For Immediate Release, June 16, 2014

Contact: Kierán Suckling, (520) 275-5960

Powerful New TV Ads Focus on Plight of Polar Bears in Warming World

More Than 450 Stations in United States Will Get Ads for Airing

TUCSON, Ariz.— More than 450 television stations around the country this week are receiving a powerful new public service announcement from the Center for Biological Diversity highlighting the global climate crisis and its devastating effects on polar bears. The 30- and 60-second spots feature heartbreaking footage of polar bears and melting sea ice and include a call to action to sign a petition to curb global warming.

Polar bear PSA

The ads, set to begin airing immediately, can also be seen at www.HelpBears.org.

“Global warming is pushing polar bears to the absolute brink,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center. “It’s one thing to read about their plight, but to witness them struggling, even on a screen, is incredibly powerful. We’re hoping these PSAs will help galvanize national action to curb the climate crisis, not only for the bears’ sake but for all of us.”

Scientists say that global warming, left unchecked, could drive two-thirds of the world’s polar bears extinct by 2050 and wipe out the rest by the end of this century. Already warmer temperatures have robbed polar bears of much of the Arctic sea ice they need to hunt, find mates and raise their young.

The PSAs are being delivered to television stations in all 50 states and link to a petition urging President Obama to take aggressive action to stem global warming, including using existing laws like the Clean Air Act to make significant reductions in greenhouse gas pollution.

“Millions of people will see these PSAs and come away with an unmistakable message: We’ve got to move quickly if we’re going to avoid the worst-case devastation of global warming,” Suckling said.

A previous public service ad from the Center on the plight of polar bears received a top 10 award after it was rated in the top 10 percent of all PSAs in 2010, as reported by Nielsen Media Research. That ad was viewed by more than 90 million people.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 775,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.


Go back