Grinning and bearing it at the Zoo am Meer

Two polar bears pad among the 'rocks'. Behind, them, through a gap in the 'cliffs' is a typical red and white north German lighthouse, and a container ship passing by. No need to call the police though, these animals haven't lost their 'bearings', they are in the excellent Zoo am Meer in Bremerhaven.

Meet Lloyd and his friend. There's also a third bear - Viktoria. However as she is possibly pregnant (apparently it's difficult even for experts to tell) and is being cosseted away from the invasive interest of the public. Polar bears (Eisbären in German) are just a precious commodity in captivity as they are in the wild.

As if three polar bears aren't sufficient attraction, watching them swim is a particular highlight for visitors. However, despite the sunshine, during my visit the bears couldn't be enticed into the pool by their keeper. Fortunately, there's a link to a video on this page of the Zoo's site.

Despite its name, 'Zoo at the Sea', there is non-marine life there, too. At first I thought there was a polar theme... polar bears, arctic foxes (are they cute, or wot?!), artic hares. Then I thought perhaps the inhabitants were decided on the basis of being white... the snowy owl, the gannets.

But where do the chimpanzees fit in? And the racoons? And the guinea pigs in the petting area?

Visitors receive Das Zoobuch (the Zoo Book). It covers the history of the attraction and has fantastic photographs of its inhabitants and a great deal of detail about them. I dilligently made notes about the animals (did you know Humboldt penguins can live to be 25 years old? Or that seals can reach their 30th birthday?) as I walked round, then discovered that all the information and more is in the book. It is in German but the photos are great. There is, however, an English language version of the brochure ('Encounters of a Special Kind') which includes a site map and feeding times.

But back to the polar bears... Visitors can stand next to an outline of a bear on its hindlegs and compare their respective heights. (Polar bears may be 3m tall, so I would only come up to their paws.) You can see the animals from above and, assuming the bears are in their pool, nose to nose through the glass. The info board tells you a polar bear can live to be 41.

But... the Zoo says there are only around 25,000 bears left in the wild of which 60 per cent live in Canada. Further, computer simulations predict that by 2080 the ice caps will have melted. If there is no ice, there won't be any 'ice bears'.

Polar bears are all too good an example of the effects of climate change. I am sure most of us can empathise with the effect on an animal more than we can imagine the impact of rising sea levels. The bears spend April to the middle of June hunting on the pack ice. During the winter months they seek refuge from the low temperatures on land, in holes they dig themselves. For females, a long and sucessful hunting season is particularly important because in November or December they give birth.

Melting ice caps means stress and a change to the life cycle of the bears. Climate change is causing winter to arriver later and delaying formation of pack ice. While the bears remain on land, they cannot hunt. Each week on land means 10kg less fat reserve build-up. For a female this can be critical because, during the eight months that she is not able to hunt, she may lose up to 200kg. As temperatures rise, the bears' holes melt, leaving the offspring exposed to the weather before they are ready for it.

Visitors to the Zoo are made aware of climate change in other ways, too. There is a showcase of items you might find around the home... a shaving brush, for example. Lift the flap underneath it and you learn that these may be made of badger hair. Even the enduring German favourite sweets - 'Gummi Bärchen' (jelly bears, the teutonic version of the English jelly babies) are there as the production process requires gelatine which is an animal product.

There are also large information boards with URLs for organisations raising awareness of the effect of humans on our environment and who want to engage concerned citizens to take action.

These include the Deadline campaign which is concerned about the state of the seas, the site of WAZA ('World Association of Zoos and Aquariums') and yaqu pacha whose front page says it is 'an organization for the conservation of South American aquatic mammals'.

The zoo is open 365 days a year. It's got a cafe on the sunny, sea-facing side, which overlooks the brilliant play area for kids (and nowhere does it say adults are forbidden from sliding down the flume to get to it), and several terraces giving great views. Recommended - but do wear shoes you can climb (lots of) steps in.

A fairytale ending or the end of a fairytale?

Visitors to an exhibition in Hamburg's Europa Passage will be able to live warmly, and therefore presumably, happily ever after. However, if the Passivhausstandard is adopted in Britain, it may cause problems for an annual but popular visitor - Father Christmas.

Not only will children not be able to 'post' their wishlists to Santa by sending them up the chimney, but the rotund bloke with the generous amounts of white facial hair won't be able to get in to deliver them either... Passive houses don't need chimneys.

However, as Christmas traditions in Germany are different, the people who spend time looking at the display 'Our house saves energy - here's how' ('Unser Haus Spart Energie - Gewusst wie') on the top floor of the shopping centre can concentrate on the message therein: regardless of what sort of house you live in, or when it was built, there are things you can do that will reduce your heating bills.

Hamburg's fabulous open air pools closed at the end of last month, children are back at school and it's dark at 7.30pm. Winter is on its way so this exhibition is timely. It's also excellent and sets a standard other organisations would do well to emulate.

From a distance you can see red 'roofs' of six 'house-lets'. Houseowners are intrigued and attracted. Closeup they are not disappointed. The displays are attractive, engaging and accessible.

The designers haven't forgotten that the visitor is unlikely to be alone. There are hands-on elements for all ages, such as a cube you turn each visible side of which simply has one large image and the minimum number of words required to explain what sort of energy is produced by the subject of the picture. Even the youngest members of any party are catered for. There is a box of wooden toys to entertain them in situ and a wildlife colouring book and two storybooks, the latter with a sustainable theme, to keep them occupied while mum or dad is absorbed in the exhibition, but which they can take away with them.

Each house is dedicated to a different topic around the environment. However each is made relevant to the viewer because the underlying message is how you can improve the condition of your home and reduce its energy use and therefore your outgoings. In fact, each display is a sort of FAQ - from What are renewable sources of energy? to What is the difference between a heat pump and geothermal energy? Where appropriate, reference is made to the technology is available for homes, how it works, the situation for which it is suitable and, crucially, how much it costs and what the financial benefits to the home owner are.

There is a vast amount of information presented on the 'walls' of the cottages but in such a way and using so many devices - colour, images, 'real-life' stories, podcasts (an iPod is available in situ in exchange for ID or a deposit, or visit http://www.regionalbewegung.de/102/ ), a whiteboard with pen and calculator provided, a DVD ("Abenteuer Energiesparen" ["Energy Adventure"] which you can order by email from ausstellung@gusb.de for 15 € excl postage) - that the visitor will stick with it to the end.

On the final 'wall' are shelves of examples of magazines aimed at home owners and available through newsagents; books through bookshops or online; and brochures to take away or order from the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz and Reaktorsicherheit for whom the exhibition was produced.

The exhibition is part of the the first Hamburg Climate Week which runs until Sunday 26 September. However, it will then go 'on tour' and its next stop is 10-11 October in the Schaufenster Fischereihafen, Bremerhaven.

Recommended!

(Images courtesy of Gesellschaft für Umwelt- und Sozialbildung mbH.)