Now we head back to Svalbard. The first few weeks we'll spend on the sea ice on our own, and later in spring we head out on a long expedition together with Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier for Sea Legacy. All focus will be on polar bears and documenting the damage climate change is doing to their habitat. We are long time admirers of both of Paul and Cristina and the work they are doing for this beautiful planet of ours. It is an honor to be able to do this with them. Can't wait.
We love the polar bear from the bottom of our hearts. For us this is personal. During the years we have witnessed how the home of this magnificent creature literally has begun to melt away. The region has already been warming twice as fast as anywhere else over the last 30 years, but scientists are still taken aback by the records set recently, and how the warming is accelerating.
Glaciers, snow, and sea ice work as our planet’s own air conditioner; they reflect the sun’s rays back into space. As the Arctic warms, disappearing ice and snow trigger a feedback that drives even more warming, since dark ocean water and tundra free of snow absorb heat, instead of reflecting it back into space. Ice melts exponentially - the less ice there is, the faster it melts.
The reality behind all words, headlines and numbers is quite brutal. Time is running out for the ice of the Arctic. Polar bears are completely dependent on sea ice for survival. It is their home. But it is not only about the polar bear and the Arctic. The ice of the north regulates our global climate, so what happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic. No one can hide from a climate in chaos.
At the front line is the polar bear.
