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Transcript of the Video "Living On the Edge"
Writted, produced and directed by Patty Glick

My name is Patty Glick and I'm a global warming specialist at the National Wildlife Federation. I recently had a chance to go on one of our expeditions to Churchill, Manitoba to see polar bears. I was joined by a group of people from across the United States, all of whom share a love for these great animals.

As Kevin Taylor, our terrific guide from Natural Habitat Adventures described, this trip was a excellent chance to learn about how global warming is affecting polar bears.

"Polar bears - if you thought about one animal that is being affected by global warming, it's the polar bear. For every week, every day that the Hudson Bay behind us doesn't freeze, that's one less day that the polar bears have on the ice to catch seals. Ringed seals is their primary source of food and so for every day they are not out there, or for every day they have to come off the ice when the ice melts in June or July, every time they are not on the ice, that means time not feeding. So it's definitely a very concrete example to show people."

After spending a day in the relatively cosmopolitan city of Winnipeg, we made our way north to the town of Churchill, at town of about 900 permanent residents and at this time of year, as many as 1,000 polar bears.

On our way, our pilot announced that the temperature outside was 4 degrees. All I could think was - Okay when we step off this plane, everyone is going to think "Global warming? What global warming?" But when we arrived to beaming sunlight and downright balmy temperatures, I reminded myself that this was Canada. Four degrees was four degrees Celsius. That's a good 39 degrees Fahrenheit, well above freezing. Moreover, there was not a patch of snow or ice anywhere to be found. Even the geese were still hanging around.

Nearly everyone we met remarked that these ice-free conditions have become much more common in recent years, a trend that scientists have been projecting would result from global warming. Today the vast majority of the world's scientists are more certain than ever that carbon pollution from smoke stacks and tailpipes has been building up in our atmosphere, causing global warming.And we are already starting to see its signs.

So far no where else on Earth has experienced more changes due to global warming than the Arctic. Average air temperatures in parts of the region are about 4-5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than they were 50 years ago. Glaciers throughout the region have been rapidly melting and the extent of the Arctic sea ice has been on steady decline. It's now breaking up about three weeks earlier in the spring and forming later and later in the fall than it did 30 years ago.

On our second day in Churchill, we made our first foray into the tundra to see the bears. The landscape was a beautiful vast expanse of rocks and lichen, willows and small lakes, like no place I'd ever seen before.

It wasn't long before we saw our first bears. It was truly an awesome experience to see these bears so close. With their thick white coats, huge paws and obvious strength, it was clear that these were animals well adapted to the harsh Arctic environment.

But with absolutely no snow or ice to be found so late in the season, it wasn't hard to see that something was just not right.

Our driver Paul has lived and worked in the region for a number of years. He has definitely noticed some changes in the weather compared to the way it used to be.

"It's the late season. Usually by now the lakes and ponds would be frozen around here."

The numerous ptarmigan that we saw had already developed their white winter plumage, but without the snow that would usually be on the ground at this time of year, they stood out like sore thumbs, as did this Arctic hare. It certainly made spotting these animals from our buggy easier, but it also makes them much more vulnerable to predators.

For the polar bear, the presence of sea ice is critical because it enables them to effectively hunt for ringed seals, their primary food. During the time of year when the ice has formed on the Hudson Bay, polar bears can travel great distances to find places where the seals come up for air. In the summer after the ice has thawed, the polar bears retreat to the shores and are forced to wait thing out until the ice forms again.

The greatest concern is that if global warming is left unchecked, polar bear populations will plummet. In some places they may disappear altogether, causing ripple effects throughout the Arctic ecosystem and the regional culture and economy. Tourism during polar bear season is the base of Churchill's economy. For some businesses, up to 80% of their annual revenue is generated during this time of the year. With fewer polar bears for people to see, there is concern that the tourists may eventually no longer come.

Even the dog sledding teams have had to make adjustments. We had a chance to visit several of the area's mushers. This was my first time dog sledding and it was truly a thrill. But somehow I felt that the experience was less than what it could have been, had there been snow.

In a matter of just a few days, our experience in Churchill showed just how powerfully global warming can hit home. It is so clearly in their backyard.

We have a choice and the opportunity to do the right thing and reduce our global warming pollution. There's no question that our kids will thank us. And, in their own way, I think that polar bears and the other wildlife on this planet will thank us too.

Wildlife species are ill-prepared to meet the threat of global warming’s rapid and disruptive climate changes. Support NWF's conservation efforts by symbolically adopting a Polar Bear today.