Posted by: Julene Reed | October 29, 2009 | No Comment |
October 24th was the International Day of Climate Action, and people around the world showed their concerns for reducing the world’s CO2 emissions in order to preserve our environment and stop climate change. When you look at the photos on the 350 website and realize that this truly was a global day of action – one of 360 degrees around the globe – it is heartwarming and encouraging to know that so many of us ARE taking notice of the importance of reducing our carbon emissions. And, so many of us are taking action to make a difference!
In Churchill, Manitoba, members of Polar Bears International took their “350 Photo” to make a statement about their commitment to reduce carbon emissions and preserve polar bear habitat. It is through our collective actions that we can all work to reduce climate change by reducing CO2 emissions…and thus save polar bear habitat and the habitat of all living things.
In 2008, Purdue University released CO2 maps with amazing detail of the emissions across the United States. “The Vulcan Project” provides amazing visual imagery of the CO2 being released in different areas of the U.S. during different intervals. These powerful images certainly make an impression.
What are YOU doing to make a difference? What actions are YOU taking? Share your thoughts and ideas here with all of us!
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 22, 2009 | No Comment |
Blog entry from October 22, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
I missed yesterday and so I am including two days together here. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about everything else. The weather has really changed since I got here. Yesterday and today feel much colder than the days preceding. It snowed most of the day yesterday and then some ice blew in last night. When this happens the bears tend to hunker down and wait it out. To the right is a picture of a bear resting near the willows. Later in the day, the bears began to get more active. Below is the big yawn this bear gave before it came over to check us out.
This bear that has been very interested in the buggies the past few days. She sleeps right near them and occasionally gets up to explore. Yesterday she came up to our research buggy and seemed intent on trying to find a way in.
Life on the tundra seems to revolve around these bears. It is the main industry for Churchill. The town is dedicated to providing tourists with opportunities to see the bears.
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 21, 2009 | No Comment |
Blog entry from October 20, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
The videos below show life behind the scenes on Tundra Buggy One.
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 21, 2009 | No Comment |
Blog entry from October 20, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
Word on the tundra is that the bears are looking really good this year. Due to a mild spring the ice broke up around the time is was breaking up 30 years ago. This is about 3 weeks later than they have seen in recent years. This allowed the bears to stay out a little longer and catch just a few more seals. That extra fat storage last spring is showing up this fall as healthier bears wait for the ice to freeze so they can go back out. Unfortunately, the ice is not freezing at the time it was 30 years ago so the bears are still here waiting. As soon as that ice freezes, however, the bears hightail it out of here.
On a scale of one to five, with one being skinny and 5 being obese, most bears we are seeing are classified with a three. This is an improvement over years past. This doesn’t mean that polar bears are out of trouble, because the time of ice melt each year depends on weather and not climate. Weather is the day to day changes we see in temperature and precipitation, while climate deals with averages and extremes. If we average the temperatures across the globe, temperatures are still on the rise, but fortunately, the bears in this area are doing well this year.
The bear on the left showed up shortly after all the tourists left the lodge this morning. The scientists on the buggy were excited about her condition. I like this picture because it shows the beautiful colors of the tundra. We got a fair amount of snow this afternoon so the terrain looks a little different now, but it is neat to see the area with the brilliant colors of the different types of lichen that grow out here. The bear walked up very close to the buggy and as I took the picture below, I was reminded that these animals are wild and curious. The bears I have seen in the past pay no attention to humans because they are acclimated to our presence, but this girl looked right into my eyes. WOW!
Other than the bears, the highlight of my day was the way my St. George’s kids represented our school during our videoconference this morning. The panelist were particularly impressed with the kids’ interest in what is happening to our planet and their desire to make a difference. Their attention to global citizenship was evident as they asked intriguing questions! I am very proud of these juniors and seniors and know that they will make a difference.
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 21, 2009 | No Comment |
Blog entry from October 19, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
Spending time in wild places has always been rejuvenating for me. I find peace and see God in these wild places. I am lucky to have the opportunity to visit this cold corner of our planet, and hope that one day my children and my grandchildren can do the same. It is worth making some small changes around my house and in my community to ensure that this ecosystem is around for them.
The great thing about this adventure is that I am traveling to another country to help kids see that they don’t have to travel to another country to make a difference. The Arctic tundra is such a foreign place to most of us and I am glad for the opportunity to visit. It is a biome that is changing fast; too fast. It is a biome that is being impacted by the choices of people thousands of miles away, and it is a biome that brings our globe together. For many, it may seem like a desolate wasteland, and while it is a harsh climate with gnarly terrain, it is filled with life that can be found nowhere else. There are arctic fox, arctic hare, snow bunting, and polar bears that live here year round. There are countless species of birds that pass through here during long migrations.
The polar bear receives the most attention of all these animals, and it is easy to see why. While seeing polar bears at Memphis zoo is always fun, it can’t compare to seeing a bear on the banks of Hudson Bay waiting for his time to venture out and eat for the first time in months. The bear I saw this morning sat around lazily all day conserving his energy for the long journey out onto the ice where his limited diet can be found. He must eat seals because nothing else has a fat content high enough to sustain him. Often, he will only eat the seal blubber because it is a waste of time to finish off the rest. The fat has the most energy per gram and he will need all the energy reserves he can store. This is great for the little furry white fox that follows along behind him. Without the polar to bring this seal up from its den in the ice, the fox would surely starve. An ecosystem with such a fragile food web is dramatically affected by small changes in abundance of animals, and scientists are beginning to detect these small changes already.
I never really considered myself an activist, but I think I may have acquired that title during my time at St. George’s. I don’t really know how it happened, but maybe I am starting to live up to my reputation. After all, I am at the polar bear capital of the world discussing how climate change is affecting these animals. As an environmental science teacher and someone who truly believes the way to make a difference in this world is to impact the lives of young people, I hope my time here can do just that.
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 21, 2009 | No Comment |
Blog entry from October 19, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
A polar bear slept near our buggy last night and had a pretty lazy morning. As we finished up breakfast he decided to come check things out. The videos below show him wandering around the buggy this morning. I will post more thoughts this evening, but wanted to get these videos on here.
Posted by: Julene Reed | October 21, 2009 | No Comment |
My world just got a little smaller. I have always thought of the North Pole and the Arctic tundra as being a distant, foreign land; almost like another planet. Visiting here, I see that it is not all that alien and not all that far away after all. In fact, I talked with a United Airlines pilot on my way up here and he explained to me that when he flies from Chicago to Japan he goes through the Arctic Circle. Now, I know that the earth is a sphere, and that flight patterns seem a little different because of this, but Chicago to Japan through the North Pole? That is kind of mind boggling. In a way this part of our planet brings us all together which is just what needs to happen if we are to protect it.
It has been quite an experience so far, and even though I have not seen a polar bear yet, I have met a number of incredible people that have dedicated their careers to helping this animal. I am excited for tomorrow and further opportunities to explore a new place and meet interesting people. The link below is a quick clip of us preparing to go out on the tundra.
Blog entry from October 19, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
My world just got a little smaller. I have always thought of the North Pole and the Arctic tundra as being a distant, foreign land; almost like another planet. Visiting here, I see that it is not all that alien and not all that far away after all. In fact, I talked with a United Airlines pilot on my way up here and he explained to me that when he flies from Chicago to Japan he goes through the Arctic Circle. Now, I know that the earth is a sphere, and that flight patterns seem a little different because of this, but Chicago to Japan through the North Pole? That is kind of mind boggling. In a way this part of our planet brings us all together which is just what needs to happen if we are to protect it.
It has been quite an experience so far, and even though I have not seen a polar bear yet, I have met a number of incredible people that have dedicated their careers to helping this animal. I am excited for tomorrow and further opportunities to explore a new place and meet interesting people. The photo below is of us preparing to go out on the tundra.
October 24th was the International Day of Climate Action, and people around the world showed their concerns for reducing the world’s CO2 emissions in order to preserve our environment and stop climate change. When you look at the photos on the 350 website and realize that this truly was a global day of action – one of 360 degrees around the globe – it is heartwarming and encouraging to know that so many of us ARE taking notice of the importance of reducing our carbon emissions. And, so many of us are taking action to make a difference!
In Churchill, Manitoba, members of Polar Bears International took their “350 Photo” to make a statement about their commitment to reduce carbon emissions and preserve polar bear habitat. It is through our collective actions that we can all work to reduce climate change by reducing CO2 emissions…and thus save polar bear habitat and the habitat of all living things.
