This is John Kennedy with another Postcard from Abroad from the University of Kansas.
Global warming can be a POLAR-izing issue, but on the island of Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Arctic, thawing ice and a mass invasion of polar bears have caused a state of emergency. Unable to reach the ocean to find food, fifty-two polar bears have invaded two villages on Novaya Zemlya. More than 3,000 residents call this extreme northeast island of Europe home, and as rowdy polar bears invade apartment blocks and other living quarters, military personnel have been deployed to safeguard the local population. But both residents and Russian authorities are now facing quite a dilemma: should they BARE arms against this legally endangered species, or simply grin and BARE it?
With thanks to Lisa Giullian from the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies for this text, this is John Kennedy. Wish you were here.
