below says, I love animals and nature and it does need protecting. I don't know massive information about the organisation and I think more people need to know - rather than seeing the odd T.V. advert asking for money as I think it shuts people down - "oh another advert asking for money" (although I do give money each month to 'adopt' a polar bear).\The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 90 countries, supporting around 1300 conservation and environmental projects around the world. It is a charity, with approximately 60% of its funding coming from voluntary donations by private individuals. 45% of the fund's income comes from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The group says its mission is "to halt and reverse the destruction of our environment". Currently, much of its work focuses on the conservation of three biomes that contain most of the world's biodiversity: forests, freshwater ecosystems, and oceans and coasts. Among other issues, it is also concerned with endangered species, pollution and climate change.
WWF believes in a future where people and nature thrive.
Best known as the world’s leading conservation body, we’ve seen first-hand how wildlife, the environment and human activity are all interlinked.
That’s why our passion for safeguarding the natural world has to be backed up by other environmental action – tackling the global threat of climate change (through our big global campaigns like Earth Hour) and helping people to change the way they live to ease pressure on natural resources.
WWF is at the heart of global activities in all these areas. We have teams of highly skilled professionals working with governments, businesses and communities here in the UK and around the world.
Safeguarding the natural world
Globally, nearly a quarter of all mammal species and a third of amphibians are threatened with extinction. The rapid destruction of forests - every year an area the size of England is lost - not only harms forest-dwelling wildlife but also adds to the growing danger of climate change.
The increasing threat to some of the planet’s most important rivers, lakes and wetlands has been matched by a 29% decline in populations of freshwater wildlife in just 30 years. And in the oceans, 40 million tonnes of bycatch (including 300,000 marine mammals) are caught accidentally each year when targeting other species.
The threat to people and their livelihoods is, of course, of equal concern. For example, more than a billion people do not have access to clean water. Some 250 million people worldwide earn their living from fishing.
Around the world, WWF works with a wide range of partners in business, government and local communities to create sustainable solutions that take account of the needs of both people and nature.
Our practical conservation work with our colleagues in the global WWF Network focuses on safeguarding wildlife and places considered by WWF to be of global importance. This is supported by policy initiatives at a UK, EU and global level - creating the commercial and legal frameworks that ensure good governance of natural resources.
Wildlife
Protecting the world's species and their habitats lies at the heart of WWF's mission to conserve the earth's biodiversity and was the prime reason for the organisation's establishment in 1961.
Forests
Forests contain as much as 90 per cent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity - from charismatic mammals such as the great apes, tiger and panda to millions of species of plants. We cannot conserve species without conserving their habitat.
Rivers and lakes
Without water there would be no life on Earth. Freshwater ecosystems clean and store the water that is essential for human livelihoods and for the survival of wildlife. These ecosystems are a vital component in the hydrological cycle.
Oceans
The oceans, seas and coasts are under severe strain. Some 250 million people earn their living from fishing, up to 70% of humans rely on fish as their primary source of protein, and more than 90% of our trade is carried by shipping – and yet, less than 1% of the world’s seas are protected.
Climate change is a big issue for WWF because it affects everything we do.
A warming planet alters weather patterns and water supplies, seasonal growth for plants and ways of life for people and wildlife.
The impacts are already being felt all over the world. And it will get worse.
There's lots we can do, but not much time.
That's why WWF is taking urgent, positive action to:
Limit climate change – after the disappointing lack of a firm climate deal at Copenhagen last December, it's more important than ever that we work urgently to control global warming. See all about our climate change campaigns.
Protect wildlife and people – those already affected and those most vulnerable to the inevitable future impacts of climate change must be helped to cope and adapt.
The climate numbers that matter most...
The science says we need to keep global warming below 2º C (compared to pre-industrial levels), otherwise we risk uncontrollable changes to the way our planet works – and that means serious threats to a third of all species on Earth.
To keep temperatures down, we have to cut greenhouse gas emissions drastically – at least 80% by 2050, with a more immediate target of 40% by 2020.
If, like us, you want future generations to enjoy the beauties of our natural world, it’s vital that we all pull together to tackle climate change today
World leaders missed a huge opportunity to agree a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal at the 2009 Copenhagen summit. But climate change is still happening, and is still one of the biggest threats to the natural world – the planet’s life-support system – so it must be kept at the top of the world’s agenda.
World leaders are meeting in Cancun in November to discuss climate change – and we believe an agreement needs to be reached there on some key issues:
- how financial help will be given to developing countries so they can reduce their carbon emissions
- what to do about emissions resulting from deforestation
- what provisions will be made for helping people adapt to climate change impacts, and how these will be funded.
If the UK government wants to become the greenest government ever, it will need to show leadership and diplomacy. We particularly need them to promote EU emission reductions of 30% by 2020 (through action in the EU alone).
The UK can make sure the talks are fruitful by using its influence in the EU, which negotiates as a bloc, and in other international forums, so the world urgently gets on the right track to tackle climate change.
Climate change complicates all the other pressures on the natural world – affecting wildlife, people and the places they live.
Fragile ecosystems and species already at risk – because of deforestation, unsustainable farming or over-fishing – may be pushed over the edge.
Very few species or habitats will be completely immune to climate change.
Some may be adaptable, but others are very specialised in how or where they exist, which puts them at particular risk.
Global warming is likely to be a major cause of species extinctions this century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a 2-3°C average rise may put 20-30% of species at risk. If the planet warms more than 3°C, most ecosystems will struggle.
A core part of WWF's work in coming years will be helping people, wildlife and their habitats adapt to the effects of climate change. It's not just about coping with the immediate impacts, it’s about anticipating and planning for future change.
Climate change and forests
Most people know how vital forests are – they soak up CO2, the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, and help regulate the world's climate. They're also home to countless plant and animal species. WWF is working with indigenous communities, local governments and businesses to ensure the world's forests are protected...
Climate change and water
Climate change will have serious and unpredictable effects on the world's water systems. More flooding. More droughts. It threatens food chains in our oceans and seas, which sustain a large proportion of life on Earth. Rivers and lakes supply drinking water for people and animals, and a vital resource for faming and industry. By acting now, we can guard against the dangers and conflict ahead...
Climate change and polar regions
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns: "The impacts of climate change in the polar regions over the next 100 years will exceed impacts forecast for other regions, and will have globally significant consequences.” The WWF-backed Catlin Arctic Survey showed Arctic sea ice could be gone in summer in a decade...
Climate change and animals
For endangered species like the orang-utans in Indonesia and Malaysia – already at risk because of deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting – one of the first effects of climate change is likely to be food shortages caused by unusual rainfall patterns. And they're just one of the many species that will be affected...
Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008. Earth Hour 2011 will take place on March 26, 2011 from 8:30p.m. to 9:30p.m., at participants' respective local time.
2010
Earth Hour 2010 was held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 27. In Israel, the hour was held on April 22.
Earth Hour 2010 was reportedly the biggest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009's Earth Hour. 126 countries participated in Earth Hour 2010.
In the United States polling shows that an estimated 90,000,000 Americans participated in Earth Hour as lights were turned off around the country including iconic landmarks such as Mount Rushmore, the Las Vegas Strip, the Empire State Building and Niagara Falls.
Earth Hour will be carried out in practical ways moving forward, as cities and landmarks apply the core principle of turning off the lights to their everyday routine. In Chicago, BOMA, the Building Owners and Management Association developed lighting guidelines to reduce light pollution, and reduce the carbon footprint of downtown buildings. Mount Rushmore in South Dakota will now start powering down each night around 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.
Vietnam electricity demand fell 500,000 kWh during Earth Hour 2010, which was three times larger than the first time the country joined the event in 2009.
In the Philippines, 1,067 towns and cities pledged participation in 2010 and over 15 million Filipinos participated in the event.
About 4000 cities participated, including landmarks such as Big Ben, the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Forbidden City.[9]
Celebrity Earth Hour ambassadors who are supporting the Earth Hour message include:
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- Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel laureate from South Africa)
- Helen Clark (former New Zealand Prime Minister, head of UNDP)
- Valdas Adamkus (former President of Lithuania)
- Nguyễn Minh Triết (President of Vietnam)[10]
- Boris Johnson (Mayor of London)
- Tom Brady (NFL Football Player)
- Gisele Bündchen (International Supermodel)
- Steve Nash (NBA Basketball Player)
- Leona Lewis (International Pop-Star)
- Edward Norton Jr.
- The Cranberries (Irish rock band)
- Andox and Box (Hong Kong)
- Melanie Chisholm (former Spice Girl)
- Li Yuchun (Chinese singer)
Earth Hour has garnered support from many corporations including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Wells Fargo, IKEA, HSBC, PwC, Accenture and Nokia Siemens Networks
Energy saved
According to WWF Thailand, Bangkok decreased electricity usage by 73.34 megawatts, which, over one hour, is equivalent to 41.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.The Bangkok Post gave different figures of 165 megawatt-hours and 102 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This was noted to be significantly less than a similar campaign initiated by Bangkok's City Hall the previous year in May where 530 megawatt-hours were saved and 143 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission was cut.
In the Philippines it was noted by the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. that power consumption dropped by about 78.63 megawatts in Metro Manila, and up to 102.2 megawatts in Luzon island.The maximum demand drop of around 39 MW was experienced at 8:14 p.m. in Metro Manila and of around 116 MW at 8:34 p.m. in the Luzon grid..
Toronto saved 900 megawatt-hours of electricity. 8.7% was saved if measured against a typical March Saturday night.
Ireland, as a whole, had a reduction in electricity use of about 1.5% for the evening. In the three-hour period between 18:30 and 21:30, there was a reduction of 50 megawatts, saving 150 megawatt-hours, or approximately 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This saved less than six Irish persons carbon output for an entire year.
In Dubai, where external lighting on several major city landmarks was turned off and street lighting in selected areas was dimmed by 50%, the Electricity and Water Authority reported savings of 100 megawatt-hours of electricity. This represented a 2.4% reduction in demand compared to before the hour began.
The best result was from Christchurch, New Zealand. The city reported a drop of 13% in electricity demand. However, Transpower reported that New Zealand's power consumption during Earth Hour was 335 megawatts, higher than the 328 megawatt average of the previous two Saturdays. Melbourne, Australia saved 10.1% of electricity. Sydney, being the city that participated both 2007 and 2008 Earth Hour, cut 8.4% electricity consumption. This is less than last year's 10.2%, however Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley made the claim that after factoring margin of error, the participation in this city is the same as last year.
The worst result was from Calgary, Canada. The city's power consumption actually went up 3.6% at the hour's peak electricity demand. In Calgary, however, where weather plays a large role in power consumption, the city experienced weather 12°C colder than the previous Saturday's recorded temperature.
- The Danish royal palaces, Amalienborg Palace and Gråsten Palace, went dark at the Queen's command.
- Nelly Furtado held a free concert at Nathan Phillips Square in Downtown Toronto to celebrate Earth Hour.
- In Toronto, Ontario, York University's student-run Environmental Outreach Team ran an afternoon Earth Hour information session, and the York University Observatory offered an extra public viewing session.
- Stargazing activities were held in Toronto's Ontario Science Centre and Richmond Hill's David Dunlap Observatory.
- Astronomy Ireland set up high-powered telescopes in Dublin's Phoenix Park to allow people to take advantage of the night sky, normally swamped by bright city lights.
- In Tel Aviv, Israel, a free concert by Knesiyat Hasekhel was held at Rabin Square. Power needed for the concert was generated by a group of cyclists pushing pedal generators. The rest of the power was supplied by generators burning used falafel oil for power.
- In Atlanta, the CEO of WWF US, Carter Roberts, and the Mayor of Atlanta, Shirley Franklin, flipped a giant switch on live TV symbolically starting the wave of lights going out on the buildings around the city.
- In San Francisco, a public event hosted by WWF US was attended by Mayor Gavin Newsom, Gold medal figure skater Brian Boitano, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, and other celebrities. They gathered to watch the lights go out, listening to the music of Jason Damaton.
- In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the lights of the world's tallest twin towers, Petronas Twin Towers, were turned off.
- In Egypt, the lights went out on the Sphinx and Great Pyramids of Giza from 8:30-9:30 pm.
Earth Hour has also received free publicity from the Google corporation. From 12:00 a.m. on March 29, 2008 until the end of Earth Hour, the Google homepage in the United States, Colombia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland and the UK was turned to a black background. Their tagline is, "We've turned the lights out. Now it's your turn - Earth Hour." However, Google stated that for 2009 they would not turn the page black again due to the confusion it caused many users. A common misconception is that having a black background on a web page reduces the power consumption of monitors; LCD monitors use a constant amount of power regardless of which colors are shown. This is not the case for Organic LED monitors, though they are not currently in popular use.
- Earth Hour was covered extensively in the United States with segments on Oprah, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNN International, The Weather Channel and more. Several stations around the United States went live with their coverage including NBC in Atlanta who did an hour long Earth Hour special during the event.
- Canada's The Weather Network moved its studios outside between 8 and 9 p.m. EDT for Earth Hour, using only an LED light for the hour.
- The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVOntario ran its full program running only on candle light.
History
The organization was formed as a charitable trust on September 11, 1961, in Morges, Switzerland, under the name World Wildlife Fund. It was an initiative of Julian Huxley and Max Nicholson, who had thirty years experience of linking progressive intellectuals with big business interests through the Political and Economic Planning think tank.
WWF has set up offices and operations around the world. It originally worked by fundraising and providing grants to existing non-governmental organizations, based on the best-available scientific knowledge and with an initial focus on the protection of endangered species. As more resources became available, its operations expanded into other areas such as the preservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of natural resources, the reduction of pollution, and climate change. The organization also began to run its own conservation projects and campaigns, and by the 1980s started to take a more strategic approach to its conservation activities.
In 1986, the organization changed its name to World Wide Fund for Nature, to better reflect the scope of its activities, retaining the WWF initials. However, it continues to operate under the original name in the United States and Canada.
In the 1990s, WWF revised its mission to: “Stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:
• conserving the world's biological diversity
• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.”
WWF scientists and many others identified 238 ecoregions that represent the world's most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, based on a worldwide biodiversity analysis which the organization says was the first of its kind. In the early 2000s, its work was focused on a subset of these ecoregions, in the areas of forest, freshwater and marine habitat conservation, endangered species conservation, climate change, and the elimination of the most toxic chemicals.
We shan't save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried. — Sir Peter Scott
Current conservation approach
WWF's current strategy for achieving its mission specifically focuses on restoring populations of 36 species (species or species groups that are important for their ecosystem or to people, including elephants, tunas, whales, dolphins and porpoises, and bigleaf mahogany), conserving 35 globally important ecoregions around the world (including the Arctic, the Amazon rainforest, the Congo Basin and the Coral Triangle), and reducing people’s ecological footprint in 6 areas (carbon emissions, cropland, grazing land, fishing, forestry and water).
The organization also works on a number of global issues driving biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of natural resources, including finance, business practices, laws, and consumption choices. Local offices also work on national or regional issues.
WWF works with a large number of different groups to achieve its goals, including other NGOs, governments, business, investment banks, scientists, fishers, farmers and local communities. It also undertakes public campaigns to influence decision makers, and seeks to educate people on how to live in a more environmentally friendly manner.
Abbreviation disputeOn August 10, 2001, an English court ruled in favor of the World Wide Fund for Nature. The World Wrestling Federation filed an appeal in October 2001. However, on May 5, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation changed its Web address from WWF.com to WWE.com, and replaced every "WWF" reference on the existing site with "WWE", as a prelude to changing the company's name to "World Wrestling Entertainment." Its stock ticker also switched from WWF to WWE.
Abandonment of the initialism did not end the two organizations' legal conflict. Later in 2002, the World Wide Fund for Nature petitioned the court for $360 million in damages, but was not successful. A subsequent request to overturn by the World Wide Fund for Nature was dismissed by the English Court of Appeals on June 28, 2007. In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment won a limited decision which permitted them to continue marketing certain pre-existing products with the abandoned WWF logo. However, WWE was mandated to issue newly branded merchandise such as apparel, action figures, video games, and DVDs with the "WWE" initials. Additionally, the court order required the company to remove both auditory and visual references to "WWF" in its library of video footage outside of the United Kingdom.
Animal Adoption
The threats to Adélie penguins
- Climate change. Rising global temperatures mean the sea ice is melting, taking away precious nesting grounds and affecting vital food sources such as krill - tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that feed off algae found on the underside of ice sheets.
- Overfishing. International fishing fleets are plundering fish stocks and removing krill at an alarming rate.
How you are helping the Adélie penguins
- £60 (or £5 a month) could pay for helicopter fuel for one hour when tracking penguins across the rugged Antarctic terrain
Adélie penguins live in one of the world’s harshest environments, with temperatures reaching -40oc. They can swim up to 4 metres per second and dive to depths of up to 180m.
Location: Antarctic – within the Antarctic Circle
Habitat: Sea ice along the coast and surrounding islands
Wild population: Approximately 2.5 million pairs in 160 colonies
Marine turtles have swum in the world’s oceans for over 100 million years. They have lungs just like us, so must come to the surface to breathe.
Location: Many species migrate for thousands of kilometres, even crossing entire oceans
Habitat: Open water and coastal habitats
Wild population: Six of the seven marine turtle species are endangered or critically endangered
The threats to marine turtles
- Accidental capture (bycatch) in fishing lines and nets
- Hunting and poaching for their shells, meat and eggs
- Tourism and litter disturbing and polluting their nesting beaches and feeding grounds
- A rise in global temperatures due to climate change
How you are helping the turtles
- £60 (or £5 a month) will buy one pair of binoculars for policing Marine Protected Areas
- £120 (or £10 a month) will buy five disposable cameras to help communities gather turtle nesting data in Fiji
This incredible animal can run at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour, and has been reported to leap more than 6m horizontally and 3m vertically. Location: Primorskii Krai, in the Russian Far East
Habitat: Mainly forested with Korean pine and oak
Wild population: Less than 35 are thought to remain in the wild
The threats to the Amur leopards
- Loss and fragmentation of habitat due to:
- Conversion of forest to agricultural land
- Illegal and unsustainable logging
- Forest fires
- Poaching and illegal trade for coats and body parts
- Reductions in prey numbers
How you are helping the Amur leopards
- £60 (or £5 a month) will buy 2000 tree seedlings to be planted in critical areas of leopard habitat
- £120 (or £10 a month) will buy over 100 cartridges of film for a camera-trap
- £150 (or £12.50 a month) will prepare 1km of mineral fire break to stop forest fires in leopard habitats
There are five different species of rhino: the African black rhino and the African white rhino, and in Asia, the greater one-horned rhino, Javan rhino and Sumatran rhino. Location: Southern, Central, Eastern and Western Africa, South and South East Asia
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands
Wild population: Less than 3,000 Asian rhinos. Around 18,000 African rhinos
The threats to rhinos
- Poaching and illegal trading of their horns, used in traditional Asian medicine and for dagger handles in the Middle East
- Loss of habitat due to increased farming, human settlement and logging
- Small isolated populations of Asian rhinos increases the risk of inbreeding
How you are helping the rhinos
- £60 (or £5 a month) will pay for one immobilisation dart needed to sedate a rhino for transportation
- £120 (or £10 a month) will cover the cost of training one field office in anti-poaching techniques and rhino monitoring in Nepal
Although the African elephant is the world’s largest land mammal, the Asian elephant is generally smaller, with the average male measuring around 3m high and weighing around five tonnes. Location: Asia
Habitat: Tropical forests of Asia
Wild population: In 1995 there were estimated to be about 25,600 to 32,750 individual Asian Elephants
The threats to elephants
- Habitat destruction and fragmentation
- Poaching and illegal trade for ivory and meat
- Conflict with humans
How you are helping the elephants
- £60 (or £5 a month) will cover project costs for one day to rehabilitate an Asian elephant back into the wild
- £120 (or £10 a month) will buy twelve days feed for a whole “elephant flying squad” (4 elephants). The squads are used to scare crop raiding wild elephants away and reduce potentially fatal human-elephant conflict.
There are six living sub-species of tiger; the Amur (Siberian), Bengal (Indian), Indo-Chinese, Malayan, Sumatran and South China.Three other sub-species, the Bali, Caspian and Javan, are now extinct. Location: From India to south-eastern China and from the Russian Far East to Sumatra, Indonesia
Habitat: Wide ranging - from evergreen and monsoon forests, to mixed coniferous-deciduous woodlands, and mangrove swamps
Wild population: As few as 3,200
The threats to tigers
- Poaching for skins and body parts used in traditional Asian medicines
- Habitat loss due to farming, forest clearance for the timber trade and human development
- Decline in natural prey numbers
- Conflict with humans
How you are helping the tigers
- £60 (or £5 a month) will restore one hectare of grassland to increase numbers of tiger prey in Nepal’s Terai Arc
- £100 (or £8.50 a month) will pay for a comprehensive medical kit for staff in Dudwha National Park in India
- £200 (or £16 a month) will pay for the development of a Bio-Gas plant in a local Himalyan community. Bio-gas plants produce energy from rotting waste, reducing the need for the local people to cut down trees and therefore helping to maintain the tigers habitat.
Dolphins can tell the size, shape, distance, speed and direction of objects by producing clicking sounds and then receiving and interpreting the returning echos. This is called echolocation.
Location: Found world-wide
Habitat: Tropical and temperate waters, inshore and offshore
Population: We don’t know for sure, but there are strong indications that numbers are declining
The threats to dolphins
- Accidental capture and drowning in fishing nets (bycatch)
- Habitat degradation and pollution – including chemical and noise pollution which affects echolocation
- Depletion of prey as a result of unsustainable commercial fishing
- Collisions with ships – causing serious and sometimes fatal injuries
How you are helping the dolphins
- £60 (or £5 a month) could pay for a Bottlenose Dolphin Officer to give a talk at 2 schools in the Scottish Hebrides - the future custodians of the area's marine wildlife
- £120 (or £10 a month) could pay for organising and running of 1 beach clean for members of the public or school children - dolphins can swallow and become entangled in litter which can cause injury or death
In Malay, orang means ‘person’ and utan is derived from hutan, which means ‘forest’. Therefore, orang-utan literally means ‘man of the forest.’
Location: The islands of Borneo and Sumatra
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Wild population: Evidence suggests that fewer than 60,000 orang-utans exist in the world today
The threats to orang-utans
- Habitat destruction and fragmentation due to:
- Land clearance for agriculture and conversion to palm oil plantations
- Illegal and unsustainable logging, which also opens up previously inaccessible areas to poachers
- Forest fires
- Poaching and illegal trade, for both meat and as pets
How you are helping the orang-utans
- £60 (or £5 a month) will cover the salary of a local field worker on the orang-utan project for two weeks
- £120 (or £10 a month) will buy five waterproof sleeping bags for WWF rangers, who are monitoring orang-utans in the Heart of Borneo
The Latin name for polar bears, Ursus maritimus, means ‘sea bear’, reflecting the fact that the species spends much of its life in or around water.
Location:Greenland, Svalbard (Norway), northern Canada, Alaska (US) and Russia
Habitat:Arctic sea ice
Wild population:approximately 20,000-25,000
The threats to polar bears
- Reducing sea ice caused by climate change
- Toxic chemicals and pollution in the marine environment. Toxic levels increase as they move up the food chain leading to health problems in polar bears
- Increased industrial activity in the Arctic including:
- Oil and gas exploration
- Transportation of oil increasing the risks of oil spills
How you are helping the polar bears
- £60 (or £5 a month) could buy six oil spill clean-up kits for an Arctic volunteer in the Barents Sea
- £120 (or £10 a month) could pay for helicopter fuel for two and a half hours when tracking polar bears across the rugged Arctic terrain
The giant panda is the rarest member of the bear family and among the world's most threatened animals.
Location:Southwest China - to the east of the Tibetan plateau
Habitat:Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Wild population: Less than 1,600 mature in the wild
The threat to pandas
- Conversion of forests to agricultural areas
- Medicinal herb collection
- Bamboo harvesting
- Habitat fragmentation
- Poaching
- Large-scale development activities such as road construction, hydropower development, and mining
How you are helping the pandas
- £60 (or £5 a month) will buy a household an energy-saving stove, which will cut its annual firewood use by half. Thereby saving vital giant panda habitat.
- £120 (or £10 a month) buys protective waterproof footwear for a team of five rangers to continue patroling the Minshan Mountains.
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