Arctic oil spill could be disastrous for polar bears: expert

May 24, 2010 by legitgov

Arctic oil spill could be disastrous for polar bears: expert 23 May 2010 Canada must prepare for an Arctic oil spill catastrophe "long in advance," says a polar bear expert. Edmonton-based biology Prof. Andrew Derocher said an oil well blowout in Canada’s northern Beaufort Sea just before freeze-up could be disastrous to northern animals. When spring returned, a sheen would appear through the cracks in the ice as a dripping polar bear sat by the edge, neurotically licking the oil from its fur, he said. The current spill in the Gulf of Mexico has added a sense of urgency to Derocher’s research. 

Oil threatens polar bears