Melting polar ice-caps and displaced polar bears have become the iconic images of climate change. Human activity has created harmful CO2 emissions, that in turn has caused global warming, increasingly erratic weather patterns and melting ice caps. All this has put the natural habitats of polar bears at risk.
A new project in Peterborough, the city that is aiming to become the UK’s Environment Capital, will see the creation of an artificial habitat for displaced polar bears.
A section of the River Nene Washes will be frozen to re-create the natural habitat of polar bears. A trial will then be held with four zoo reared bears to ensure the project works successfully. Once the trial has been completed, and as long as no major complications arise, a number of wild polar bears will be released into the area.
The Nene Washes is one of the finest areas of floodplain meadows in the UK spanning over 20 kilometres. A section of the site, which has been carefully selected by scientists, has been set aside for the project.
Carbon dioxide will be captured from the city’s factories and processed to create dry ice with a temperature of -80 oC. The dry-ice will then be used to create an artificial Arctic climate in the specified section of the Washes.
Local officials are delighted that the project is being trialled in Peterborough because the city is aiming to become the most sustainable city in the UK.
Chief Executive of Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT), Hugh Cripps said: “This is fantastic news. Peterborough was selected in 1993 by the Wildlife Trust as one of the UK’s four environment cities. Since this time the local council, PECT and the urban regeneration company have been working hard to implement environmental initiatives and projects.
“Whilst our work in Peterborough and work being undertaken across the world has helped reduce CO2 emissions, we simply aren’t acting fast enough. The ice-caps are melting and polar bear numbers are suffering as a result of this devastation to their natural habitat. We’re still working to encourage more sustainable lifestyles, however it’s come to a point where we also have to manage the effects of the damage we’ve already done.”
Some concerns about the project have been raised by wildlife organisations who argue that the introduction of a new predator in the Washes will endanger indigenous species. The Washes are of national and international importance for seven species of wintering wildfowl and hold some of the countries highest densities of breeding waders.
Experts have also raised doubts about the viability of the project, explaining that whilst the Washes may suit shoreline loving female polar bears, male bears may not take to the substitute home which lacks the vast expanses of snow covered areas they are used to.
Nick Goodman, Environment Capital Officer from the Greater Peterborough Partnership, dismissed these fears saying, “I’m sure there will be issues we haven’t planned for, but we hope the trial will help us identify and rectify any problems.
“Polar bears have a diverse diet eating seals, penguins, eggs and even household rubbish. The introduction of the bears may help us manage the city’s waste more sustainably. We will also be introducing penguins to the area so the bears can hunt as they would in the wild. Our only fear is that the bears will struggle to remove the wrappers, but this is an issue we are aware of and are taking steps to avoid.”
Find out more about Peterborough's ambition to create the UK's Environment Capital...
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