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A unique childhood among the Inuit in Canada's Arctic and a professional background as a biologist in the Northwest Territories gave Paul Nicklen the tools he needed to take on the most inhospitable places on our planet. Whether ice diving among leopard seals in Antarctica or covering hundreds of miles of terrain in minus 40°F temperatures, Paul has specialized in photographing polar regions since 1995. His images reflect a reverence for the creatures inhabiting such isolated and endangered environments, and he hopes to generate global awareness about wildlife issues through his work. Outdoor Photography Magazine voted him one of the 40 most influential nature photographers.

Paul has published over 20 stories for National Geographic magazine, mostly recently " Where Wildlife is in Charge" in the February 2018 issue. His latest book, Born to Ice, was published by TeNeues in September 2018. He has received more than 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the prestigious World Press Photo award for photojournalism. His TED2011 talk, as well as appearances on television shows such as Jeopardy and in YouTube videos, have thrust him into the popular culture spotlight.

He is a co-founder of the non-profit SeaLegacy, which raises awareness about ocean conservation. Through visual storytelling, SeaLegacy inspires millions of people to stand up for the pristine places threatened by climate change.

When not battling sub-zero temperatures, Paul makes his home on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, with fellow National Geographic photographer Cristina Mittermeier.

Find out about upcoming programs andexpeditions with National Geographic photographers, orview more work by Paul Nicklen.

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Photographer Paul Nicklen Biography -- National Geographic

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A unique childhood among the Inuit in Canada's Arctic and a professional background as a biologist in the Northwest Territories gave Paul Nicklen the tools he needed to take on the most inhospitable places on our planet.

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Nicklen lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. (NatGeo)

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Nicklen lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. (NatGeo)

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"I call myself an interpreter and a translator,” says Nicklen. (NatGeo)

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"I call myself an interpreter and a translator,” says Nicklen. (NatGeo)

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Paul Nicklen has specialized in photographing polar regions since 1995. (NatGeo)

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Paul Nicklen has specialized in photographing polar regions since 1995. (NatGeo)

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Nicklen has published eleven stories for National Geographic magazine, including 2011’s August cover story on the elusive spirit bear. He has received more than 20 international awards. His TED2011 talk and appearances on television shows such as Jeopardy and in YouTube videos receiving millions of hits have recently thrust him into the popular culture spotlight. (NatGeo)

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Nicklen has published eleven stories for National Geographic magazine, including 2011’s August cover story on the elusive spirit bear. He has received more than 20 international awards. His TED2011 talk and appearances on television shows such as Jeopardy and in YouTube videos receiving millions of hits have recently thrust him into the popular culture spotlight. (NatGeo)

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“I translate what the scientists are telling me. If we lose ice, we stand to lose an entire ecosystem. I hope we can realize through my photography how interconnected these species are to ice. It just takes one image to get someone’s attention."

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A: Since the Industrial Revolution, the global annual temperature has increased in total by a little more than 1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Between 1880-the year that accurate recordkeeping began-and 1980, it rose on average by 0.07 degrees Celsius (0.13 degrees Fahrenheit) every 10 years. Since 1981, however, the rate of increase has more than doubled: For the last 40 years, we've seen the global annual temperature rise by 0.18 degrees Celsius, or 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit, per decade.

The result? A planet that has never been hotter. Nine of the 10 warmest years since 1880 have occurred since 2005-and the 5 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2015. Climate change deniers have argued that there has been a "pause" or a "slowdown" in rising global temperatures, but numerous studies, including a 2018 paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, have disproved this claim. The impacts of global warming are already harming people around the world.

What causes global warming?

A: Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO ₂) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's surface. Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. These heat-trapping pollutants-specifically carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases-are known as greenhouse gases, and their impact is called the greenhouse effect.

How is global warming linked to extreme weather?

A: Scientists agree that the earth's rising temperatures are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.

In 2015, for example, scientists concluded that a lengthy drought in California-the state's worst water shortage in 1,200 years-had been intensified by 15 to 20 percent by global warming. They also said the odds of similar droughts happening in the future had roughly doubled over the past century. And in 2016, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine announced that we can now confidently attribute some extreme weather events, like heat waves, droughts, and heavy precipitation, directly to climate change.

The impacts of global warming are being felt everywhere. Extreme heat waves have caused tens of thousands of deaths around the world in recent years. And in an alarming sign of events to come, Antarctica has lost nearly four trillion metric tons of ice since the 1990s. The rate of loss could speed up if we keep burning fossil fuels at our current pace, some experts say, causing sea levels to rise several meters in the next 50 to 150 years and wreaking havoc on coastal communities worldwide.

What are the other effects of global warming?

A: Each year scientists learn more about the consequences of global warming, and each year we also gain new evidence of its devastating impact on people and the planet. As the heat waves, droughts, and floods associated with climate change become more frequent and more intense, communities suffer and death tolls rise. If we're unable to reduce our emissions, scientists believe that climate change could lead to the deaths of more than 250,000 people around the globe every year and force 100 million people into poverty by 2030.

Global warming is already taking a toll on the United States. And if we aren't able to get a handle on our emissions, here's just a smattering of what we can look forward to:

Disappearing glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages and continue to increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.

Rising sea levels will lead to even more coastal flooding on the Eastern Seaboard, especially in Florida, and in other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.

Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and increased flooding. All of these can damage or destroy agriculture and fisheries.

Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.

Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common due to increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes.

Though everyone is affected by climate change, not everyone is affected equally. Indigenous people, people of color, and the economically marginalized are typically hit the hardest. Inequities built into our housing, health care, and labor systems make these communities more vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change-even though these same communities have done the least to contribute to it.

Where does the United States stand in terms of global-warming contributors?

A: In recent years, China has taken the lead in global-warming pollution, producing about 26 percent of all CO2 emissions. The United States comes in second. Despite making up just 4 percent of the world's population, our nation produces a sobering 13 percent of all global CO2 emissions-nearly as much as the European Union and India (third and fourth place) combined. And America is still number one, by far, in cumulative emissions over the past 150 years. As a top contributor to global warming, the United States has an obligation to help propel the world to a cleaner, safer, and more equitable future. Our responsibility matters to other countries, and it should matter to us, too.

Is the United States doing anything to prevent global warming?

A: We've started. But in order to avoid the worsening effects of climate change, we need to do a lot more-together with other countries-to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and transition to clean energy sources.

Despite the lack of cooperation from the Trump administration, local and state governments made great strides during this period through efforts like the American Cities Climate Challenge and ongoing collaborations like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Meanwhile, industry and business leaders have been working with the public sector, creating and adopting new clean-energy technologies and increasing energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, and industrial processes. Today the American automotive industry is finding new ways to produce cars and trucks that are more fuel efficient and is committing itself to putting more and more zero-emission electric vehicles on the road. Developers, cities, and community advocates are coming together to make sure that new affordable housing is built with efficiency in mind, reducing energy consumption and lowering electric and heating bills for residents. And renewable energy continues to surge as the costs associated with its production and distribution keep falling. In 2020 renewable energy sources such as wind and solar provided more electricity than coal for the very first time in U.S. history.

Is global warming too big a problem for me to help tackle?

A: No! While we can't win the fight without large-scale government action at the national level, we also can't do it without the help of individuals who are willing to use their voices, hold government and industry leaders to account, and make changes in their daily habits.

Wondering how you can be a part of the fight against global warming? Reduce your own carbon footprint by taking a few easy steps: Make conserving energy a part of your daily routine and your decisions as a consumer. When you shop for new appliances like refrigerators, washers, and dryers, look for products with the government's ENERGY STAR ® label; they meet a higher standard for energy efficiency than the minimum federal requirements. When you buy a car, look for one with the highest gas mileage and lowest emissions. You can also reduce your emissions by taking public transportation or carpooling when possible.

And while new federal and state standards are a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done. Voice your support of climate-friendly and climate change preparedness policies, and tell your representatives that equitably transitioning from dirty fossil fuels to clean power should be a top priority-because it's vital to building healthy, more secure communities.

You don't have to go it alone, either. Movements across the country are showing how climate action can build community, be led by those on the front lines of its impacts, and create a future that's equitable and just for all.

This story was originally published on March 11, 2016 and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can't resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can't republish our material wholesale or automatically-you need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should to let us know when you've used one of our stories.

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What is global warming? Global warming causes, effects, extreme weather, facts, and relation to climate change.

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A polar bear drifting on sea ice in the Tremblay Sound, Canada. Photo Credit: © Florian Ledoux/TNC Photo Contest 2018

You've probably seen the news stories lately about a remote Russian town being "invaded" by dozens of hungry, garbage-eating polar bears. These bears are roaming around playgrounds, rummaging through the local dump, and even trying to enter office buildings.

A similar incident occurred in 2016, when a sloth of polar bears - yes, that's the proper collective name - besieged scientists at a research station in the Russian Arctic.

But these news stories don't paint the full picture of what's happening to the iconic white bears as climate change takes hold in the north. Are they all starving? Will polar bears go extinct? Why is sea ice so important?

The answers to these questions are complex, but we've boiled down the basic facts for you here.

Are polar bears endangered?

Not yet, but they're not doing great. The IUCN lists the polar bear () as a vulnerable species, one step away from being endangered.

Scientists don't have exact numbers on the polar bear population, because these animals are spread out over a large area of rough, inhospitable terrain and are very difficult to count. The best estimate is around 25,000 animals in Canada, the United States, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.

There are 19 different subpopulations of polar bears, and depending on where they live, some of these sub-populations are faring better than others. Some are stable, one is increasing, several are in decline, and for the rest we just don't have good data.

Recently, a controversial report from the Canadian government said that there are too many polar bears in the Canadian Arctic, threatening the safety of Inuit peoples living there. Many scientists disagreed with those findings, stating that bears might appear more numerous because they're coming into contact with humans more frequently.

Why is climate change bad for polar bears?

Polar bears should really be called ice bears, because ice is key to their survival.

The majority of a polar bear's diet is made up of seals that live on and around the edge of the sea ice, like ringed seals and bearded seals. Polar bears hunt on the ice, stalking seals as they lounge on icebergs or surface for air at a breathing hole.

The extent of the sea ice changes throughout the year. It reaches its peak in late winter, around the end of March, and then shrinks during the warmer summer months. As the ice melts, polar bears rely more and more on the fat stores they built up during the previous winter. By September the sea ice is at its lowest and bears often struggle to find enough food. Then as winter comes the ice grows, allowing polar bears to hunt more easily.

This reliance on sea ice makes polar bears extremely vulnerable to climate change. The Arctic is warming faster than most other places on earth, and as it warms there's less and less ice. From 1979 to 2011, the amount of sea ice left in September declined by 14 percent per decade. Sea ice is declining even faster than climate models predict.

Each year the ice takes longer to form, covers less area, and melts faster. Polar bears have less time to hunt on the ice and build up fat reserves for summer, and they must survive on those stores for longer as they wait for the ice to return. Starvation is a risk, and scientists are also concerned that bears will be less likely to breed and have cubs if they can't find enough food.

Climate change is the single greatest threat to polar bears. Declining sea ice not only deprives bears of their hunting grounds, it also exacerbates other threats. Less ice means that more of the Arctic will be open to oil drilling, commercial shipping, pollution, tourism, and even hunting. These problems already threaten polar bears, and with climate change they will likely get worse.

Are polar bears starving?

Yes, but not all of them. Not yet.

About a year ago, a video of a starving polar bear transfixed the internet. Shot by photographer Paul Nicklen, the footage showed an emaciated polar bear stumbling about incoherently, hours away from death. It's impossible to say that climate change caused this particular bear to starve to death.

But as the sea ice disappears, more and more bears may suffer this fate.

Shrinking ice means the polar bears have less time to hunt and build up fat reserves. It also means they have to travel farther to find their next meal, burning more calories and further depleting their fat stores. Bears may have to swim greater distances between ice packs, which puts little cubs at risk of drowning.

Polar bears are even more reliant on a diet of fat-rich seals than scientists previously thought. In one study, researchers used Fitbit-like activity monitors and GPS collars with cameras to monitor bears' activity and hunting over a 8 to 10 day period. They calculated that an adult polar bear needs to eat at least one adult ringed sea (or three juveniles) every 10 days. Four bears in the study didn't meet that baseline, and in less than 2 weeks they lost almost 10 percent of their body mass, or about 40 pounds.

Unfortunately, hunting different prey on land isn't enough to feed a hungry bear. In the lean summer months, bear do supplement their diet with food like caribou, berries, or bird eggs. But these foods don't have enough calories to help bears build up their fat reserves, because bears have to expend more energy to find them.

It's worth noting that - at least right now - not all polar bear populations are struggling to find food. Some parts of the Arctic still have year-round pack ice, while other areas are completely ice-free for several months. Nicklen, the photographer who captured the footage of the starving bear on Canada's Baffin Island, told National Geographic that he has seen bears in Russia that are so fat they can barely walk. It all depends on the ice.

In places where the ice is disappearing fastest, bears are more and more likely to come into contact with people. The Russian town of Belushya Guba recently declared a state of emergency after an influx of more than 50 polar bears descended on the town in search of food. Photos show dozens of adults bears and cubs scavenging in the town's rubbish dump and wandering playgrounds.

So just how many bears are starving right now? We don't know. The Arctic is just too remote and too vast to monitor polar bears so closely. But Nicklen's video and the ongoing invasion in Belushya Guba paint a worrying picture of what is to come as the sea ice slips away.

Will polar bears go extinct?

Maybe.

There are so many variables at play that scientists can't say for certain if climate change will doom polar bears to extinction. But we do know that climate change will drastically and rapidly reduce the habitat that these bears need to survive. And that doesn't bode well for bears.

A study on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago found that, under business-as-usual climate projections, polar bears may face starvation and reproductive failure across the region by the year 2100. Studies also show that polar bear populations will become more fragmented as ice declines, threatening their genetic health.

Another possible fate - and threat - is that polar bears will crossbreed with grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are venturing further and further north - likely because of climate change - bringing them into contact with polar bears.

Polar bears actually evolved from grizzly bears about 150,000 years ago, and they can still breed with this other species successfully. In the past 20 years, scientists and hunters have found a handful of polar-grizzly hybrids, called "pizzly" or "grolar" bears. While it's not a widespread problem yet, conservationists worry that both hybridization and general competition with grizzlies could threaten polar bears in the future.

Can we do anything to help?

Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes to save the polar bear.

Some people have raised the idea of relocating bears to Antarctica, or for feeding wild bears to help fight starvation. Both ideas are extremely problematic, expensive, and could cause lasting ecological harm for other species.

At the end of the day, these are just temporary solutions - the only way to protect polar bears long-term is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (You can read more about The Nature Conservancy's efforts to fight climate change here.)

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Will Polar Bears Die Out Because of Climate Change?

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You've probably seen the news stories lately about a remote Russian town being "invaded" by dozens of hungry, garbage-eating polar bears. These bears are roaming around playgrounds, rummaging through the local dump, and even trying to enter office buildings.

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Why? Because polar bears’ main prey — seals — are best hunted on sea ice. Without sea ice, polar bears cannot catch enough seals to eat — and without enough seals to eat, they are unlikely to gain enough weight to survive their autumn to summer fast (Derocher 2013, Stirling 2012). (From "Will Polar Bears Die Out...")

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Paul uses his camera to reveal the nature of the changing polar regions due to the effects of a warming planet.

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Nicklen captures the imagination of a global audience (From Paul Nicklen site")

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Nicklen is the founder of SeaLegacy, an organization that uses visual storytelling and photography to further the cause of ocean conservation.

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Seasons of the Arctic - 2000, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco

Polar Obsession - 2009, National Geographic Society

Bear-Spirit of the Wild - 2013, National Geographic Society

(Paul Nicklen site)

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Nicklen is a contributor photographer for National Geographic Magazine. He is a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). Major exhibits of his work include Extreme Exposure at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, California.

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Nicklen tries to reach the people who are not concerned about the decaying arctic ecosystem.