1. Are Polar Bears Under Threat?

2. Where do polar bears live? Are they under threat? What are the reasons for them being under threat? Are there any solutions? Key Questions 3. Where is the Polar Bears natural habitat? 4. What is it like there? 5. What is the Arctic Climate? 6. Are Polar Bears Under Threat? It is estimated by the WWF that there are 20 25,000 polar bears worldwide They state their status as VULNERABLE With a global temperature rise of just 2oC, there could be an almost complete loss of summer sea ice cover. This could result in EXTINCTION 2012 saw the lowest ever Arctic sea ice extent Arctic sea ice has decreased by 14% since the 1970s 7. Today Polar Bears are among the few large carnivores that are still found mostly in their original habitat and in some places in roughly natural numbers Most populations have returned to healthy numbers. Some are stable, some increasing and 5/19 populations are in decline (2013) Some populations are harvested heavily and their status is uncertain. 8. So.what do you think? How threatened do you think polar bears are? 9. Is This The Future For The Polar Bear? Greenpeace video - http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press- releases/radiohead-jude-law-and-greenpeace-team-stunning-new-polar-bear- film-20120703 10. How and Why are Polar Bears and their environment under threat? Global Warming sea ice melt and change in environment Hunting Pollution Oil Exploration and Extraction Other human activities eg tourism 11. Global Warming http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=79256&e ocn=image&eoci=related_image 1984 minimum 2012 mimimun 12. Hunting 13. Pollution 14. Oil Drilling 15. Other Activities 16. Solutions? No country rules the Arctic, although many would put claim to it! This makes a solution difficult. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/07/sunday- review/who-owns-the-arctic.html?_r=0 Create a Global Sanctuary Reduce global warming Local level International law 17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zo7wTOdc_M 18. Links http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/th reats/ http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/wildlife/polar_bear/p opulation/ http://www.savethearctic.org/ http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/seaice/environment/mammals_polar_bears.html http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/SeaIce/ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=79256&eocn=image&eoci =related_image http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/19/arctic-oil-drilling-russia http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/essentials/pollution