Help with speech on polar bears ?

Question

In need some interesting ideas for an intro, something to really grab people's attention.

In my speech I'm talking about how global warming is affecting polar bears. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Make them feel sad like "Some polar bears have to swim 50 miles from ice berg to ice berg becasue of global warming..."

Answer 2

You might want to shock your classmates and teachers with this idea. It might not help your grade though.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that the polar bear population is currently at 20,000 to 25,000 bears, up from as low as 5,000-10,000 bears in the 1950s and 1960s.  A 2002 U.S. Geological Survey of wildlife in the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain noted that the polar bear populations “may now be near historic highs.”

Answer 3

You might want to start by letting the kids know that the polar bear population is stronger now than it was 20 or 50 years ago. There have been great successes in bringing back the species from its endangered status.

Oh ... and let them know that much of what they've been reading about the polar bear situation is inaccurate and designed specifically to scare children. It was a planned move by several organizations that have financial or political interests in slowing the American economy.

Answer 4

OK I know I said I wasn't going to participate but I have to - the polar bear population overall is about five times what it was in the early 1960s.

Polar bears survived the MWP, which even by the AGW-proponents' numbers featured sustained temperatures in the 1930s-range for 200 years.     And almost all polar bear populations are stable or growing now.

Answer 5

Bears (family Ursidae) are mammals in the order Carnivora. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere and partially in the Southern Hemisphere.

Common characteristics of modern bears include a large body with stocky legs, a long snout, shaggy hair, plantigrade paws with five nonretractile claws, and a short tail. While the polar bear is mostly carnivorous and the giant panda feeds almost entirely on bamboo, the remaining six species are omnivorous, with largely varied diets including both plants and animals.

With the exceptions of courting individuals and mothers with their young, bears are typically solitary animals. They are sometimes diurnal, but are usually active during the night (nocturnal) or twilight (crepuscular). Bears are aided by an excellent sense of smell, and despite their heavy build and awkward gait, they can run quickly and are adept climbers and swimmers. Bears use shelters such as caves and burrows as their dens, which are occupied by most species during the winter for a long period of sleep similar to hibernation.

Bears have been hunted since prehistoric times for their meat and fur. To this day, they play a prominent role in the arts, mythology, and other cultural aspects of various human societies. In modern times, the bear's existence has been pressured through the encroachment of their habitats and the illegal trade of bears and bear parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bear species as vulnerable or endangered, and even "least concern" species such as the brown bear are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations is prohibited, but still ongoing.

Relationship with humans



Polar bear at Wapusk National Park, CanadaSome of the larger species, such as the polar bear and the grizzly bear, are dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people. On the west coast of Canada, the American black bear has become an integral part of the silviculture industries, specifically treeplanting. The bears are coaxed into areas of harvested forest to "flush out" the other wildlife, i.e. moose, which are a far greater threat to planters. For the most part, bears are shy and are easily frightened of humans. They will, however, defend their cubs ferociously if a situation calls for it.

Laws have been passed in many areas of the world to protect bears from hunters or habitat destruction. Bears in captivity have been trained to dance, box, or ride bicycles; however, this use of the animals became controversial in the late 20th century.

and also what u have asked is a nice question!!!!

thanks

Answer 6

How bout this:

Global warming isn't hurting the polar bears THAT much... And while I'm on the same topic, did you know smoking doesn't cause cancer and that Walt Disney is cyrogenically frozen?

Seriously people, this is an issue. Some polar bears have to swim 50 miles....can't find food....starving...dieing out blah blah blah.

Try starting it out with humor!

Answer 7

talk about how sad it is for polar bears to have to swim 1000's of miles for the nearest Macky D's and how we should help build more fast food outlets in the artic

Answer 8

Ask how many seals a Polar Bear eats in one year.

Can you paint a picture of a hungry Polar Bear chomping down on a Cute baby seal?

Here is a educational web site that claims 40,000 Polar Bears alive.

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_a...

How many seals eaten by these hungry land animals before they deplete the seal population??

Also note they are land animals that eat plants, berries, eggs etc. and live in land caves = So they are not an carnivore only - they are more of an omnivore.

http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra3/t...

Quotes:  "They will also eat berries and eggs."

"After eating 90 pounds of food a day, they can still be hungry."

NOW - How many seals can they eat in one year????

Answer 9

The polar bears are NOT going extinct because of global warming: they are being over hunted by aboriginals, and even then, their numbers aren't low enough to cause serious concern. Try spinning the speech that way. It'll be hard, but it'll definately be a fresh and different outlook on things by challenging the norm and all :)

Good luck.