While all of this activity is going on at the conference, there is also a backchannel of news about the leaking of e–mails of the scientists at the University of East Aglia. The text of the e–mails suggests that data regarding climate change had been altered by the scientists and was not accurate. This news shook the level of trust by many people on many levels, especially due to the economic and financial impact of climate change steps and agreements that governments of many countries are preparing to undertake.

However, the focus of the climate change conference remains steady as repeatedly scientists and experts state that the data, the research, and the science of what is happening to the climate and to our planet are sound and based on accurate facts. The work of those in attendance (individuals, organizations, and government leaders) continues during the conference, and the serious implications of what is happening is repeatedly being shared with attendees.

While there are still those people who are doubtful or unsure about climate change and the effects of mankind’s CO2 emissions on greenhouse gases and global warming, it is clearly evident that we all need to “change our ways” and become better stewards of our planet. No matter what the reason for doing so, it is just the “right thing to do.” And, along with “going green,” we create new industries, which helps our economy. As we become self-sufficient in our energy production as a country, we become less dependent on foreign countries for our energy supplies, which benefits our national security. So, what is there to lose?

And, if you have been to the Arctic and seen the changes in the ice formation and the effects on the polar bears…or if you have been to Tanzania and seen the reduced ice on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro – the same ice that melts and supplies water to the surrounding villages – or if you have heard of the flooding of areas of Bangladesh due to rising sea levels, then you know that the signs are clear in those places as well as in many other places around the world. And, you also know that now is a critical time to take action and make a change. Change must come not only in the form of changing lightbulbs and driving hybrid cars and all of the things we can do individually, but it must also happen on a much greater scale. Business, government, and industry leaders are the ones who are going to truly make a difference through their policies and laws affecting energy production and greenhouse gas emissions.

Thus, the success of the Copenhagen Climate Conference is critical as scientists and leaders come together over the next two weeks to learn from each other, plan together, and take actions to make a difference for all of us and for our planet. Don’t let the backchannel of news distract from the bigger issue. It is more important now than it has ever been that we all continue to take action and do all that we can to stop climate change. And, if we all do our part, then collectively we truly can make a difference.

Celebrate the Copenhagen climate conference as we all are hopeful that through this opportunity for scientists and world leaders to connect and collaborate will come real actions to help us on our path to solutions for the polar bears and for all of us!

While in Churchill last week, I met an amazing sculptor from the UK, Mark Coreth, and his fabulous videographer, Ollie (Oliver) Parker. The passion of the work Mark is doing related to his Ice Bear Project was truly inspiring. Below is Mark’s response to my request for a message for this blog. I encourage you to view Mark’s website and follow the story of this amazing piece of art that he is creating to tell a very, very important story. The ice bear will be placed in Copenhagen in December during the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Mark’s ice bear holds within it a bronze polar bear skeleton, and as the ice begins to melt, the skeleton of the polar bear will “appear.” The metaphors are many (especially when people increase the speed of the ice melting by touching the ice-carved polar bear), and the message of the effects of global warming and climate change on polar bears and their habitat are visually evident in Mark’s work.

Thank you, Mark, from everyone with Polar Bears International, from me, and from the multitudes of us working to make a difference. Below is Mark’s reflection after his visit to Churchill last week. Enjoy.

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“As the sculptor behind the Ice Bear, I have returned from Churchill delighted by the support and approval that I received from all of the PBI family…and highlight that from the scientific world. When as a new boy to the Arctic environment, as an artist with eyes wide open and a desire to make art count, a blessing from those so much more experienced is gratifying. Ice Bear is a philanthropic work; it is meant to be a vehicle to bring the problems in the Arctic to the wider world. I am determined that its message travels far and educates people from all walks of life and nations. I want people to touch the ice and so touch the Arctic, to become aware and a part of the project and so, hopefully, the solution. I carve the first bear on Nytorv Square in Copenhagen on 5th December and the second on Trafalgar Square in London on 11th December…there after with the help of like–minded people, we will let it travel!”

“An idea of this sort is born by experiencing the environment and learning from others. The week in Churchill was a huge part of my education, and for that I thank PBI collectively–especially all those who gave Ollie and me time with interviews. Studying bears at such close proximity is wonderful and a shed load easier than I found in both of my trips through the North! If I am to pick one concern and one concern only, it would be the basking warmth of Churchill…where was the cold and, looking at the weather through this week, I have to ask where IS it now? This seems to me to be horribly like a crystal ball to the future…that makes me ever more determined to travel my bear. Let us see what comes out of Copenhagen, but let’s not hold our breath. I see a long mission ahead.”

Thank you ALL…

With all the VERY best

Mark Coreth

In May 2009, to prepare for his exhibition on the Arctic, renowned animal sculptor Mark Coreth set off across the Baffin Island sea-ice in search of polar bears. This is a video from that journey.

The weather out here has been beautiful for the webcasts, quite unlike previous years. We have seen many bears, but some were pretty skinny compared to previous years (we rated one at between 2 and 3 on a 5–point scale today, because we could see the points of his hips but couldn’t see his ribs showing through). I’m worried about the condition of some of the bears. This lowered bear condition will be exacerbated by continuing warm weather and positive–feedback warming (clear skies, open dark water that absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it like ice and snow do, etc). My very personal feeling is that it hurts deep in my gut to see thin bears, and to know that humanity has caused this climate change and global warming and that some people are in denial about the facts, so are frozen into inaction when we really need to take action immediately.

We’ve had a lot of viewers of our webcasts and videoconferences, and we have had good and intelligent questions. We were able to hold their attention, of course, by showing the tundra and the bears beyond—we had about 15 different bears today and as many yesterday. During the videoconference yesterday, the drama was a mother and a relatively large Cub of the Year (COY) trying to make it back to shore while the tide was rising under the in–shore ice. We were trying to pay attention to the class and the COY at the same time—as the COY kept trying to jump from ice chunk to ice chunk, it went into and under the  water several times. The COY did NOT drown, and made it to the shore with its mother, then they both rolled in the snow to dry themselves off. We were a little more relaxed as we continued that videoconference!

I think the webcast crew this year has been AMAZING! For all of us to sit on a Tundra Buggy educational platform to have good conversations with students of many ages is just incredible. I wonder if the viewers and others know how much expertise is on this Buggy at one time! Dr. Tom Smith or Geoff York, with decades of experience studying polar bears in the wild, Julene Reed with her knowledge as such a professional educator, or Kassie Siegel with her incredible wealth of knowledge and experience on the legislative front. It has been a real honor for me to sit and chat with these folks, and with the scientists like Andrew Derocher that Polar Bears International had in town last week to do educational talks there for all of us. The overwhelming evidence continues to show that global warming is destroying the Arctic ice habitat, and many of the 19 polar bear populations are in decline because of it. For me, this means sleepless nights. I hope our visitors are understanding our message of Hope—that because the evidence is that people have caused this problem, and people are  smart, PEOPLE can also be the solution. I think a lot of the students understand this, and are trying to take personal action, action within their school, community, and families at home. I think their teachers and families might be listening. This gives me hope for the polar bears and other Arctic animals.

This is an incredible place, and I will hate to leave soon to go home, away from some of my favorite animals and people! I hope I can return to a returning ice habitat…”

Last year when I was here, it was cloudy most of the time that I was on the tundra. This year has been very different. It has been gorgeous and clear and sunny. Last year, I didn’t see the spectacular sunrises and sunsets by the Hudson Bay. Those are magic times of gorgeous blue and green water, bouncing colors of light hitting the snow, and reflections of the sun on the bears themselves. I had to just stop at different times and simply take in the beauty and wonder of this frozen land and the animals that inhabit it. It truly is spectacular. While we could see white ice far off in the distance on the horizon of the Hudson Bay, there is actually less ice forming near the shore than there was last week because of the sunshine and warmer, southern winds. The residents of this area are concerned at how late it is in the year, yet the Hudson Bay has not frozen more than it has. There have been a large number of bears wandering into town, and this is partially attributed to the fact that the Hudson Bay is not frozen. We are all hoping for colder weather very soon so the bears can move out to the ice and once again begin feeding on seals.

During my days on the tundra, the bears were very active. They were sparring (play fighting), ice punching, testing the ice floes by walking on them and jumping from one to another, rolling around, wrestling with each other, and being ever-curious about the humans who were observing them. We also saw a caribou, which is very unusual for this time of year.

The tourists who were guests staying on the Tundra Buggy Lodge were from all over the world. They started the trip not knowing each other, yet ended the trip as good friends because of their common experience and common passion for the bears. The panelists with whom I worked on the Tundra Connections education videoconferences and webcasts were amazing. We all were very diverse in our occupations, yet united by our common passion. We learned with and from each other all week. And, thanks to B. J. Kirschoffer’s technical expertise, the programs were all a great success! But, although this series of Tundra Connections events has ended, we’ve already had a debriefing, and we’ve scheduled a planning meeting for January. Already we are planning how to improve our outreach and make it even more engaging and impactful.

So, after days of watching the amazing bears on the tundra, meeting lots of new friends, being with lots of old friends (the PBI family), and working with iMax and NBC film crews, it is time to wind up my trip to Churchill for this season and focus on packing up and preparing to return back to Memphis. It is a time of celebrations for a season of work “well done,” a time of excitement about what we have accomplished, and a time of sadness as we all go our separate ways and return to our lives around the world. But, wherever we go, whatever we do, we will take the polar bears and the Arctic with us in our minds and in our hearts. We all will do our parts both individually and collectively to take action to stop the changing climate, protect polar bear habitat, and advocate for others to do the same.

So, as I leave Churchill tomorrow, I am re-energized to meet these challenges, knowing that others will be doing the same. And, the visual images of the eyes of the polar bears into which I looked so deeply this week will stay with me. And, the beauty of the Northern Lights on a starry, starry night in the Hudson Bay area of the Arctic in Canada will forever remind me of the beauty of this planet we are all inhabiting…and how important it is for each of us to be good stewards of this pale, blue dot (Earth) that we call home.

Once the torch run was completed in Churchill, then we actually had free time to participate in the town’s celebrations of the Olympic torch run which included speeches by dignitaries, a drum performance by a First Nation’s group, the transfer of the torch to the traveling lantern, and a celebratory barbecue. There was also time to browse the local gift shops. With the freshly fallen snow, the decorative lights on many of the gift shops, and the festive atmosphere, many of us commented that we suddenly felt ready for the upcoming holiday season. Churchill really has us in the mood for the winter holidays.

Upon returning to the PBI lodging, we held planning meetings with the panelists who would be participating in the upcoming Tundra Connections webcasts and videoconferences. We ate (again…it seems that is all we do here) and then those of us who were traveling to the Tundra Buggy Lodge for those upcoming events packed up our suitcases and prepared to depart for the launch area. However, there were some buggy repairs needed first, so our departure was delayed. But, at last we were on our way to the launch area.

When we arrived at the launch area where the buggies are stored at night, we had to drive around the area first, looking for bears as a safety precaution. There have been several bears in the area of Churchill at night, so it is highly recommended that we don’t walk anywhere at night unless we are in a large group. Polar bears usually will flee when there are three or more people in a group. Then, we boarded the buggy and headed across the tundra in the snow on our way to the lodge.

The fresh snow was magical as we drove across the tundra, but the evening became even more magical as it progressed. We hadn’t driven but about fifteen minutes, when suddenly a polar bear that had been sleeping on the road jumped up in front of us. So, we stopped to take photos of the bear with the glistening snow crystals on is fur before proceeding.

Once again we started toward the lodge when B.J. Kirschoffer, our driver and PBI’s field operations manager (I call him the techie guru of the north…) stopped the buggy a second time and turned off the lights. The one thing I missed during my trip to the Subarctic last year was seeing the northern lights, and to the excitement of all of us, the night had cleared, the stars were brilliantly shining (and there seemed to be millions of them), and the northern lights were “putting on” an amazing show of brilliant curtains and bands of dancing, moving lights! And, there were shooting stars repeatedly flying across the sky. It was truly a glorious sight. We stayed and watched for almost half an hour.

But, alas, we still had to get to the lodge where we were spending the night. So, we once again started our drive across the tundra. And, just when we thought the evening’s magic certainly had ended, a gorgeous and giant half-moon appeared on the horizon with a brilliant mirrored reflection shining brightly from the Hudson Bay. It truly was a magical night full of nature’s wonders, and it is was night all of us will remember.

So, the Sunday’s adventures were ones of great wonder in many ways…being a part of an Olympic experience, viewing the Northern Lights, and seeing the snowy world of the tundra under sparkling stars and a beautiful moon. We must all do our parts to help preserve this wondrous part of our world.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.