New Scientist, "Polar Bears Run Riot as Ice Melts," September 16, 2009. As climate change causes sea ice to shrink, the number of "problem" polar bears appears to be increasing.
CNS News, "First the Polar Bear, Now Artic Reindeer Proposed for Endangered Species Listing," September 16, 2009. The International Fund for Animal Welfare on Tuesday filed a petition with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect two North Pole caribou species under the Endangered Species Act.
Chicago Tribune, "Plant a Tree, Help a Polar Bear!", September 13, 2009. Plant a tree in Wisconsin and help save the habitat for polar bears thousands of miles away on frozen ice. That's the message of a new project called "tree planting for climate change" involving a partnership between the state Department of Natural Resources and Polar Bears International.
Washington Post, "Arctic Blast," September 11, 2009. For a couple of months in Churchill, Manitoba, the polar bears come calling.
The Telegraph, "Polar Bears 'Face Extinction in Less Than 70 Years
Because of Global Warming'," September 11, 2009. Polar bears face extinction in less than 70 years because of global warming, scientists warn.
AFP, "Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Caribou Hurt by Climate Change," September 11, 2009. Polar bear cubs, the arctic fox and caribou herds are among the victims of dramatic changes in the Arctic due to climate change, a study published in the journal Science found.
Spiegel Online, "Knut's Girlfriend Arrives: Blind Date for Berlin's Favorite Bear," September 10, 2009. Knut's days of bear bachelorhood may be over. An Italian female polar bear named Gianna arrived at the superstar's home, Berlin Zoo, on Tuesday and the two will spend the next few days getting to know each other.
Copenhagen Post, "Maersk Donates Millions to Zoo," September 4, 2009. The Maersk Foundation has donated 150 million kroner to create a new complex, the Arctic Circle, at the Copenhagen zoo. It will house polar bears, seals, and Arctic birds in as natural an environment as possible.
San Francisco Chronicle, "Arctic Reverses Trend, Is Warmest in Two Millennia," September 3, 2009. Arctic temperatures are the warmest they have been in 2,000 years, according to a paper in the journal Science. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle explains.
CBC News.ca, "Bear Fence Set Up at Baffin Island Campground," September 3, 2009. Campers in Katannilik Territorial Park between Iqaluit and Kimmirut, Nunavut, can sleep easier thanks to a new electric bear fence. Soper Lake Campground was the site of a polar bear attack in 2001.
Straight.com, "Roving the Polar Bear's Exotic Turf—with Care," September 3, 2009. Summer in Churchill has an entirely different look, with wildflowers, berries, and white quartz "boulders" that can suddenly morph into polar bears.
BBC,"Stress Is Shrinking Polar Bears", August 25, 2009. Scientists compared bear skulls from the early 20th Century with those from the latter half of the century. Their study describes changes that could be linked an increase in pollution and the reduction in sea ice. The skulls from the later period were between two and 9% smaller.
Globe and Mail, "Colder Summer Means Healthier Polar Bears," August 18, 2009. A cold summer in many parts of Canada has been a boon for the beleaguered Hudson Bay polar bears. Scientist Andrew Derocher says that the respite is certainly good news for Churchill's bears, although the long-term threat remains.
Winnipeg Free Press, "Fluke Cold Summer Helps Polar Bears," August 18, 2009. A colder summer has been good for Hudson Bay's polar bears, although Robert Buchanan, head of Polar Bears International, says Hudson Bay is an anomaly this year and sea ice generally continues to melt at an alarming rate.
Okehampton Today, "Ice Bear Puts Spotlight on Climate Change," August 18, 2009. A melting ice sculpture will help draw attention to the plight of polar bears in the Arctic.
Frontiers North Blog from the North,, "Triplets Discovered on Hudson Bay," August 15, 2009. A Tundra Buggy driver discovered a mother polar bear with three healthy cubs near Churchill, an unusual event these days.
New York Times, "The Climate and National Security," August 17, 2009. The threats to national security posed by global warming may be the key to motivating politicians.
Times of India, "The Bear Necessities," August 17, 2009. An interview with Dr. Andrew Derocher on his satellite-collar studies on polar bears in the Canadian Arctic.
Gold Coast, "Polar Bears Ticket for Steph," August 13th, 2009. Two Queensland high school students have been selected as Australia's representatives in PBI's Leadership Camp, a project to study polar bears in the wilds of Canada.
Toronto CTV, "Ontario Says Polar Bears Now Considered Threatened," August 12, 2009. The Ontario government is changing the classification of the polar bear population from special concern to threatened species to ensure a greater protection of the bears. PBI's president, Robert Buchanan, praised Ontario's leadership.
Toronto Star, "Ontario Polar Bears Officially Threatened Species," August 12, 2009. Ontario has reclassified the polar bear as a threatened species, becoming the second province to do so.
Chicago Tribune, "Indianapolis Zoo's Polar Bear Dies," August 12, 2009. Tahtsa (TOT'-sah), one of the world's oldest polar bears, died at the age of 34.
Omaha News, "Little Girl Does Big Things for Animals," August 12, 2009. Emily Koesters, a 6-year-old with cancer and a rare genetic disorder, has a big, loving heart. She raised $700 to help polar bears and penguins because they are running out of ice.
Chicago Tribune, "Polar Bear Group Donates $75,000 to Wisconsin," August 11, 2009. Polar Bears International has donated $75,000 to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for its "Tree Planting for Climate Change Project."
Itar-Tass, "Russian-U.S. Polar Bear Commission to Meet in Moscow in September," August 11, 2009. The first meeting of the Russian-US Polar Bear Commission will take place in Moscow on September 23-25, 2009.
Reuters, "Mickey Mouse Meets Mr. Polar Bear at Green Theme Park," August 11, 2009. The world's first green theme park opened earlier this month, with environmental exhibits and a polar bear mascot.
Associated Press, "Vast Expanses of Arctic Ice Melt in Summer Heat, " August 9, 2009. The Arctic Ocean has given up tens of thousands more square miles (square kilometers) of ice on Sunday in a relentless summer of melt, with scientists watching through satellite eyes for a possible record low polar ice cap.
New York Times, "Climate Change Poses Threat to U.S. Security," August 8, 2009. Military and intelligence analysts say that the changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics.
Kansas City Star, "Kansas City Zoo Breaks Ground on Polar Bear Exhibit," August 7, 2009. A new polar bear exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo will meet the highest standards and will be the best of its kind, officials and architects said Friday.
Globe & Mail, "U.S. Groups Fight to Preserve Polar Bear Hunt," August 6, 2009. Powerful and well-financed American hunting groups are trying to preserve polar bear sport hunts through political lobbying efforts and a handful of lawsuits to overturn the listing under the Endangered Species Act.
The Local, Hamburg, "Polar Bear Knut Gets Italian Girlfriend," August 6, 2009. The Berlin Zoo’s famous polar bear Knut will be getting an Italian girlfriend from Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported on Thursday.
Daily Mail, "Having a Whale of a Time: The Amazing Moment a Polar Bear Feasts on the Blubbery Remains of a Dead Orca," August 5, 2009.
Los Angeles Times, "Arctic Protections Proposed in Legislation," August 3, 2009. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) introduced a package of seven bills in Congress on issues in the Arctic that include oil exploration, health, and diplomacy.
New York Daily News, "Polar Bears Judge Cake Contest," August 1, 2009. The Central Park Zoo's polar bears will judge an ice cake competition this afternoon when two zookeepers go head-to-head to create the most scrumptious Arctic treat.
Environmental Health News, "Polar Bears on Thinner Ice," July 28, 2009. Longer ice-free seasons in the Canadian Arctic are leading to diet changes and increased contaminants in polar bears.
Australian Stage, "Bugger the Polar Bears, This Is Serious," July 26, 2009. A comic takes on the subject of climate change.
Daily Mail, "Who Needs Meat? Polar Bears Bite off More than They Can Chew to Get to Their Frozen Fruit and Vegetables," July 26, 2009. On a hot summer day, the polar bears at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo were determined to get to the fruit and vegetables on offer - even if they were enclosed in blocks of ice.
The National, "Thin Ice for Arctic Beasts," July 25, 2009. The world’s largest land-based hunters, polar bears stand on the edge of rapid decline, unable to adapt quickly to a shrinking habitat as Arctic sea ice melts. Last year the US government added the animal to its threatened species list, but Tim Skelton examines whether it’s too little too late.
Environment Report,, "Melting Sea and the Future of Polar Bears," July 20, 2009. Mark Brush reports on a new study from NASA that finds the thick sea ice sheets that usually last through the summer are melting. The segment also includes an interview with PBI Advisory Council scientist Steven Amstrup, who spends each field season in a helicopter studying the bears on the ice.
Edmonton Sun, "Feds Won't Change Polar Bear Strategy," July 9, 2009. The Canadian government will not change its strategy for polar bears despite a recent international report suggesting the Arctic predator is increasingly threatened.
BBC, "Climate Role for Only Polar Bear," July 9, 2009. The only polar bear in a UK zoo will be used to help educate visitors to her new home in the Highlands.
3 News.Co.NZ, "Knut the Polar Bear Is Officially a Berlin Resident," July 9, 2009. Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut can stay in his home city. The Berlin Zoo has said it will pay €430,000 to the Neumuenster Zoo to settle a financial dispute over ownership of the nearly three-year-old bear.
The Great Beyond, "A Thinner Arctic for Bears and Ice," July 08, 2009. Another research paper has confirmed that ice in the Arctic is thinning, while another report warns that polar bears are too.
Associated Press, "Group Will Sue EPA Over Pesticides in Polar Bears," July 8, 2009. An environmental group said Wednesday that it plans to sue the federal government to stop approving pesticides that end up in food eaten by polar bears.
Westport News, "Polar Bear Ambassador Seeks Help from Peers," July 8, 2009. Sam Gault of Gault, Inc., has made energy conservation and education about global warming and the plight of the polar bear the cornerstone of Gault's corporate mission.
Reuters,"Arctic Ice Thinned Dramatically Since 2004 - NASA," July 7, 2009. Arctic sea ice has thinned dramatically since 2004, with the older, thicker ice giving way to a younger, thinner kind that melts in the northern summer, NASA scientists reported on Tuesday.
Canadian Press, "More Polar Bear Populations Shrinking from Declining Sea Ice, Says New Report," July 6, 2009. The Polar Bear Specialist Group, which met over the weekend in Copenhagen, has concluded that the overall condition of the world's 19 polar bear populations is deteriorating.
New York Times, "More Polar Bear Populations in Decline," July 6, 2009. There is rising concern among polar bear biologists that the big recent summertime retreats of sea ice in the Arctic are already harming some populations of these seal-hunting predators
Northern News Services, "Polar Bear Hanging around Kimmirut,"
July 6, 2009. A polar bear has been hanging around Kimmirut in Nunavut, Canada, attracted by leftover seal carcasses. It has also raided the community's dump site.
IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, Press Release, July 3, 2009. The IUCN/Polar Bear Specialist Group has released the results of its June 29-July 3, 2009 meeting in Copenhagen. Delegates agreed that Arctic climate change is the single biggest threat to polar bears. They confirmed their earlier conclusion that unabated global warming will ultimately threaten polar bears everywhere.
New York Times, "OpEd: Betraying the Planet," June 28, 2009. Climate change poses a clear and present danger to our way of life. How can anyone justify failing to act?
Reuters, "House Passes Landmark Legislation on Climate Change," June 26, 2009. In a major victory for polar bears, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation today that will require large companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% by 2050.
Arctic Sounder, "Polar Bear Appearances Grow on Oil Fields," June 24, 2009. Polar bear encounters on the North Slope oil fields have risen to record levels the last two years, a sign that increasing numbers of the white giants may be prowling on land because the sea ice they prefer is shrinking, scientists said.
Toronto Sun, "Twin Bears Movin' on up to T.O.," June 24, 2009. Two 800-pound twin polar bears, Aurora and Nakita, are leaving the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane this week for their new home at the Toronto Zoo. The cubs were found eight years ago, orphaned and wandering near Peawanuck, a First Nation community along the James Bay Coast.
Reuters, "Alaska Polar Bear Numbers Declining," June 18, 2009. Polar bear populations in the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi seas are declining due to continued sea-ice melt and—in the Bering and Chukchi seas—Russian poaching, according to reports released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Copenhagen Climate Change Congress, “Synthesis Report: Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions," June 18, 2009. An up-to-date overview of a broad range of research relevant to climate change, based on a March 10-12, 2009, meeting organized by the International Alliance of Research Universities.
Pittsburgh TribLive, "Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Moves Around Spotlight During Family Week," June 18, 2009. As part of a week-long series of family events, June 27 is Polar Bear Day, when visitors can compare their handprints to the paw prints of a polar bear. They can observe the zoo's four polar bears — Koda, Nuka, Aurora and Anana — as the bears enjoy special enrichment items, like frozen treats.
Barents Observer, "From Nuclear Tests to Polar Bears Reserve," June 16, 2009. Russia’s Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, once a nuclear testing site, was set aside as a nature reserve on Monday. It is by far the largest protected area in the Arctic Ocean and could compensate for the damage to the dwindling polar bear population from global warming.
Oldham Advertiser, "Bear's Necessities," June 17, 2009. Mercedes, the only polar bear in the U.K., will soon have a new, four-acre home at Highland Wildlife Park in northern Scotland.
Labradorian, "Natural Resources Reminds Public to Use Caution Around Bears," June 15, 2009. The Department of Natural Resources is reminding the public to stay clear of large wildlife. Last week conservation officers tranquilized a polar bear in Black Tickle and carried it 100 miles north to Georges Island.
Fairbanks News Miners, "UAF Student Kills Polar Bear During First Field Experience," June 12, 2009. A student studying glaciers in Svalbard shot and killed a polar bear that charged him.
Yahoo News, "UN Report: Nature Best Controls Climate Gases," June 8, 2009. Better management of forests, more careful agricultural practices, and the restoration of peatlands could soak up significant amounts of carbon dioxide, the most common of the gases blamed for global warming.
Canadian Press, "N.L. Issues Polar Bear Warning after Reports People Were Harassing the Animal," June 6, 2009. Newfoundland and Labrador conservation officers issued a polar bear warning after receiving reports that a bear had come ashore in a remote community and people were harassing it.
Zoo & Aquarium Visitor, "North Carolina Zoo Guests Can Explore Life as a Bear and Later Catch the Buzz on Bees," June 5, 2009. The North Carolina Zoo will hold a weekend bear event, “Polar Paws & Claws,” that will feature polar bears. Highlights include keeper talks, educational displays, and crafts at the polar bear exhibit.
Salon, "The Seldom-Seen Devastation of Climate Change," June 1, 2009. A NASA climatologist explains why global warming is more than starving polar bears, and skeptics are simplistic.
Reuters Blogs, "Polar Bears and a Cactus Urge Climate Action in Bonn," June 1, 2009. U.N. climate talks started in Bonn on Monday with demonstrators dressed as camels, birds, trees, a cactus and several polar bears urging delegates to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Northern News Services, "Nunavut Groups Fight Bear Ban," June 1, 2009. A Louisiana-based lawyer has filed a series of lawsuits against U.S. government bodies aimed at allowing polar bear trophies into the United States. American sport hunters have been unable to take polar bear parts into the U.S. since a ban was enacted in April 2008.
Calgary Herald, "Grin and Bear It," June 1, 2009. A former Calgary zookeeper's lifetime of study finds complex, emotional behavior in bears
Montreal Gazette, "Climate Change Hurting Polar Bears: Prentice," May 26, 2009. Climate change does indeed pose a serious threat to the world's polar bear population, Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice said while attending a conference of ministers in Paris representing the world's top greenhouse gas-emitting economies.
Canada.com "Scientists Continue Battle for Fate of Polar Bears," May 25, 2009. Dr. Ian Stirling of PBI's Scientific Advisory Council has co-authored a paper with six other eminent scientists that refutes an article that argued climate change may not seriously threaten polar bears after all.
Los Angeles Times, "Court Battle Over Knut the Polar Bear," May 21, 2009. German zoos battle over Knut the polar bear's profits.
Woods Hole Institute, "Polar Bear-Climate Connection Supported by New Study," May 18, 2009. Forecasts of polar bear populations and their likely responses to climate change have been strengthened by a new publication that refutes criticisms of the scientific basis for listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. The article includes a link to the actual paper by lead author Steven C. Amstrup of PBI's Scientific Advisory Council.
Boston Globe, "Can a Sad Polar Bear Make You Turn Out the Lights?", May 11, 2009. An animated polar bear that lets students “see” their energy consumption in real time is motivating them to conserve energy.
CBC, "U.S. Polar Bear Decisions Frustrate Nunavut Inuit Group," May 11, 2009. The latest decision by the U.S. to keep limiting the protection of polar bears has the head of a Nunavut Inuit association frustrated with that country's overall handling of the iconic Arctic species.
New York Times, "Interior Will Keep Bush's Polar Bear Rule," May 8, 2008. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that he will not overturn a controversial rule on polar bear protections. The regulation limits the use of the Endangered Species Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Alaska Public Radio, "Biologists Concluding Field Research on Polar Bears, Global Warming," May 7, 2009. Biologists just wrapped up more than a month of field work on polar bears in the Chukchi Sea.
Science Daily, "Mercury Levels In Arctic Seals May Be Linked To Global Warming," May 5, 2009. Researchers in Canada are reporting for the first time that high mercury levels in certain Arctic seals appear to be linked to vanishing sea ice caused by global warming.
New York Times, "As Deadline Looms, Interior Mulls Bush's Polar Bear Rule," May 4, 2009. Prominent House Democrats and environmental groups are pressuring the Obama administration to overturn a special rule on polar bears from the Bush administration.
Seattle Examiner, "Interior Secretary Salazar Finally Restores ESA Law, But Polar Bears Lose Out," April 29, 2009. The secretary failed to rescind the “special rule” that the Bush administration applied to polar bears. The rule prohibits taking into account indirect habitat influence from greenhouse gases in relation to polar bear protection.
Baltimore Sun, "'Earth' Is a Wondrous, Poignant Documentary," April 24, 2009. Stunning film offers kid-friendly narrative of three animal families, including polar bear cubs seeing daylight for the first time.
MSNBC, "Polar Bears Find Love at First Sight," April 22, 2009. Polar bears Bill and Lara cuddle at their first meeting at the Zoom Erlebniswelt zoo in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Associated Press, "EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose a Danger to Health," April 17, 2009. In a move that could help save polar bear habitat, the EPA has declared that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases sent off by cars and many industrial plants "endanger public health and welfare."
Scientific American, "Will Canada Ban Polar Bear Trophy Hunting?," April 17, 2009. Later this month, CITES will discuss whether to ban the export and import of polar bear-hunt trophies. A decision would effectively end polar bear sport hunting in Canada.
Toronto Star, "Injured Polar bear in N.L. killed by Wildlife Officials, "April 16, 2009. Officials tranquilized a wild polar bear found wandering in northern Newfoundland, but had to euthanize the animal because it had a dislocated hip.
Associated Press, "Critics of Offshore Drilling Pack California Hearing," April 16, 2009. Environmentalists dressed as polar bears, sea turtles and jellyfish were among dozens of people who packed a public hearing to press Interior Secretary Ken Salazar not to open new areas of the West Coast to oil drilling.
Science Daily, "Cuts In Greenhouse Gas Emissions Would Save Arctic Ice, Reduce Sea Level Rise," April 15, 2009. A new analysis shows that the threat of global warming can still be greatly diminished if nations cut emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 70 percent this century.
The Chronicle News, "Newfoundland Residents Warned after Polar Bear Spotting," April 14, 2009. Residents on the tip of the Northern Peninsula were warned to be cautious after a polar bear was seen in the region.
The Detroit News, "New Polar Bear Could Mean Cubs for Detroit Zoo," April 14, 2009. Zoo officials hope that a 900-pound male polar bear from the Lincoln Park Zoo will mate with one of two female polar bears.
Globe and Mail, "Statue Will Honor Winnipeg Zoo Bear," April 14, 2009. Debby, a much-loved polar bear who died at age 42 at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, will be remembered with a statue.
WHBF TV, "Berlin Zoo Says No Wall Changes at Polar Bear Enclosure Despite Jumper," April 13, 2009. Zoo officials say they don't plan to increase security around the polar bear exhibit.
ABC News, "Polar Bear Attacks Woman in Berlin Zoo," April 13, 2009. Zookeepers manage to save a woman who jumped into the polar bear enclosure at feeding time.
Washington Post, "Arctic Ice Is Melting," April 10, 2009. According to new data released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 30-year decline in Arctic sea ice coverage is accelerating, new data show.
Oregonian Environmental News, "Conservation Group Asks Salazar to Lift Rules to Protect Endangered Species," April 10, 2009. Conservationists have asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to lift two rules they say weaken the Endangered Species Act, including one that affects protected polar bears.
Globe and Mail, "Mama Bear: No One's Sleeping in My Bed," April 3, 2009. Rules that protect female polar bears from being overhunted could make it harder for them to find a mate and eventually lead to a dramatic decline of the iconic animals' population in Canada, according to new research.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 31, 2009. Hope, a 23-year-old polar bear at the St. Louis Zoo, was euthanized after veterinarians discovered a grapefruit-sized tumor.
Canada.com, "International Outrage Rises over Canadian Polar Bear Hunt," March 22, 2009. As Arctic nations debate whether to increase protection for polar bears, a group of hunters has sparked international outrage by continuing to hunt the animals for sport in Canada.
Reuters, "U.S. Energy Secretary Pledges to Fight Global Warming," March 6, 2009. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu pledged to work with Congress to pass legislation that would impose a cap-and-trade system to curb greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming.
Los Angeles Times. "Senate Blocks Effort to Derail Endangered Species Protections," March 5, 2009. A rider attached to the 2009 omnibus spending bill in the U.S. Senate would overturn two controversial environmental decisions by the Bush administration, including one that affects polar bears. Two Alaskan senators failed in an attempt to block the effort.
National Snow and Ice Data Center, February 2009. The Arctic sea ice continued to shrink in 2008, reaching the second-lowest summer minimum since record-keeping began in 1979, according to a recent report by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Calgary Herald "Polar Bears in Western Arctic Going Hungry: Study," January 5, 2009. A new study suggests that polar bears in the Western Arctic are going hungry for longer periods. In addition, there has been a sharp increase in the number of bears affected.
Dose.ca, "Polar Bears Face Uncertain Future in Arctic," December 28, 2008. In what scientists say is a sign of more human-polar bear encounters to come, more polar bears wandered through the Canadian town of Arviat in Nunavut this fall. The lack of ice along the coast forced the bears to choose between swimming in cold water, which they generally avoid, or risking encounters with townspeople.
Reuters, "Not So Cuddly Knut May Leave Berlin Zoo," December 5, 2008. Knut, the polar bear cub who won the hearts of millions just two years ago, may be moved to another zoo that will provide him with more space and the opportunity to mate.
The Star.com, "Oldest Polar Bear in Captivity Dies," November 18, 2008. Debby, a much-loved polar bear in Winnipeg, died at the age of 42 at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
CBC "Hunting Quotas to Remain Unchanged," November 5, 2008. Despite concerns about overhunting, polar bear quotas will remain the same in Baffin Bay, Nunavut. Wildlife officials believe that the combined harvest from Greenland, which overlaps with that of Baffin Bay, is unsustainable and could lead to a collapse in the population.
CBC, "Winnipeg Zoo's Polar Bear, World's Oldest: Officials," August 1, 2008. The Assiniboine Park Zoo's polar bear, Debby, famous for being the oldest living polar bear in the world, is dying from age-related medical complications, zoo officials said Thursday.
Daily Mail, "First Polar Bear to Swim to Iceland in 15 Years Shot Dead by Police in Front of Sightseers," June 21, 2008. The first polar bear to swim to Iceland in 15 years has been shot dead by police, sparking an angry row about whether it should have been spared.
Red Orbit, "Bush Allows Big Oil to Explore Among Polar Bears," June 15, 2008. Less than a month after declaring polar bears a threatened species because of global warming, the Bush administration is giving oil companies permission to search for oil and natural gas among them.
Reuters, "Alaska to Sue to Block Polar Bear Listing," May 22, 20008. Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin says that the state will sue to prevent the polar bear from being listed as a threatened species.
Scientific American, "U.S. Protects Polar Bears Under Endangered Species Act," May 14, 2008. The Interior Department has listed the polar bear as a "threatened" species—one at risk of becoming endangered—due to dangerous decline
Calgary Herald, "Manitoba's Polar Bears May Woo Obama's Daughters," November 6, 20009. Canada's Ambassador Gary Doer and his family met with President Obama on Wednesday and invited his daughters to Manitoba to see Churchill’s polar bears.
Daily Mail, "Willy the Polar Bear's Delight as He's Delivered a Special Treat," November 3, 2009. Two-and-a-half tons of ice cubes partially covered in maple syrup were trucked into the polar bear's enclosure at the North Carolina Zoo as a special treat.
Adventure World Magazine, "Expedition to Study Polar Bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea," November 2, 2009. Scientists encountered warmer than expected temperatures and thinner than expected ice on the first-ever icebreaker expedition to the polar basin.
CBC News, "Arviat on Polar Bear Watch Again," November 2, 2009. People living in Arviat, Nunavut, are on high alert, bracing for a possible repeat of last fall's influx of polar bears.
Kansas City, "First Polar Bear Confirmed for Kansas City Zoo," November 2, 2009. The Kansas City Zoo has learned it will receive a polar bear in time for the opening of a new exhibit next spring.
Live Science, "Permanent Arctic Sea Ice Nearly Gone," November 1, 2009. Multiyear ice in the Arctic—so named because it does not traditionally melt in summer like seasonal ice—has nearly disappeared.
Herald Dispatch, October 31, 2009. "Animals Celebrate Halloween," October 31, 2009. Animals including polar bears were given pumpkins at the Brookfield Zoo as part of the zoo's behavioral enrichment program.
CBC, "Canada, Greenland Will Protect Polar Bears," October 30, 2009. Canada and Greenland are setting up a polar bear commission that will ensure bear populations that are shared between both nations will be protected and managed properly.
BBC, "Polar Bear Plus Grizzly Equals?", October 30, 2009. What do you get if you cross a polar bear with a grizzly brown bear? Scientists can now answer the question, following the first study of a polar bear/grizzly bear hybrid.
BBC, "Agoraphobic Bear Fears 'Allayed'," October 30, 2009. Concerns a polar bear would suffer agoraphobia after moving from a city zoo to four acres in the Highlands were unfounded, a park chief says.
Vancouver Sun, "Canada, Nunavut, Greenland Sign Polar Bear Agreement," October 30, 2009. Canada, Nunavut, and Greenland have signed an agreement to jointly manage the increasingly unsustainable hunting of their shared population of polar bears.
Canadian Press, "Trick-or-treaters on Hudson Bay Get Helicopter Escort, Polar Bear Patrol," October 30, 2009. The Halloween drill is slightly different for kids in a remote Manitoba town on Hudson Bay.
New Scientist, "We Still Have a Chance to Save Polar Bears," October 30, 2009. With all the attention given to the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, it's easy to forget that some ice will persist for many years yet.
CBC News, "Canada, Greenland to Sign Polar Bear Agreement,"
October 29, 2009. A much-anticipated polar bear conservation agreement between Greenland, Canada, and Nunavut will be signed Friday.
Environment Newswire, "International Trade Bans Proposed for Blue Fin Tuna, Polar Bears," October 29, 2009. Proposals for tighter trade controls on Atlantic bluefin tuna, polar bears, sharks, corals, and elephant ivory have been submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species for consideration at its upcoming meeting in Doha, Qatar next March.
Systems, "Ice Breaking Polar Bear Study," October 26, 2009. Scientists are studying polar bears in the northern Beaufort Sea to see how the bears are coping with sea ice changes.
New York Times, "Polar Bears vs. Resource Development in Alaska," October 26, 2009. Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell vowed last week to keep fighting the 2008 listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.
CBC Canada, "Nunavut to Lobby Against Polar Bear Trade Ban," October 26, 2009. Nunavut will lobby against a U.S. proposal to ban the commercial trade of polar bears in many countries, a move that would affect Inuit sport hunting guides across the North.
New York TImes, "Across City, Weekend Rallies to Curb Climate Change," October 26, 2009. Demonstrators in New York were part of a coordinated global demonstration about the rising level of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere, organized by 350.org.
New York Times, "Breathing Room for the Bear," October 23, 2009. The Obama administration’s proposed designation of 200,000 square miles of Alaskan waters and sea ice as critical habitat for the polar bear signals a more sympathetic attitude toward endangered species.
Associated Press, "Feds Designate 'Critical Habitat' for Polar Bear," October 22, 2009. The Obama administration is designating more than 200,000 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas.
USA Today, "Poll: Americans' Belief in Global Warming Cools," October 22, 2009. The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence the Earth is warming because of pollution is at its lowest point in three years, according to new poll.
BBC, "Polar Bear Unveiled at New Home," October 22, 2009. The UK's only polar bear has been given a public unveiling at her new home in the Highlands. Her new enclosure extends over four acres of land.
New York Times, October 21, 2009. The White House has completed its review of proposed habitat protections for the polar bear, clearing the Interior Department to introduce the regulations.
Reuters, "MMS Starts Review of Shell's Chukchi Drill Plan,"
October 21, 2009. The Minerals Management Service has launched its formal review of a plan by Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast.
The News Leader, "Girl 'Inspired and Passionate' After Trip to See Polar Bears," October 21, 2009. Courtney Freyhauf returned from PBI's Leadership Camp inspired and ready to make a difference.
The Tyee, "Why Are Oddballs Like This Guy Winning?", October 21, 2009. Lord Monckton's bizarre climate change denials enthrall the Fraser Institute crowd, and ripple out.
KTVA, "State Wants Feds to De-List Polar Bears as Threatened," October 21, 2009. The State of Alaska has filed a lawsuit with the federal government to remove polar bears from the Endangered Species Act.
Associated Press, "Shell Gets Conditional OK for Beaufort Drilling," October 19, 2009. A federal agency has approved a plan by Shell Oil to drill exploratory wells on two leases in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast — a decision that environmental groups contend ignores threats to the Arctic environment and its wildlife.
Toronto CTV, "Climate Change Issue a Fake Debate, Expert Says," October 18, 2009. Confused by all the mixed messages about climate change? There's a good reason for that, says a public relations expert, who argues in a new book that the so-called global warming debate is a tug-of-war between clever PR tactics and sound science.
Canadian Press, "Inuit Angry Over U.S. Proposal to Eliminate All Trade in Polar Bears," October 17, 2009. Canadian Inuit are outraged over a U.S. plan to use an international treaty to eliminate all trade in polar bears anywhere in the world.
Associated Press, "U.S. Seeks Tougher Protections for Polar Bear," October 16, 2009. With global warming shrinking Arctic sea ice that polar bears depend upon for survival, the U.S. is seeking to remove another major threat: international trade in the bears' fur and other parts.
CNN, "Arctic Ice to Vanish in Summer, Report Says" October 15, 2009. New data released Thursday suggests that the Arctic Ocean will be "largely ice free" during summer within a decade.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Bears Get a Taste of Halloween at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo," October 15, 2009. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo fed pumpkins to Aurora, a polar bear, and two grizzly bears to kick off Boo at the Zoo, an eight-night Halloween celebration when the zoo is open after dark.
Journal Online, "Britain's Only Polar Bear to Be Moved to Northern Retreat," October 14, 2009. Britain's only polar bear will soon be moved from her enclosure in the Edinburgh Zoo to a new, larger exhibit in the Highland Wildlife Park.
Nunatsiaq Online, October 12, 2009. Lower hunting quotas and a larger harp seal population have led to an increase in the Davis Strait population of polar bears, although biologists expect the trend to reverse due to shrinking sea ice.
Southside News, "On the Tundra with Brookfield's Polar Bear Expert," October 11, 2009. Christy Mazrimas-Ott travels to Churchill each fall as an in-field ambassador for Polar Bears International.
Marketing, "Polar Bear Tweets Make Environmental Stand," October 7, 2009. The Toronto Zoo’s polar bears are making an environmental statement through a site called PolarTweets.com.
Reuters, "Alaska Oil Explorers Encountering More Polar Bears," October 6, 2009. Close encounters with polar bears have increased dramatically along the North Slope in recent years. Scientists says that the bears follow the coastline after they're driven ashore by melting sea ice.
Mother Nature Network, "New Polar Bear Rule Sent to White House," October 6, 2009. Protection for polar bears' shrinking icy habitat is the subject of a proposed rule sent to the White House by the Interior Department. Details were not made public, but the Obama administration has said it would keep a Bush-era provision playing down effect of climate change.
TG Daily, "Recession Good for Polar Bears," October 6, 2009. The recession is "a window of opportunity to curb climate change and build a low-carbon future," says the International Energy Agency.
Zoo and Aquarium Visitors, "Louisville Teens Help Fight Climate Change," October 5, 2009. Several teens participating in PBI's Project Polar Bear contest have caught the attention of their community. The teens developed a free Energy Use Evaluation Kit for businesses.
Newswire, "Tiffany & Co. Honors Chantal Kreviazuk And Raine Maida," October 5, 2009. Singer Chantal Kreviazuk was awarded the 2009 Tiffany Mark Award, which honors Canadians who are making their "mark" professionally and in their community. Tiffany cited the singer's work with Polar Bears International among other charities.
Daily Mail, "What's for Tea?", October 5, 2009. Amazing photographs of the polar bear who took an interest in the menu on an Arctic ship during a Svalbard cruise.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, "Polar Bear Tourism Booms in Kaktovik and on the North Slope," October 4, 2009. Tourists head out by boat to see polar bears in northern Alaska.
BBC News, "Polar Bear Cub a Hitches a Ride," October 2, 2009. A tourist from the UK snapped a photo of a polar bear cub hitching a ride on its mother's back at the mouth of a fjord in the Svalbard archipelago.
Japan Times, "Japan Faces Pressure to Stop Importing Polar Bear Products," October 2, 2009. Japan is considered the world's No. 1 importer of polar bear products like furs and rugs. But with the bears at risk due to climate change, Japan could become a target of criticism for its lax policy.
New York Times, "Walruses Suffer Substantial Losses as Sea Ice Erodes," October 2, 2009. Half a century after Pacific walruses began recovering from industrial-scale hunting, marine biologists are growing worried that the marine mammals—like polar bears—face a mounting threat from global warming.
BBC News, "Belfast's Bear Back Under Glass," October 1, 2009. A polar bear that once lived at the Belfast Zoo is back on display as a stuffed bear at the Ulster Museum.
Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Arctic Blast," September 30, 2009. A Hopkins High School junior is headed to the Arctic Circle to help save the polar bears, as part of Polar Bears International's leadership camp.
Nunatsiaq Online, "Baffin Hunters Threaten Revolt Over Nunavut Government Polar Bear Quotas," September 30, 2009. Hunters from Pond Inlet, Clyde River, and Qikiqtarjuaq said they will "hunt what we want" if the GN reduces the Baffin Bay polar bear quota from 105 to 64.
New York Times, "EPA Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions," September 30, 2009. Unwilling to wait for Congress to act, the Obama administration announced that it was moving forward on new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from hundreds of power plants and large industrial facilities.
Associated Press,, "Feds to Decide on Listing Ice Seals as Threatened," September 29, 2009. A federal agency must decide within three weeks whether spotted seals, which depend on sea ice off Alaska's coast, should be listed as a threatened or endangered species.
CBC Canada, "Baffin Bay Polar Bear Hunt Quota Goes Before Hearing," September 28, 2009. The disagreement between biologists and Inuit hunters over the number of polar bears in Nunavut's Baffin Bay region will take center stage again this week when territorial wildlife regulators consider a new request to reduce the annual hunting quota in the area.
Press Republican, "Tracking Nanuk," September 26, 2009. Close encounters with polar bears at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in the Cape Tatnum Wildlife Management Area.
New York Times, "It's Easy Being Green," September 25, 2009. Saving the planet won't come free, but it won't cost that much either—the equivalent of each of us buying a postage stamp a day.
Winnipeg Free Press, "Bear Debby Leaves a Hole," September 25, 2009. Despite a new commemorative statue of Debby, the Assiniboine Zoo's polar bear who died at the age of 42, zoo visitors miss their bear.
New York Times, "The Arctic and Climate Change," September 24, 2009. One of Polar Bears International's Leadership Camp graduates urges individuals and governments to take action against climate change.
Alaska Public Radio Network, "Polar Bear Commission Meets in Moscow," September 24, 2009. The first meeting of a U.S./Russia bilateral polar bear commission is taking place in Moscow this week. Delegates will discuss the shared population of polar bears in the Chukchi Sea.
CBS News, "Famed Polar Bear Knut Enters Dating World," September 24, 2009. Knut, the Berlin Zoo's famous polar bear, has been introduced to a potential love interest.
Geek Com, "Polar Tweets Allow You to Tweet for the Environment," September 22, 2009. The Toronto Zoo is sponsoring a website called Polar Tweets to raise awareness about climate change. Environmentally friendly tweets prevent the bear from sinking into the ocean.
NPR News, "Obama Determined to Act on Climate Change," September 22, 2009. President Obama warned the United Nations on Tuesday that there is no time to waste in addressing the problem of climate change.
News Miner, "Bear Necessities," September 22, 2009. Native hunters in far northern Canada have lost a critical source of income because U.S. hunters are no longer traveling to the villages to seek the bears, a consequence of the polar bear's listing as a threatened species in the U.S.
Associated Press, "White Bear Takes Center Stage in Climate Drama," September 21, 2009. Wildlife activists and local hunters fight over whether the bear should be classified as 'threatened'.
Los Angeles Times, "As Ice Melts, as Court Briefs Fly, the White Bear Will Hold Center Stage in Climate Drama," September 20, 2009. Native hunters from Canada are contesting a U.S. ban on imports of polar-bearskin rugs. The 2008 ban has destroyed an estimated $3-million-a-year trophy hunting business.
Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, "Courtney Freyhauf, a 16-Year-Old, Is Being Sent to the Arctic by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo," September 18, 2009. The zoo volunteer was selected to take part in Polar Bears International's Leadership Camp, held during the polar bear migration in Churchill.
CBC News Canada, "Nunavut Tests Aerial Surveys of Polar Bears," September 18, 2009. Scientific efforts are underway in Nunavut to develop less invasive ways of surveying polar bears, addressing Inuit concerns about the physical handling of bears.
Zikkir Science & Technology News, "Study Confirms Direct Link Between CO2 and Antarctic Ice Sheets," September 17, 2009. In what has been described as "inverse global warming," a team of scientists has confirmed a direct link between declining CO2 levels and the formation of Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago.
Commons Dreams, "Up to 200 Walruses Dead in Alaska as Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Third-lowest Level Recorded," September 17, 2009. The Arctic sea ice has reached the third-lowest level ever recorded, and up to 200 walruses have been reported dead, further evidence of global warming's brutal transformation of the Arctic.
KTUU, "Polar Bear Battle Heats Up," September 17, 2009. Canadian officials met with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to discuss the fact that U.S. hunters are now banned from bringing polar bear parts and hides into the country. Both groups oppose the ban.
Earth Week, "New Arctic Emerging from Climate Change," September 17, 2009. An exhaustive survey of the polar environment indicates that the Arctic as we know it may soon be a thing of the past.
New Scientist, "Polar Bears Run Riot as Ice Melts," September 16, 2009. As climate change causes sea ice to shrink, the number of "problem" polar bears appears to be increasing.
CNS News, "First the Polar Bear, Now Artic Reindeer Proposed for Endangered Species Listing," September 16, 2009. The International Fund for Animal Welfare on Tuesday filed a petition with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect two North Pole caribou species under the Endangered Species Act.
Chicago Tribune, "Plant a Tree, Help a Polar Bear!", September 13, 2009. Plant a tree in Wisconsin and help save the habitat for polar bears thousands of miles away on frozen ice. That's the message of a new project called "tree planting for climate change" involving a partnership between the state Department of Natural Resources and Polar Bears International.
Washington Post, "Arctic Blast," September 11, 2009. For a couple of months in Churchill, Manitoba, the polar bears come calling.
The Telegraph, "Polar Bears 'Face Extinction in Less Than 70 Years
Because of Global Warming'," September 11, 2009. Polar bears face extinction in less than 70 years because of global warming, scientists warn.
AFP, "Polar Bear, Arctic Fox, Caribou Hurt by Climate Change," September 11, 2009. Polar bear cubs, the arctic fox and caribou herds are among the victims of dramatic changes in the Arctic due to climate change, a study published in the journal Science found.
Spiegel Online, "Knut's Girlfriend Arrives: Blind Date for Berlin's Favorite Bear," September 10, 2009. Knut's days of bear bachelorhood may be over. An Italian female polar bear named Gianna arrived at the superstar's home, Berlin Zoo, on Tuesday and the two will spend the next few days getting to know each other.
Copenhagen Post, "Maersk Donates Millions to Zoo," September 4, 2009. The Maersk Foundation has donated 150 million kroner to create a new complex, the Arctic Circle, at the Copenhagen zoo. It will house polar bears, seals, and Arctic birds in as natural an environment as possible.
San Francisco Chronicle, "Arctic Reverses Trend, Is Warmest in Two Millennia," September 3, 2009. Arctic temperatures are the warmest they have been in 2,000 years, according to a paper in the journal Science. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle explains.
CBC News.ca, "Bear Fence Set Up at Baffin Island Campground," September 3, 2009. Campers in Katannilik Territorial Park between Iqaluit and Kimmirut, Nunavut, can sleep easier thanks to a new electric bear fence. Soper Lake Campground was the site of a polar bear attack in 2001.
Straight.com, "Roving the Polar Bear's Exotic Turf—with Care," September 3, 2009. Summer in Churchill has an entirely different look, with wildflowers, berries, and white quartz "boulders" that can suddenly morph into polar bears.
BBC,"Stress Is Shrinking Polar Bears", August 25, 2009. Scientists compared bear skulls from the early 20th Century with those from the latter half of the century. Their study describes changes that could be linked an increase in pollution and the reduction in sea ice. The skulls from the later period were between two and 9% smaller.
Globe and Mail, "Colder Summer Means Healthier Polar Bears," August 18, 2009. A cold summer in many parts of Canada has been a boon for the beleaguered Hudson Bay polar bears. Scientist Andrew Derocher says that the respite is certainly good news for Churchill's bears, although the long-term threat remains.
Winnipeg Free Press, "Fluke Cold Summer Helps Polar Bears," August 18, 2009. A colder summer has been good for Hudson Bay's polar bears, although Robert Buchanan, head of Polar Bears International, says Hudson Bay is an anomaly this year and sea ice generally continues to melt at an alarming rate.
Okehampton Today, "Ice Bear Puts Spotlight on Climate Change," August 18, 2009. A melting ice sculpture will help draw attention to the plight of polar bears in the Arctic.
Frontiers North Blog from the North,, "Triplets Discovered on Hudson Bay," August 15, 2009. A Tundra Buggy driver discovered a mother polar bear with three healthy cubs near Churchill, an unusual event these days.
New York Times, "The Climate and National Security," August 17, 2009. The threats to national security posed by global warming may be the key to motivating politicians.
Times of India, "The Bear Necessities," August 17, 2009. An interview with Dr. Andrew Derocher on his satellite-collar studies on polar bears in the Canadian Arctic.
Gold Coast, "Polar Bears Ticket for Steph," August 13th, 2009. Two Queensland high school students have been selected as Australia's representatives in PBI's Leadership Camp, a project to study polar bears in the wilds of Canada.
Toronto CTV, "Ontario Says Polar Bears Now Considered Threatened," August 12, 2009. The Ontario government is changing the classification of the polar bear population from special concern to threatened species to ensure a greater protection of the bears. PBI's president, Robert Buchanan, praised Ontario's leadership.
Toronto Star, "Ontario Polar Bears Officially Threatened Species," August 12, 2009. Ontario has reclassified the polar bear as a threatened species, becoming the second province to do so.
Chicago Tribune, "Indianapolis Zoo's Polar Bear Dies," August 12, 2009. Tahtsa (TOT'-sah), one of the world's oldest polar bears, died at the age of 34.
Omaha News, "Little Girl Does Big Things for Animals," August 12, 2009. Emily Koesters, a 6-year-old with cancer and a rare genetic disorder, has a big, loving heart. She raised $700 to help polar bears and penguins because they are running out of ice.
Chicago Tribune, "Polar Bear Group Donates $75,000 to Wisconsin," August 11, 2009. Polar Bears International has donated $75,000 to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for its "Tree Planting for Climate Change Project."
Itar-Tass, "Russian-U.S. Polar Bear Commission to Meet in Moscow in September," August 11, 2009. The first meeting of the Russian-US Polar Bear Commission will take place in Moscow on September 23-25, 2009.
Reuters, "Mickey Mouse Meets Mr. Polar Bear at Green Theme Park," August 11, 2009. The world's first green theme park opened earlier this month, with environmental exhibits and a polar bear mascot.
Associated Press, "Vast Expanses of Arctic Ice Melt in Summer Heat, " August 9, 2009. The Arctic Ocean has given up tens of thousands more square miles (square kilometers) of ice on Sunday in a relentless summer of melt, with scientists watching through satellite eyes for a possible record low polar ice cap.
New York Times, "Climate Change Poses Threat to U.S. Security," August 8, 2009. Military and intelligence analysts say that the changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics.
Kansas City Star, "Kansas City Zoo Breaks Ground on Polar Bear Exhibit," August 7, 2009. A new polar bear exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo will meet the highest standards and will be the best of its kind, officials and architects said Friday.
Globe & Mail, "U.S. Groups Fight to Preserve Polar Bear Hunt," August 6, 2009. Powerful and well-financed American hunting groups are trying to preserve polar bear sport hunts through political lobbying efforts and a handful of lawsuits to overturn the listing under the Endangered Species Act.
The Local, Hamburg, "Polar Bear Knut Gets Italian Girlfriend," August 6, 2009. The Berlin Zoo’s famous polar bear Knut will be getting an Italian girlfriend from Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported on Thursday.
Daily Mail, "Having a Whale of a Time: The Amazing Moment a Polar Bear Feasts on the Blubbery Remains of a Dead Orca," August 5, 2009.
Los Angeles Times, "Arctic Protections Proposed in Legislation," August 3, 2009. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) introduced a package of seven bills in Congress on issues in the Arctic that include oil exploration, health, and diplomacy.
New York Daily News, "Polar Bears Judge Cake Contest," August 1, 2009. The Central Park Zoo's polar bears will judge an ice cake competition this afternoon when two zookeepers go head-to-head to create the most scrumptious Arctic treat.
Environmental Health News, "Polar Bears on Thinner Ice," July 28, 2009. Longer ice-free seasons in the Canadian Arctic are leading to diet changes and increased contaminants in polar bears.
Australian Stage, "Bugger the Polar Bears, This Is Serious," July 26, 2009. A comic takes on the subject of climate change.
Daily Mail, "Who Needs Meat? Polar Bears Bite off More than They Can Chew to Get to Their Frozen Fruit and Vegetables," July 26, 2009. On a hot summer day, the polar bears at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo were determined to get to the fruit and vegetables on offer - even if they were enclosed in blocks of ice.
The National, "Thin Ice for Arctic Beasts," July 25, 2009. The world’s largest land-based hunters, polar bears stand on the edge of rapid decline, unable to adapt quickly to a shrinking habitat as Arctic sea ice melts. Last year the US government added the animal to its threatened species list, but Tim Skelton examines whether it’s too little too late.
Environment Report,, "Melting Sea and the Future of Polar Bears," July 20, 2009. Mark Brush reports on a new study from NASA that finds the thick sea ice sheets that usually last through the summer are melting. The segment also includes an interview with PBI Advisory Council scientist Steven Amstrup, who spends each field season in a helicopter studying the bears on the ice.
Edmonton Sun, "Feds Won't Change Polar Bear Strategy," July 9, 2009. The Canadian government will not change its strategy for polar bears despite a recent international report suggesting the Arctic predator is increasingly threatened.
BBC, "Climate Role for Only Polar Bear," July 9, 2009. The only polar bear in a UK zoo will be used to help educate visitors to her new home in the Highlands.
3 News.Co.NZ, "Knut the Polar Bear Is Officially a Berlin Resident," July 9, 2009. Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut can stay in his home city. The Berlin Zoo has said it will pay €430,000 to the Neumuenster Zoo to settle a financial dispute over ownership of the nearly three-year-old bear.
The Great Beyond, "A Thinner Arctic for Bears and Ice," July 08, 2009. Another research paper has confirmed that ice in the Arctic is thinning, while another report warns that polar bears are too.
Associated Press, "Group Will Sue EPA Over Pesticides in Polar Bears," July 8, 2009. An environmental group said Wednesday that it plans to sue the federal government to stop approving pesticides that end up in food eaten by polar bears.
Westport News, "Polar Bear Ambassador Seeks Help from Peers," July 8, 2009. Sam Gault of Gault, Inc., has made energy conservation and education about global warming and the plight of the polar bear the cornerstone of Gault's corporate mission.
Reuters,"Arctic Ice Thinned Dramatically Since 2004 - NASA," July 7, 2009. Arctic sea ice has thinned dramatically since 2004, with the older, thicker ice giving way to a younger, thinner kind that melts in the northern summer, NASA scientists reported on Tuesday.
Canadian Press, "More Polar Bear Populations Shrinking from Declining Sea Ice, Says New Report," July 6, 2009. The Polar Bear Specialist Group, which met over the weekend in Copenhagen, has concluded that the overall condition of the world's 19 polar bear populations is deteriorating.
New York Times, "More Polar Bear Populations in Decline," July 6, 2009. There is rising concern among polar bear biologists that the big recent summertime retreats of sea ice in the Arctic are already harming some populations of these seal-hunting predators
Northern News Services, "Polar Bear Hanging around Kimmirut,"
July 6, 2009. A polar bear has been hanging around Kimmirut in Nunavut, Canada, attracted by leftover seal carcasses. It has also raided the community's dump site.
IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, Press Release, July 3, 2009. The IUCN/Polar Bear Specialist Group has released the results of its June 29-July 3, 2009 meeting in Copenhagen. Delegates agreed that Arctic climate change is the single biggest threat to polar bears. They confirmed their earlier conclusion that unabated global warming will ultimately threaten polar bears everywhere.
New York Times, "OpEd: Betraying the Planet," June 28, 2009. Climate change poses a clear and present danger to our way of life. How can anyone justify failing to act?
Reuters, "House Passes Landmark Legislation on Climate Change," June 26, 2009. In a major victory for polar bears, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation today that will require large companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% by 2050.
Arctic Sounder, "Polar Bear Appearances Grow on Oil Fields," June 24, 2009. Polar bear encounters on the North Slope oil fields have risen to record levels the last two years, a sign that increasing numbers of the white giants may be prowling on land because the sea ice they prefer is shrinking, scientists said.
Toronto Sun, "Twin Bears Movin' on up to T.O.," June 24, 2009. Two 800-pound twin polar bears, Aurora and Nakita, are leaving the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane this week for their new home at the Toronto Zoo. The cubs were found eight years ago, orphaned and wandering near Peawanuck, a First Nation community along the James Bay Coast.
Reuters, "Alaska Polar Bear Numbers Declining," June 18, 2009. Polar bear populations in the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi seas are declining due to continued sea-ice melt and—in the Bering and Chukchi seas—Russian poaching, according to reports released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Copenhagen Climate Change Congress, “Synthesis Report: Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions," June 18, 2009. An up-to-date overview of a broad range of research relevant to climate change, based on a March 10-12, 2009, meeting organized by the International Alliance of Research Universities.
Pittsburgh TribLive, "Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Moves Around Spotlight During Family Week," June 18, 2009. As part of a week-long series of family events, June 27 is Polar Bear Day, when visitors can compare their handprints to the paw prints of a polar bear. They can observe the zoo's four polar bears — Koda, Nuka, Aurora and Anana — as the bears enjoy special enrichment items, like frozen treats.
Barents Observer, "From Nuclear Tests to Polar Bears Reserve," June 16, 2009. Russia’s Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, once a nuclear testing site, was set aside as a nature reserve on Monday. It is by far the largest protected area in the Arctic Ocean and could compensate for the damage to the dwindling polar bear population from global warming.
Oldham Advertiser, "Bear's Necessities," June 17, 2009. Mercedes, the only polar bear in the U.K., will soon have a new, four-acre home at Highland Wildlife Park in northern Scotland.
Labradorian, "Natural Resources Reminds Public to Use Caution Around Bears," June 15, 2009. The Department of Natural Resources is reminding the public to stay clear of large wildlife. Last week conservation officers tranquilized a polar bear in Black Tickle and carried it 100 miles north to Georges Island.
Fairbanks News Miners, "UAF Student Kills Polar Bear During First Field Experience," June 12, 2009. A student studying glaciers in Svalbard shot and killed a polar bear that charged him.
Yahoo News, "UN Report: Nature Best Controls Climate Gases," June 8, 2009. Better management of forests, more careful agricultural practices, and the restoration of peatlands could soak up significant amounts of carbon dioxide, the most common of the gases blamed for global warming.
Canadian Press, "N.L. Issues Polar Bear Warning after Reports People Were Harassing the Animal," June 6, 2009. Newfoundland and Labrador conservation officers issued a polar bear warning after receiving reports that a bear had come ashore in a remote community and people were harassing it.
Zoo & Aquarium Visitor, "North Carolina Zoo Guests Can Explore Life as a Bear and Later Catch the Buzz on Bees," June 5, 2009. The North Carolina Zoo will hold a weekend bear event, “Polar Paws & Claws,” that will feature polar bears. Highlights include keeper talks, educational displays, and crafts at the polar bear exhibit.
Salon, "The Seldom-Seen Devastation of Climate Change," June 1, 2009. A NASA climatologist explains why global warming is more than starving polar bears, and skeptics are simplistic.
Reuters Blogs, "Polar Bears and a Cactus Urge Climate Action in Bonn," June 1, 2009. U.N. climate talks started in Bonn on Monday with demonstrators dressed as camels, birds, trees, a cactus and several polar bears urging delegates to do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Northern News Services, "Nunavut Groups Fight Bear Ban," June 1, 2009. A Louisiana-based lawyer has filed a series of lawsuits against U.S. government bodies aimed at allowing polar bear trophies into the United States. American sport hunters have been unable to take polar bear parts into the U.S. since a ban was enacted in April 2008.
Calgary Herald, "Grin and Bear It," June 1, 2009. A former Calgary zookeeper's lifetime of study finds complex, emotional behavior in bears
Montreal Gazette, "Climate Change Hurting Polar Bears: Prentice," May 26, 2009. Climate change does indeed pose a serious threat to the world's polar bear population, Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice said while attending a conference of ministers in Paris representing the world's top greenhouse gas-emitting economies.
Canada.com "Scientists Continue Battle for Fate of Polar Bears," May 25, 2009. Dr. Ian Stirling of PBI's Scientific Advisory Council has co-authored a paper with six other eminent scientists that refutes an article that argued climate change may not seriously threaten polar bears after all.
Los Angeles Times, "Court Battle Over Knut the Polar Bear," May 21, 2009. German zoos battle over Knut the polar bear's profits.
Woods Hole Institute, "Polar Bear-Climate Connection Supported by New Study," May 18, 2009. Forecasts of polar bear populations and their likely responses to climate change have been strengthened by a new publication that refutes criticisms of the scientific basis for listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. The article includes a link to the actual paper by lead author Steven C. Amstrup of PBI's Scientific Advisory Council.
Boston Globe, "Can a Sad Polar Bear Make You Turn Out the Lights?", May 11, 2009. An animated polar bear that lets students “see” their energy consumption in real time is motivating them to conserve energy.
CBC, "U.S. Polar Bear Decisions Frustrate Nunavut Inuit Group," May 11, 2009. The latest decision by the U.S. to keep limiting the protection of polar bears has the head of a Nunavut Inuit association frustrated with that country's overall handling of the iconic Arctic species.
New York Times, "Interior Will Keep Bush's Polar Bear Rule," May 8, 2008. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that he will not overturn a controversial rule on polar bear protections. The regulation limits the use of the Endangered Species Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Alaska Public Radio, "Biologists Concluding Field Research on Polar Bears, Global Warming," May 7, 2009. Biologists just wrapped up more than a month of field work on polar bears in the Chukchi Sea.
Science Daily, "Mercury Levels In Arctic Seals May Be Linked To Global Warming," May 5, 2009. Researchers in Canada are reporting for the first time that high mercury levels in certain Arctic seals appear to be linked to vanishing sea ice caused by global warming.
New York Times, "As Deadline Looms, Interior Mulls Bush's Polar Bear Rule," May 4, 2009. Prominent House Democrats and environmental groups are pressuring the Obama administration to overturn a special rule on polar bears from the Bush administration.
Seattle Examiner, "Interior Secretary Salazar Finally Restores ESA Law, But Polar Bears Lose Out," April 29, 2009. The secretary failed to rescind the “special rule” that the Bush administration applied to polar bears. The rule prohibits taking into account indirect habitat influence from greenhouse gases in relation to polar bear protection.
Baltimore Sun, "'Earth' Is a Wondrous, Poignant Documentary," April 24, 2009. Stunning film offers kid-friendly narrative of three animal families, including polar bear cubs seeing daylight for the first time.
MSNBC, "Polar Bears Find Love at First Sight," April 22, 2009. Polar bears Bill and Lara cuddle at their first meeting at the Zoom Erlebniswelt zoo in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Associated Press, "EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose a Danger to Health," April 17, 2009. In a move that could help save polar bear habitat, the EPA has declared that carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases sent off by cars and many industrial plants "endanger public health and welfare."
Scientific American, "Will Canada Ban Polar Bear Trophy Hunting?," April 17, 2009. Later this month, CITES will discuss whether to ban the export and import of polar bear-hunt trophies. A decision would effectively end polar bear sport hunting in Canada.
Toronto Star, "Injured Polar bear in N.L. killed by Wildlife Officials, "April 16, 2009. Officials tranquilized a wild polar bear found wandering in northern Newfoundland, but had to euthanize the animal because it had a dislocated hip.
Associated Press, "Critics of Offshore Drilling Pack California Hearing," April 16, 2009. Environmentalists dressed as polar bears, sea turtles and jellyfish were among dozens of people who packed a public hearing to press Interior Secretary Ken Salazar not to open new areas of the West Coast to oil drilling.
Science Daily, "Cuts In Greenhouse Gas Emissions Would Save Arctic Ice, Reduce Sea Level Rise," April 15, 2009. A new analysis shows that the threat of global warming can still be greatly diminished if nations cut emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 70 percent this century.
The Chronicle News, "Newfoundland Residents Warned after Polar Bear Spotting," April 14, 2009. Residents on the tip of the Northern Peninsula were warned to be cautious after a polar bear was seen in the region.
The Detroit News, "New Polar Bear Could Mean Cubs for Detroit Zoo," April 14, 2009. Zoo officials hope that a 900-pound male polar bear from the Lincoln Park Zoo will mate with one of two female polar bears.
Globe and Mail, "Statue Will Honor Winnipeg Zoo Bear," April 14, 2009. Debby, a much-loved polar bear who died at age 42 at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, will be remembered with a statue.
WHBF TV, "Berlin Zoo Says No Wall Changes at Polar Bear Enclosure Despite Jumper," April 13, 2009. Zoo officials say they don't plan to increase security around the polar bear exhibit.
ABC News, "Polar Bear Attacks Woman in Berlin Zoo," April 13, 2009. Zookeepers manage to save a woman who jumped into the polar bear enclosure at feeding time.
Washington Post, "Arctic Ice Is Melting," April 10, 2009. According to new data released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 30-year decline in Arctic sea ice coverage is accelerating, new data show.
Oregonian Environmental News, "Conservation Group Asks Salazar to Lift Rules to Protect Endangered Species," April 10, 2009. Conservationists have asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to lift two rules they say weaken the Endangered Species Act, including one that affects protected polar bears.
Globe and Mail, "Mama Bear: No One's Sleeping in My Bed," April 3, 2009. Rules that protect female polar bears from being overhunted could make it harder for them to find a mate and eventually lead to a dramatic decline of the iconic animals' population in Canada, according to new research.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 31, 2009. Hope, a 23-year-old polar bear at the St. Louis Zoo, was euthanized after veterinarians discovered a grapefruit-sized tumor.
Canada.com, "International Outrage Rises over Canadian Polar Bear Hunt," March 22, 2009. As Arctic nations debate whether to increase protection for polar bears, a group of hunters has sparked international outrage by continuing to hunt the animals for sport in Canada.
Reuters, "U.S. Energy Secretary Pledges to Fight Global Warming," March 6, 2009. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu pledged to work with Congress to pass legislation that would impose a cap-and-trade system to curb greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming.
Los Angeles Times. "Senate Blocks Effort to Derail Endangered Species Protections," March 5, 2009. A rider attached to the 2009 omnibus spending bill in the U.S. Senate would overturn two controversial environmental decisions by the Bush administration, including one that affects polar bears. Two Alaskan senators failed in an attempt to block the effort.
National Snow and Ice Data Center, February 2009. The Arctic sea ice continued to shrink in 2008, reaching the second-lowest summer minimum since record-keeping began in 1979, according to a recent report by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Calgary Herald "Polar Bears in Western Arctic Going Hungry: Study," January 5, 2009. A new study suggests that polar bears in the Western Arctic are going hungry for longer periods. In addition, there has been a sharp increase in the number of bears affected.
Dose.ca, "Polar Bears Face Uncertain Future in Arctic," December 28, 2008. In what scientists say is a sign of more human-polar bear encounters to come, more polar bears wandered through the Canadian town of Arviat in Nunavut this fall. The lack of ice along the coast forced the bears to choose between swimming in cold water, which they generally avoid, or risking encounters with townspeople.
Reuters, "Not So Cuddly Knut May Leave Berlin Zoo," December 5, 2008. Knut, the polar bear cub who won the hearts of millions just two years ago, may be moved to another zoo that will provide him with more space and the opportunity to mate.
The Star.com, "Oldest Polar Bear in Captivity Dies," November 18, 2008. Debby, a much-loved polar bear in Winnipeg, died at the age of 42 at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
CBC "Hunting Quotas to Remain Unchanged," November 5, 2008. Despite concerns about overhunting, polar bear quotas will remain the same in Baffin Bay, Nunavut. Wildlife officials believe that the combined harvest from Greenland, which overlaps with that of Baffin Bay, is unsustainable and could lead to a collapse in the population.
CBC, "Winnipeg Zoo's Polar Bear, World's Oldest: Officials," August 1, 2008. The Assiniboine Park Zoo's polar bear, Debby, famous for being the oldest living polar bear in the world, is dying from age-related medical complications, zoo officials said Thursday.
Daily Mail, "First Polar Bear to Swim to Iceland in 15 Years Shot Dead by Police in Front of Sightseers," June 21, 2008. The first polar bear to swim to Iceland in 15 years has been shot dead by police, sparking an angry row about whether it should have been spared.
Red Orbit, "Bush Allows Big Oil to Explore Among Polar Bears," June 15, 2008. Less than a month after declaring polar bears a threatened species because of global warming, the Bush administration is giving oil companies permission to search for oil and natural gas among them.
Reuters, "Alaska to Sue to Block Polar Bear Listing," May 22, 20008. Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin says that the state will sue to prevent the polar bear from being listed as a threatened species.
Scientific American, "U.S. Protects Polar Bears Under Endangered Species Act," May 14, 2008. The Interior Department has listed the polar bear as a "threatened" species—one at risk of becoming endangered—due to dangerous decline