People Celebrate Polar Bear Day By Bundling Up

Wednesday, February 27^th was International Polar Bear Day. Every day, our use of carbon contributes to a rise in global temperatures that is melting the polar ice caps. Polar bears, who rely on sea ice to hunt for and capture prey, are at risk for extinction if we don’t do something to combat climate change.

That’s why Polar Bears International is working to bring attention to how everyday people can make a difference in the lives of polar bears. They are putting forth a new campaign, which will begin on International Polar Bear Day and continue throughout the summer.

Energy saving efforts are key to reducing climate change, and PBI has a few challenges for those who don’t want to see polar bears disappear. First, they ask that everyone take the “Thermostat Challenge” and adjust thermostats a few degrees up or down depending on the season. Doing so can save valuable energy and actively slow climate change. Programmable thermostats make this even easier. PBI even asks participants to post photos to their My Planet My Part page or on their Facebook wall to show what they are doing to support polar bears.

Earth Hour will be on March 23^rd, and in celebration of that, PBI has created a “Power Down” effort, in which families and individuals are challenged to turn off all the lights and power for one hour on Saturday, March 23^rd at 8:30 PM (local time). They even suggest eating a cold, energy-saving meal by candlelight to make the gesture even more effective.

PBI also has challenges for Earth Day (April 22) and throughout the summer. By participating in challenges such as these and spreading the word, each of us can begin to be part of the solution instead of the problem.