Actor Josh Duhamel Travels to Churchill, Manitoba in Search of a Personal Experience With 'Threatened' Polar Bears on the Hudson Bay

Actor Josh Duhamel Travels to Churchill, Manitoba in Search of a Personal Experience With 'Threatened' Polar Bears on the Hudson Bay

As part of Polar Bears International's Project thermo-STAT, Duhamel encourages viewers around the world to take actions that can reduce carbon footprints; impacting the future of polar bears

CHURCHILL, Manitoba, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Actor Josh Duhamel ("Transformers," "Las Vegas," "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton") traveled to the shore of the Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, where polar bears assemble annually to await the freeze up. He joined elite polar bear scientists Dr. Ian Stirling and Dr. Steven Amstrup, members of the Scientific Advisory Council of Polar Bears International, a non-profit organization devoted to worldwide conservation of the polar bear through support of research and education.

"I'm blown away by the beauty of seeing these awesome creatures up close and personal," says Duhamel. "I wanted to see the effects of climate change and confront the contradictory claims about polar bears first-hand. The plight of the polar bear is a symbol of what's going on globally."

In an effort to alert the world that higher temperatures are having an immediate and negative impact on polar bear conservation due to global warming, Polar Bears International (PBI) launched project thermo-STAT (TM). The initiative was comprised of programs that involve a wide range of participants worldwide. Project thermo-STAT core components include the Arctic Ambassador Centers, the PBI website's CO2 calculator and the Leadership Camp. Detailed information on each of the programs can be found online at http://www.thermo-stat.org/

Known as the "Godfather of polar bear research," Dr. Ian Stirling shared his latest findings with Duhamel about the decline in the polar bear population. The latest data shows that polar bear body weight has dropped 20% over the last 25 years. Polar bears are smaller and therefore at a higher risk of losing cubs during birth.

"I don't see a lot around me to be optimistic about," shared Dr. Stirling. "I have to believe that humans as a species will come to a global consensus that this is the most serious thing that's happened in recorded history, and we must do something about it collectively."

After touring Cape Churchill via Tundra Buggy and helicopter, Duhamel met with the Manitoba Minister of Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport, as well as Churchill locals during a celebratory event. Duhamel pledged to share simple steps with the world to make people aware of our global impact on the bear and their habitat, and recorded a public service announcement for PBI while on the Canadian tundra.

"In Los Angeles especially, we have got to travel more efficiently," Duhamel said. "Reducing electricity as much as possible, and eating locally-grown, organic food are easy actions to take for most of us."

About PBI

Polar Bears International is a non-profit organization devoted to worldwide conservation of the polar bear through support of research and education. World headquarters are in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, at 550-5 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L-2T4, Canada. U.S. headquarters are in Sebastopol, California.

For more information, visit www.polarbearsinternational.org.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Polar Bears International

CONTACT: Robert Buchanan, president, of Polar Bears International,
+1-813-335-3585, media@polarbearsinternational.org; or Rachel Paap,
+1-323-459-9722, for Polar Bears International

Web Site: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/
http://www.thermo-stat.org/

NOTE TO EDITORS: *B roll, footage and photos available upon request

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Profile: International Entertainment