The polar bear for many has become a living symbol of the dangers of global warming. The powerful kings of the arctic are finding their habitat shrinking.

When I was going to college, there were probably four colleges in the nation that offered a major in meteorology. I wasn't fortunate enough to be in a part of the country where that was readily accessible. I have been doing weather since I graduated from college. I feel solid about what I'm doing.

Not everyone agrees the bears should be protected. Hunters, oil interests, even the state of Alaska has questions about the effects protection would have on oil and gas exploration and commercial shipping. But for many others, the bears are a symbol of a bigger crisis threatening the planet.