Polar Bears’ Hunting Season is Getting Shorter

Polar bear mother with yearling cubs. Photo credit: Susanne Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Last year, after ice hit a record low, the fall freeze up was delayed. The lack of near-shore ice over the shallow waters where most seals live left the polar bears with a much foreshortened period to hunt for seals in areas where the seals are abundant.

Right now in the dead of winter, the polar bears are struggling to make up for the calories they were unable to gain in the fall.

Struggle Increasing to Feed Cubs

Finding food to eat is not just about meeting adult polar bears’ hunger—it’s also about making sure that the cubs at their side will survive. Adult female polar bears must find enough food to build up the reserves they need to become pregnant and successfully give birth and nurse tiny cubs in their secure winter den.

Pregnant polar bears are the only ones who enter dens in the fall; other polar bears, including females that have cubs, will hunt all winter.  Pregnant females will give birth to a litter of usually two tiny cubs in their highly insulated den. After 5-6 months in their den, the family will emerge from their dens and begin their hunt for the food they need to assure her cubs will survive.

After they leave their dens, the polar bear moms must find enough seals to replenish her depleted reserves and give her cubs a shot at surviving for the next 2 years, until the cubs are able to fend for themselves.

Climate Change Harming Cubs’ Survival

Climate change is dramatically reducing the amount of time available for mother polar bears to hunt enough seals to give her cubs a chance of surviving.

The ice is increasingly far off shore and over deeper waters which are less productive for their prey of seals.  And climate change is causing arctic ice over the shallow near-shore waters where seals are most abundant to both break up earlier in the spring and to form up later in the fall.

This leaves all polar bears less and less time to find food, but the squeeze is particularly hard on recent mothers because of the high energy demands associated with giving birth to and raising their cubs. Polar bear moms nurse their cubs for over two years until the cubs are big enough to survive on their own.

When polar bears can’t find as much food in the spring and fall as they need, cubs just aren’t born or do not survive.

Fight for the Next Generation of Polar Bears

For polar bear moms to win their struggle against hunger, they need us to curb the unprecedented warming in the Arctic. Alaska has warmed twice as much as the contiguous United States, and warming is severely altering the Arctic landscape, including melting permafrost.

In 2012, over 3 million people like you spoke up in support of limits to carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants.  Across the U.S., three times as many voters say the government is doing too little to protect America’s air, water, wildlife and other natural resources (44 percent) as say it’s doing too much (14 percent), according to a post-election Zogby poll.  And two-thirds of voters (65 percent) say elected officials should take steps now to reduce the impact of climate change on future generations, while just 27 percent say we should wait for more evidence.

The President is listening, but time is short. We need to remind President Obama that his legacy depends on taking action on climate change by taking immediate steps to halt the expansion of dirty energy, like tar sands, and set limits on carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants—the largest source of carbon pollution in the nation.

Let’s take advantage of this opportunity.

Speak up for the polar bears cubs—urge the President to move forward on addressing climate change now.

Photos like these inspire me to keep working to protect wildlife.

Visit photos.nwf.org to send a wildlife eCard or order prints for the holidays!

Send an eCard or purchase this photo of a Short-Beaked Common Dolphin leaping from the water. | Photo Credit: Donated by Nick Chill

Share this photo of a pair of Bottlenose Dolphins in Quintana Beach, Texas. Photo Credit: Donated by Ronald Wooten

In the some areas of the Gulf of Mexico, dolphins are still dying in high numbers and suffering symptoms that suggest exposure to oil–two and a half years after BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sent more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.

The fight is not over for dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico–and images like these remind me of why I fight for wildlife.

This holiday season, inspire more people to protect wildlife–order a print or send wildlife photography eCards.

Make your own Thanksgiving hand-turkey card to send to president Obama reminding him that now is the time to put in place strong limits on carbon pollution.  We can help make a Thanksgiving with one more thing to be grateful for–action to reduce carbon pollution that contributes to the changing climate that is harming wildlife.

Here is my card–how will you customize your hand-turkey?

This week, President Obama connected the dots between the increase in temperature, melting Arctic ice, and extraordinary number of large storms. He emphasized that climate change is real and that we have “an obligation to future generations to do something about it“.  Ask the President to match his words with action by sending him a fun holiday card.

I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior and carbon emissions. And as a consequence, I think we’ve got an obligation to future generations to do something about it.

Now is the time to urge the President to match his words with action by moving forward carbon pollution limits.

Tell President Obama to finalize limits on carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants. 

President Must Move Forward on Historic Pollution Limits

flickr: Nick Humphries

Putting in place these air pollution from new power plants is a critical step towards the cutting pollution that causes climate change. Right now, power plants, especially coal-burning power plant, are the nation’s single largest source of global warming pollution representing over40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions.

And coal is a dirty business from the mine to the plant, and beyond. Coal mining destroys vast amounts of land — including entire mountains — pollutes our rivers and streams, and has significant environmental effects on local communities and wildlife

Superstorm Sandy a Vision of What’s to Come

Piping Plover | Photo by NatureFramingham / flickr

Superstorms like Sandy could become stronger and stronger as global temperatures continue to increase–and scientists are warning that we must reduce the carbon pollution causing climate change now.

Hurricane Sandy was so big and so powerful that it damaged more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges–flooding crucial habitats of many coastal bird species, including Atlantic Coast piping plovers, a threatened species which depends upon the shorelines affected by Sandy for breeding habitat.

The devastating effects of climate change that scientists have been warning us about for years–bigger, more powerful storms with more rainfall and higher storm surge–are becoming impossible to miss.

Take action

Delivery of comments in April, 2012 in support of limiting carbon pollution.

This summer as heat waves, drought, wildfires, and extreme weather swept the nation, over three million people like you spoke up in support of the Environmental Protection Agency and President Obama’s efforts to limit carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants.

Today, as our nations sees the impacts to communities, ecosystems, and wildlife from climate change turbo-charged extreme weather, we cannot delay finishing what was started this summer–and put in place limits on carbon pollution that stop new mega-polluting coal plants now.

Speak up for endangered piping plovers whose habitat was overcome by Superstorm Sandy–take action in support of new limits on carbon pollution.

Find out how we can—and we must—solve the climate crisis. We are live-streaming the event here:

Broadcast live, 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report is an event that anyone can attend. And it’s your chance to join millions around the world to demand real solutions. You’ll hear diverse voices from experts, musicians, comedians, and everyday people about the impacts of climate change on their lives and homes.

Dirty Energy Leading to Dirty Weather

Hurricane Sandy is a devastating reminder of the extreme weather risks of a changing climate, as increased warming raises the intensity of superstorms and droughts. Higher ocean temperatures are contributing to heavier rainfall and higher sea levels are producing stronger storm surges.

You can help wildlife in jeopardy from climate-fueled extreme weather events by supporting our work today.

And new research suggests that Arctic ice melting is likely one of the conditions that helped turn Hurricane Sandy into a superstorm.

The Shrinking Arctic

24 Hours of Reality will broadcast the first-hand accounts of the shrinking Arctic ice from NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger,  President Olafur Grimsson of Iceland, and the people of Alaska whose homes and livelihoods are being lost to climate change.

Watch more about the on-the-ground impacts of the disappearing Arctic ice in Hour 5 of the 24 Hours of Reality:

To make matters worse, record-low sea ice in the Arctic likely contributed to the weather conditions that transformed Hurricane Sandy into a “superstorm”, when she collided with a winter storm system.

Urge President Obama totake action on climate change by finalizing new limits on carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants.

How Record Arctic Sea Ice Loss Can Impact Weather

The frozen cap of the Arctic Ocean broke a new record low when it reached its annual summertime minimum extent. | Image credit: NASA

The loss of sea ice in the Arctic alters weather conditions creating large expanses of open water, which absorbs more of the incoming solar energy and adds heat and moisture to the atmosphere. Scientists are actively investigating exactly what extensive Arctic sea ice melting means for extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy, droughts, heat waves, and snow storms.

Polar Bears Struggle

This loss of ice that is changing our weather also harms vulnerable polar bears–including the mother bears and their cubs in the Hudson Bay that grow dangerously thin while waiting for the ice to refreeze so they can hunt for food after longer ice-free periods in the summer and fall.

Record loss of Arctic ice can also mean longer swims for polar bears looking for ice–but the increasingly ferocious severe storms that we just witnessed are also becoming more likely in Arctic seas–where they can overwhelm polar bears swimming across waters whose sea ice has melted.

Climate on Steroids

The extreme loss of sea ice this summer and hurricane Sandy are what happens when we put the climate on steroids.

Yet Big Polluters are continuing to fund and promote deception around climate science–even in the aftermath of the storm.

Now is the time to ask President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency to stop new power plants from being allowed to spew unlimited amounts of the carbon pollution that melts Arctic ice and worsens superstorms.

Coal-fired power plant on the Detroit River. Photo: Michigan Sea Grant Extension

From Lake Michigan hitting 82 degrees in July to Lake Superior running 15 to 20 degrees above average–the lakes are showing the effects of our warming climate. The record hot waters surprised swimmers, shocked fish that could not survive the heat, and are making the Great Lakes more hospitable to invaders that harm native species.

On November 6th Michigan voters can cast their vote for the Great Lakes by voting YES on proposal 3, which would establish a stronger standard for renewable energy.

Proposal 3 is Michigan’s opportunity to fight global warming by requiring power companies to buy renewable energy for 25% of Michigan’s electricity by 2025–which will create jobs in Michigan–rather than spending money on harmful coal from other states and spewing harmful carbon and mercury pollution into air and water.

Get Ready to Vote

If you have not already voted, find your polling place and look at your ballot to research which candidates and proposals to support.

Michigan voters, sign the pledge to vote YES on proposal 3–support renewable energy to fight harmful pollution from coal.

Harnessing Michigan’s Land-based Wind & Solar

Right now, nearly 60% of Michigan’s electricity comes from coal-fired power plants whose carbon pollution drives climate change, and toxic mercury pollution poisons fish in our lakes.

Already, Michigan is on track to meet the state’s current renewable energy goal of 10% by 2015 and voting YES on proposal 3 is our chance to do even better. Renewable energy that is developed and sited to avoid impacting sensitive wildlife habitat is the long-term solution to reduce carbon pollution that drives climate change.

Michigan has enough wind and land energy to meet 25% renewable energy by 2025. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Michigan needs to harness just 8% of the more than 54,000 MW of high-quality, land-based wind generation potential of the state. Michigan also has more sunny days than Germany, one of the world’s leading producers of solar energy.

But, Michigan utilities oppose proposal 3, because they make more money burning coal and want to continue to do so even though Michigan families are paying huge rate increases caused in part by the rising prices of coal delivered to Michigan. That cost has increased 71 percent in the last four years. In addition to fueling climate change, pollution from burning coal contributes to respiratory illnesses.

Less Pollution, More Michigan Jobs

Proposal 3 specifically states that the legislature should enact incentives to encourage the use of Michigan workers and Michigan made goods.  A Michigan State University study determined that Proposal 3 will create at least 74,000 Michigan jobs that can’t be outsourced. Construction jobs account for more than 30,000, and operation and maintenance more than 40,000.

There will be another 40,000 jobs related to manufacturing the parts required to build the renewable energy facilities. With Michigan’s manufacturing talent and know-how, Michigan could capture 50 percent of that manufacturing market, increasing the number of jobs to 94,000.

Renewable Energy Amendment on a Living Constitution

Proposal 3 is a Michigan Constitutional Amendment, because the Michigan Constitution is much different from our federal Constitution.  The Michigan Constitution was designed to be a living document that reflects our values, and is designed to change with the times. That’s why it requires we vote every 16 years on whether to hold a convention to rewrite it. In fact, there have been 69 amendments offered since the latest overhauled version was adopted in 1963.

A major advantage of putting 25 by 2025 in the Michigan Constitution is that utilities cannot use their political influence to sway the Legislature and bypass the consumer protection measures, such as the 1% cap on rates on any given year.

Right now, Michigan is locked into outdated and expensive energy sources like coal for our electricity. But the Legislature won’t act because they have sold out to the big oil and coal companies, DTE, Consumers Energy and their lobbyists.

Thanks to proposal 3 being a Constitutional Amendment, Michigan voters are empowered to cast their ballot in favor of what is best for Michigan–not what further enriches utility companies.  As the Michigan The Oakland Press said, “To reject the proposal just because it entails a state constitutional amendment just further empowers wealthy lobbyists like those working for the utility companies.”

Help Make Calls for Michigan

Right now, it is crunch time and your chance to make a big impact in the fight for healthier wildlife, and cleaner air and water in Michigan.

This Tuesday, October 30th you can also help make sure we pass proposal 3 by joining hundreds of volunteers in making phone calls to Michigan citizens during our Day of Action–urging voters like you to support proposal 3.

Email info@nwa.org for more information on making a big impact in Michigan.

Wetlands along U.S. coastlines and around the world are at risk from sea level rise. | Photo: NOAA

As Secretary of State Clinton noted last week when speaking on energy diplomacy, climate change is central to global economic, environmental and security interests.

Rising sea levels will not only affect Florida–where the debate is being held–but nations across the globe. Worsened floods in low-lying nations, droughts in arid regions and other natural disasters will lead to new conflicts over refugees and resources, calling for U.S. support and resources.

Dangerous Omission of “Climate Change” in Debates

One cannot easily talk about energy and foreign policy without using the words “carbon pollution” or “climate change”, yet that is exactly what the candidates, debate moderators and media have managed to do up to this point.

The omission is a dangerous one.

If the avoidance continues, it will be the first time since 1984 that the debates have been silent on climate change–as Orwellian a denial of the truth as there ever was.  As Americans prepare to vote and candidates lay out their plans for being a world leader in the foreign policy debate, avoidance of the climate change elephant in the room must stop.

Voters Petition Bob Schieffer to Ask About Climate

Noting the threat of climate change to ecosystems around the globe, over 22,400 supporters of the National Wildlife Federation signed a pledge urging Bob Schieffer, host of Face the Nation and tonight”s debate moderator, to ask the candidates to speak to climate change during the final presidential debate. These voters want to hear the candidates address climate change, signing the petition saying:

Now is the time to answer the questions that are critical to our nation’s role in the international community and critical to me: what are the presidential candidates’ plans to tackle climate change for the sake of my family, our wildlife and future generations?

Addressing climate change is a global issue and speaks to values all of us hold– leaving our children an environment and world that is better off than we inherited.

This summer’s extreme weather harmed our nation’s communities, crops and wildlife–and mirror crises happening across the globe. They are a poignant warning that these problems and impacts will escalate in the future unless we begin to tackle the climate change crisis.

Mr. Schieffer, please take this seriously the implications of climate change to our nation’s foreign policy by prompting the candidates to address climate in their remarks during the final presidential debate.

Be a Voice for Wildlife Across the Globe

Help put the spotlight on climate change before Election Day.

In fact, in the post-debate coverage the moderator, Candy Crowley said “I had that question for all of you climate change people,” but that she wanted go “go with the economy” –completely missing the point that shifting to renewable energy and building energy efficient technology is critical to creating jobs and revitalizing our economy. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are causing widespread damages in the U.S. and globally.

The avoidance of climate change by the media and the candidates must end before voters go to the polls on Election Day.

Urgent Threat to Polar Bears

New satellite data just revealed that polar bears’ Arctic ice melted to a new record low this summer–retreating from areas at the edge of the Arctic Ocean where polar bears most need the ice to hunt for seals–and leaving many of the bears desperate for food.

Every summer, a portion of Arctic ice melts and then forms again in the fall, but the ice is melting earlier and melting more now than any other time on record. In fact, the area of Arctic ice that melted this summer was an incredible 49% above the average from 1979 to 2000. The additional ice that melted is an area nearly double the size of Alaska.

In the face of the urgent threat polar bears, we must ensure that voters hear whether candidates running for Congress or the Presidency support using more clean energy and setting strong limits on carbon pollution to address climate.

Presidential Candidates Must Address Climate Change

In 2009–when strong legislation to fight climate change passed the U.S. House and had the backing of President Obama–the only thing stopping us were a few pro-Big Polluter members of the U.S. Senate. Making climate change a part of this year’s election issues is critical to being able to address global warming.

Polls are showing that undecided voters–who the candidates want to sway–care deeply about climate change.  Make sure climate change is once again in the national spotlight, so that voters can find out which candidates plan to fight climate change before they cast their ballot.

We have an opportunity in these next few weeks to get climate change back in the national spotlight before Election Day by urging Bob Schieffer, the moderator of the final presidential debate, to ask the candidates their positions on addressing climate change.

Be a voice for polar bears–shine the spotlight on climate change before Election Day.

The Candidates’ Positions on Climate Change

President Obama acknowledged the seriousness of climate change and extreme weather it worsens during his speech at the Democratic Convention. As president, he proposed comprehensive climate change legislation that passed in the House of Representatives, but stalled in the Senate. Since then, the EPA has decreased carbon dioxide by addressing it as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act–doubling fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and setting strong limits on carbon pollution from coal fired power plants. Yet, we do not have any indication from Mr. Obama what his plans are for the next four years to address climate change.

Governor Romney has varied in his position on climate change. He wrote in his book, “I believe that climate change is occurring” and “human activity is a contributing factor.” Then last year on the campaign trail that “We don’t know what’s causing climate change on this planet.” In his Republican Convention speech last month, he cracked a joke mocking the need to slow the rise of the oceans. Like Mr. Obama, we do not have any indication how Mr. Romney proposes to address this worsening issue.

Extreme Weather Impacts from Climate Change

Extreme weather caused by climate change has been impossible to miss this summer–harming communities, causing crop failure, and leaving wildlife hungry. July was the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S. September saw record low Arctic ice. Undecided voters are expressing that they are concerned about climate change and it could be a factor in their voting come fall.

Yet, the candidates have not engaged in meaningful debate on climate change or laid out their plans for voters to compare.

On October 3rd, they will be in Colorado for the first presidential debate–where the extreme drought and heat has devastated agricultural crops and stunted the wild foods that on which wildlife depend.

The Climate Question in the Presidential Debates

We just delivered over 150,000 petition signatures of Americans from across the nation to Jim Lehrer, the moderator of the first presidential debate, urging him to ask the candidates to lay out their positions on climate.

Share this image on your Facebook page, then post a message on the PBS NewsHour’s Facebook page telling presidential debate moderator Jim Lehrer you want him to “Ask a question about climate” http://www.facebook.com/newshour

Millions of voters will get their information about the presidential candidates by watching the debates next month. It is crucial Americans hear where candidates stand on climate change before voting on November 6th. As we have seen all summer with fires in the West, drought in the Midwest, and flooding in the Southeast–climate change is wreaking havoc on wildlife and threatening future generations.

Keep the Momentum Going

 Post a comment on PBS NewsHour’s Facebook page urging Jim Lehrer to “Ask a question about climate.”

Then, share this forest fire image on your Facebook page to help more people urge Jim Lehrer to ask President Obama and Governor Romney to lay out their plans on climate change.