America

Will the U.S. Protect or Murder Polar Bears?

by Kris   ⋅   February 8, 2006   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

Of course, whenever Nature or Flora/Fauna and the govt are concerned, controversy erupts. Many believe polar bears are not a threatened species and that we should just keep planning to pummel through the Artic to exploit our natural resources and, basically, inadvertently kill off the bears. Read more HERE.

… And of course, the industrial bigwigs are shitting bricks:

If the polar bear were listed as a threatened species, federal regulatory agencies would be required to consider how their decisions affect polar bears. A listing could affect industries seeking permission to release greenhouse gases or decisions such as setting fuel economy standards for vehicles, Siegel said.

The center concluded that if current rates of decline in sea ice continue, the summertime Arctic could be completely ice-free well before the end of the century.

Siegel hailed the decision Tuesday as an important precedent on the science of global warming. If the polar bear ultimately is listed as threatened, it will make a strong statement that the effects of climate change are no longer uncertain.

“We don’t have uncertainty in the science any more. That’s a precedent we need for federal decision-making,” she said.

In the United States, only Alaska has polar bears. The U.S. population is estimated at between 2,000-5,000 bears.