Tom Jefferson (@TomJefferson1976)

Polar Bear Week - The Willow Project Controversy What"s drawing scientists, travelers, and cameras to Manitoba, Canada, this week? Polar Bear Week is here, and it"s more than a date on the calendar. For over a decade, Polar Bears International—a non-profit organization—has invited people to stream live cams and follow daily updates as the bears head to Hudson Bay. It"s a week of learning and a call to protect a fragile ecosystem. The Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, approved by the Biden administration in March 2023, has raised significant concerns about its effects on polar bears, , particularly those inhabiting the Teshekpuk Lake area, a critical habitat for the species. Polar bears in this region are already under stress due to climate change, which is causing the loss of sea ice—the primary platform they use to hunt seals, their main food source. As sea ice melts earlier and forms later each year, polar bears have less time to hunt, leading to reduced body condition and lower survival rates for cubs. The Willow project is expected to exacerbate these challenges by disturbing the habitat and contributing to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) assessed the project's impact on polar bears and concluded that no bears would be killed during its 30-year operation, though four might be "hazed" (scared away using projectiles like beanbags or rubber bullets), potentially causing bruising. However, environmental groups argue that this assessment is inadequate because it fails to consider the project's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, which are a primary threat to polar bears. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, emissions from Willow alone could offset all the emissions reductions from Biden’s renewable energy investments on public lands. The project is projected to emit 260 million metric tons of greenhouse gases over its lifetime. Polar bears are highly adapted to their Arctic environment. Their fur appears white but is actually transparent and hollow, which helps trap heat and reflect sunlight, while their black skin absorbs solar radiation to keep them warm. They possess a thick layer of fat, up to 11 cm (4.3 in.) thick, which serves as an energy reserve and aids in thermoregulation. They are exceptional swimmers, capable of paddling continuously for up to 100 km (62 mi.) and can swim for three to four days straight. They also have an extraordinary sense of smell, able to detect seals hidden under ice from as far as 20 miles (32 km) away. The FWS's decision not to evaluate project-specific greenhouse gas emissions in its Endangered Species Act review is based on a series of Bush-era memos from 2008, which argued that such analysis was too uncertain at the time. Critics, including climate scientists and conservationists, view this as a form of "weaponized uncertainty" that undermines efforts to address the climate crisis. The Willow project has become a focal point in the broader debate over fossil fuel development and its long-term consequences for wildlife and the planet. karen crewe/Getty Images