07 May 2007 - Monaco/Gland,
Switzerland – WWF and Canon Europe launched
today a “Save the Polar Bear” website as
an educational tool to teach children about
the environmental impacts of climate change.
The site — a microsite hosted on the enhanced
WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker will have a
variety of activities suitable for children
aged from 7 to 11.
In fun and engaging ways, and with the
aid of two animated polar bear cubs named
Auro and Borea, children will learn about
threats to polar bears’ habitat, about the
issues and challenges of climate change,
their own impact on the environment, and
how they can each make a difference.
The Polar Bear Tracker was launched in
2002 by WWF’s Arctic Programme and the Norwegian
Polar Institute to track polar bears in
the Svalbard Archipelago. Canon recognized
the importance of the project and became
involved because polar bears are a key indicator
of climate change and its effects on the
Arctic. Thanks to Canon's support, WWF is
now able to increase its support for polar
bear research and to gain valuable information
on how changes in sea ice affect this charismatic
species.
Due to global warming, the sea ice on which
polar bears live melts earlier and earlier
every year, leaving them with a smaller
area in which to find food. Though pollution
and hunting are other threats to polar bears,
climate change is the biggest of them all.
Unless humanity takes radical action to
reduce its emissions of global warming gases
such as carbon dioxide, we are unlikely
to be able to save the polar bear.
The announcement of the children’s site
is timed to coincide with Canon Europe’s
50th anniversary.
“WWF congratulates Canon Europe on its
50th anniversary and is pleased to be working
with it on the new website,” said Paul Steele,
WWF International’s Chief Operating Officer.
“With Canon’s support, we hope to be able
to reach the hearts and minds of children
so that future generations will have the
knowledge and impetus to make the necessary
changes in their lifestyles to help conserve
the environment."
Canon is a long-standing supporter of WWF,
with Canon Europe becaming the global conservation
organization's first conservation partner
in 1998. Canon’s support for this project
is evidence of its positive steps towards
assuming a position of environment leadership.
“Climate change and the associated issues
of global warming and environmental consciousness
are of crucial importance to the people
of Canon, both as members of a socially
responsible company and as individuals,”
said James Leipnik, Chief of Communications
and Corporate Relations at Canon Europe.
“We are proud to be supporting this important
project as it has strong synergies with
our corporate philosophy of Kyosei, which
means living and working together for the
common good. By working with WWF to address
some of the key challenges of environmental
sustainability through better understanding,
we hope to engage as wide an audience as
possible, from children to their parents
and teachers, and encourage them to do their
part for the environment.”
END NOTES:
• Canon Europe is a subsidiary of Canon
Inc. of Japan, a world-leading innovator
and provider of imaging and information
technology solutions for individuals and
businesses.
• The children’s microsite will be rolled
out in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands,
Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the
UK.
Moira O’Brien-Malone, Head of Press
WWF International
Will Hart or Valerie Holloway
Nelson Bostock Communications (on behalf
of Canon Europe)
