Grab A Coke & Find Out What’s Special About Feb. 27

Photo credit: www.polarbearendangered.com

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY!

Polar bears. Other than inspiring people to drink Coke, they are one of the most majestic and powerful creatures that walk our planet.

Unfortunately, they were classified as a threatened species in 2008 and their situation hasn’t gotten any better.

So for this world wide polar bear awareness day we’re going to give you the 4-1-1 about the bear, why it’s a threatened species and what’s being done to reverse the damage.

Photo credit: www.polarbearendangered.com 

General Polar Bear Facts

• They are classified as marine mammals, spending most of their time on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean.
• A layer of thick body fat and water repellant fur keeps them warm in the icy conditions of their homeland.
• They spend 50 percent of their time hunting.
• They primarily eat seals because they need all the fat they can get to survive.
• There are 19 subpopulations of polar bears that inhabit the Arctic.
• They can swim at a steady pace of six miles per hour.

What Are The Threats?

The number one threat to polar bears is climate change and the effects it’s causing. Polar bears depend on the icy region for homes and hunting grounds. As the sea ice melts, bears must move farther to find safe areas that offer the food they need to survive.

As climate change reduces the area they have to inhabit, polar bears begin to come into contact with more and more humans. This can end poorly for both the human and the bear.

As ice continues to melt, more and more waterways are created. This leads to increased industrial impacts in the region. Increased Arctic shipping and offshore petroleum operations pose serious threats to polar bears.

Photo credit: www.wikipedia.com 

What’s Being Done and How You Can Help

Polar Bears International is an organization dedicated to reversing the impacts affecting polar bears. They conduct research, educate people and offer action programs to help reverse the threats the species are currently facing.

For the 2015 International Polar Bear Day, they have initiated a Thermostat Challenge to reduce carbon emissions. Reducing carbon emissions we can slow the climate change and disappearance of the sea ice that polar bears so desperately need.

They are asking that every household sign their petition and bump their thermostats up or down (depending where you’re at) 1 degree.

They even made a wonderful info graphic to show just how much of an impact this simple act could have:

Graphic credit: www.polarbearinternational.com<?font>

If everyone joins together, we can make a difference for polar bears.

Kudos to Polar Bears International for being a leader and initiating changes to help this magnificent species.

We will definitely be bumping down our heaters at Awesome Ocean!

Click here for more information on polar bears or to find out how you can help.