Hat tip to Gina Cobb for this interesting global warming story from the Telegraph.  According to Andrew Derocher of the World Conservation Union, and a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada:

I don’t think there is any question polar bears are in danger from global warming.  People who deny that have a clear interest in hunting bears.  (Emphasis added.)

Say what?  I admit that I deny that polar bears are in danger.  But I live in Arizona…far, far away from any place where I could hunt polar bears.  Besides, I don’t even own a spear.  And this man says I have a “clear interest in hunting bears”?

Okay, so I intentionally placed Professor Derocher’s statement out of context.  As Paul Harvey would say, here’s the rest of the story:

Pictures of a polar bear floating precariously on a tiny iceberg have become the defining image of global warming but may be misleading, according to a new study.

A survey of the animals’ numbers in Canada’s eastern Arctic has revealed that they are thriving, not declining, because of mankind’s interference in the environment.

In the Davis Strait area, a 140,000-square kilometre region, the polar bear population has grown from 850 in the mid-1980s to 2,100 today.

‘There aren’t just a few more bears. There are a hell of a lot more bears, said Mitch Taylor, a polar bear biologist who has spent 20 years studying the animals.

His findings back the claims of Inuit hunters who have long claimed that they were seeing more bears.

‘Scientific knowledge has demonstrated that Inuit knowledge was right,’ said Mr. Taylor.

While fellow scientists have accepted Mr. Taylor’s findings, critics point out that his study was commissioned by the Inuit-dominated government of Nunavit.

Critics claim the government has an agenda to encourage polar bear hunting and keep the animals off the endangered species list.

In small Inuit communities, hunters kill bears that wander too close to human settlements and, in this particular region, they are licensed to kill six polar bears a year.

Polar bear experts said that numbers had increased not because of climate change but due to the efforts of conservationists.

The battle to ban the hunting of Harp seal pups has meant the seal population has soared - boosting the bears’ food supply.

At the same time, fewer seal hunters are around to hunt bears.

Well, it might be a matter of contention whether the soaring polar bear population is the result of global warming or the result of conservation efforts.  I would suspect it’s the result of conservation efforts.  But at the same time, the story nevertheless puts the lie to the notion that global warming is killing off the polar bear population.  Indeed, it shows that the bears are equipped to survive in a variety of environmental conditions.

Indeed, British Channel 4 Television recently aired the documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle,” in which one scientist pointed out that polar bears have historically shown the ability to survive global warming and cooling cycles.  Even Al Gore admits that there have been wide swings in the average global temperature over the past 150,000 years.  And you can still find what in the Arctic?

Polar bears, that’s what.  Like mama polar bear and her baby polar bears, depicted in this photo clinging precariously to a floating iceberg, wondering where all the ice went….

But we’re not finished with the aforementioned Professor Derocher yet.  The Telegraph article continues:

However, Prof. Derocher conceded that some polar bear-related evidence of the damaging effect of global warming was misplaced.

Contrary to concern over a celebrated photograph of a bear and its cub floating on a tiny iceberg, the animals often travel in that way, he said.

‘Bears will often hang out on glacier ice or large pieces of multi-year ice,’ he said.

The state of Alaska yesterday questioned the scientific justification for proposals to add polar bears to the US endangered species list.

Tina Cunnings, a biologist attached to the Alaskan government, questioned whether they needed sea ice to survive, saying they could adapt to hunt on land and find alternative food sources to seals.  (Emphasis added.)

Oh, there’s one more thing Professor Derocher forgot to mention: Polar bears are notoriously proficient swimmers….

Technorati Tags: global warming story, Andrew Derocher, World Conservation Union, professor of biological sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, polar bears, in danger, hunt, spear, clear interest in hunting bears, out of context, tiny iceberg, defining image, Canada’s eastern Arctic, thriving, not declining, mankind’s interference in the environment, Davis Strait area, polar bear population, polar bear biologist, animals, Inuit hunters, Inuit knowledge, scientists, critics, commissioned, Inuit-dominated government of Nunavit, agenda, encourage polar bear hunting, endangered species list, licensed to kill, climate change, efforts of conservationists, Harp seal pups, seal population, food supply, equipped to survive, environmental conditions, British Channel 4 Television, documentary, The Great Global Warming Swindle, warming and cooling cycles, Al Gore, average global temperature, Arctic, floating iceberg, glacier ice, multi-year ice, state of Alaska, scientific justification, Tina Cunnings, biologist, Alaskan government, sea ice, adapt to hunt on land, find alternative food sources, proficient swimmers

Bookmark: