Polar Bear Enthusiast Announces Award Winning Web Site

May 13-19, 2007 is National Bear Awareness Week and polar bear enthusiast, Frankie Kangas, is calling for increased Polar Bear Awareness as part of the week's focus.

Fort Bragg, CA (PRWEB) May 12, 2007 -- May 13-19, 2007 is National Bear Awareness Week and polar bear enthusiast, Frankie Kangas, is calling for increased Polar Bear Awareness as part of the week's focus.

Ms. Kangas has created several internet sites dedicated to polar bears. Her award-winning lens, "Are You Polar Bear Aware?" (www.squidoo.com/polarbearaware), on the catalogue site, Squidoo, showcases "polar bears in all their glory" with facts, pictures, videos and related links; while her blog, "Polar Bear News" (www.polarbearnews.com), "keeps readers informed of the more controversial issues such as global warming, trophy hunting, and the move to make polar bears a Threatened species."

There is much debate about the effect of Global Warming on polar bears and whether they should be classified as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Ms. Kangas explains, "There seems to be two major disagreements about the effects of Global Warming on polar bears: first, how big is the role humans play in causing it; and second, how soon will the sea ice melt and cause polar bears to become extinct?"

Polar Bear International states, "Climate change is the main threat to polar bears today. A diminishing ice pack directly affects polar bears, as sea ice is the platform from which they hunt. Although the Arctic has experienced warm periods before, the present shrinking of the Arctic's sea ice is rapid and unprecedented."

"My feeling," Ms. Kangas continues, "since we're dealing with the obliteration of an entire species, is we should tread softly and take no chances, because 'if' we are wrong, it will be too late to undo the harm caused. Some say the effects of global warming won't affect polar bears for 45 years, but global warming did not happen overnight and will not be stopped overnight. We need to do something now so there won't be a problem in 45 years."

Ms. Kangas created the Squidoo lens on Polar Bears "because I love polar bears and want to make people more aware of these magnificent animals. I'm raising awareness and raising money to help save them from extinction."

"Are You Polar Bear Aware?" is sprinkled with tongue-in-cheek humor and showcases a weekly polar bear cartoon by Alaskan artist, David Booth, of Cabin Fever Art. There's also a Polar Bear Aware-ness Test that measures your knowledge of the species along an "Aware-ness Quotient" that ranges from "Polar Bear Aware" to "Bear-ly Worth Scoring."

The site made Lens of the Day, a nod from the Squidoo folks for an outstanding lens. It's ranked in the top 100 sites on Squidoo, and has a 5-star rating, the highest star-achievement possible.

Kangas is a sculptor and donates 10% of her bear sculpture sales to the National Wildlife Federation for polar bears. She's splitting the income she receives from her Squidoo site between the National Wildlife Federation and Polar Bears International. To take the Aware-ness Test and see how Polar Bear Aware you are, visit www.squidoo.com/polarbearaware.

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