TED Talks Daily What to do when there's a polar bear in your backyard | Alysa McCall
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Apr 11, 2023 Alysa McCall is a biologist and conservationist dedicated to polar bear protection in the Arctic. She discusses the pressing challenges posed by climate change, including habitat loss and increased human-polar bear interactions. Learn how northern towns are creating innovative solutions to keep both people and wildlife safe amid the rising temperatures. McCall shares vital lessons on coexistence and emphasizes the importance of awareness and conservation efforts to secure a future where humans and polar bears can thrive together.
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Polar Bear Population Status
- Roughly 25,000 polar bears exist, split into 19 populations across the Arctic.
- Unless we switch to cleaner energies, we risk losing most by the century's end due to habitat loss.
Impact of Melting Ice
- Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt seals, their primary food source.
- Loss of sea ice forces them onto land, where they struggle to find sufficient food and resort to human sources like garbage.
Churchill: A Case Study
- Churchill, Manitoba, known as the "polar bear capital", provides a case study in human-polar bear coexistence.
- The western Hudson Bay polar bear population has declined almost 50% due to lengthening ice-free seasons.