London's Polar Bear Sculpture Brings Awareness to Global Warming

Provocative art installation burns up the Thames. And check out these gorgeous reader photos of winter.

January 26, 2009 at 12:50PM by Brian Clark Howard | comment

In the latest attempt to bring more awareness to the sad saga of drowning polar bears (because global warming is melting the ice that is their home), UK artists have floated a massive polar bear installation down the Thames. See photos of the life-like environmental sculpture at Huffington Post Green.

As the Times reports, 15 artists spent two months crafting the 20ft by 20ft, 1.5 tonnes structure, which was launched from Greenwich, and floated on the Thames through London. The faux polar bears made ceremonial stops at Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, where they were temporarily winched into place.

The dramatic sculpture is meant to draw attention the worsening plight of the world's polar bears, to garner support for addressing global warming, and for hyping debut of the British Eden Channel's Fragile Earth series, presented by Sir David Attenborough.

Since a recent (and unscientific) URTH Guy poll indicates people are much more afraid of zombies than global warming (or anything else for that matter), it seems we could use all the attention we can get to the specter of global warming. Perhaps Obama's work to clear the way for California to impose stricter controls on cars will help lead a new way forward.

See more, with photos, at Huffington Post Green

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