Reports of the polar bear's dwindling population have made it an ideal symbol for the real world effects of climate change. But some say those numbers are overstated, and it's the politics around polar bears that's really at play.



As Reg Sherren reports, the science is split.


OIL-ARCTIC/WWF

The reported decline has made polar bears the poster species in the battle against climate change. However there is debate within the scientific community about the decline of the polar bears. (Susanne Miller/Reuters)



Some argue models projecting the loss of sea ice clearly spell disaster for the polar bear. While others are adamant that polar bear populations don't appear to be in decline at all.


Click on the video clip above to watch Reg Sherren's report.


GERMANY/

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is projecting dramatic losses in the polar bear population by the end of the century, however some scientists disagree. (Michael Dalder/Reuters)



RUSSIA/

Some scientists says the bears are not in trouble at the moment, and that they don’t appear to be declining in numbers. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)