Residents of Washington DC were given a first hand experience last week of what climate change is doing to the polar bears. Scattered across the city, puzzled onlookers stopped in their tracks to see, touch and sometimes kiss polar bears in homeless garb. By portraying polar bears as homeless and destitute, Greenpeace USA has managed to humanise their plight and raise concerns about climate change which is melting the arctic sea ice polar bears depend on.
With the help of street artist Mark Jenkins, the team created human-like sculptures from packing tape and dressed them in rags. Attaching heads and paws completed the homeless polar bear look, and accessories such as a trolley full of personal belongings gave the dummies some character. They were arranged across town slumped on pavements, in front of the US Senate and also holding cardboard signs such as "Victim of Oil Addiction" and "Global warming refugee. Help a brother out?"
Members of the public were more than happy to take pictures with the polar bears and some were even convinced they were real people in costumes. The street art managed to raise awareness of the record fall of arctic sea ice this summer which was at its second lowest level in 30 years. The consequences of the fast melting ice don't just affect polar bears but also people displaced by sea levels rises. I hate to imagine a situation where millions of people turn to climate refugees as a result of losing their homes.
The polar bear action in Washington has certainly made an impact on locals but the message must reach those inside the Senate for concrete action to prevent the planet from tipping over. And if you want to see how the bears were made, have a look at this behind the scenes video.
