Polar bears live only in the Arctic where there is sea ice for substantial portions of the year, and the bears are completely dependent upon the ice for all of their essential behaviors. Polar bears are specialized predators of ice seals, and need sea ice as a platform from which to hunt seals, which they generally cannot capture in open water or from land.

In Alaska, polar bears have drowned as they swam toward the sea-ice edge which has retreated further and further from land, and scientists project that more bears will perish this terrible way as global warming continues. The well-known polar bear population in Western Hudson Bay is already declining as a shorter sea-ice season leaves polar bears without sufficient time on the ice to obtain the nutrition they need for overall health and successful reproduction.

Because of these threats and others, the Center petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list polar bears under the Endangered Species Act, America's safety net for plants and animals on the brink of extinction. After a successful lawsuit ended the Bush administration's illegal delay in responding to the petition, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued the first required finding in the listing process, concluded that listing of polar bears "may be warranted," and solicited public comment.

Comments may be submitted using the sample letter provided. Information on submitting more detailed comments can be obtained at the Center's polar bear website, along with more information on global warming pollution and the Center's programs and projects to combat it.