US lists polar bear as threatened species

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - Government officials say the Interior Department has decided to protect the polar bear as a threatened species because of global warming.

The officials told The Associated Press the bears are threatened by the decline in Arctic sea ice. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement was to come from Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. He scheduled a news conference Wednesday.

The action comes a day before a court-imposed deadline on deciding whether the bear should be put under the protection of the federal Endangered Species Act.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_sc/polar_bear_4

[truebrit71]

1. Good...now how about putting the Wolves BACK on that same list...

...

[Triana]

2. GOOD news! Thanks! n/t

[joneschick]

3. thank heavens.

:hi:

[XemaSab]

4. Interesting...

Impacts analysis is going to be a damn nightmare. x(

[roguevalley]

5. poor things. probably too late. they drown swimming to floes that

don't exist anymore. cubs are not doing well and they are being seen where they don't belong.

[stuntcat]

11. yesterday I heard

Even though there are still many bears they aren't living as long or eating as well.

And powerful Americans are fighting to have this not mean anything about the carbon industries :eyes: I've lost hope completely in people, we can't face the truth that the 6th mass-extinction is directly caused by humans.


Are there seals at the South Pole? Maybe we could move some of the bears down there :blush: and maybe some seals for them to eat.

[bluesmail]

6. I believe it is good news for the polar bears and for us.

No drilling for oil where any polar bears habituate (IF that's how it works.)

[hatrack]

7. Well, well, well - some reality shining through the space under the door at Interior, it would seem

Of course, will it matter? Maybe.

[YankeyMCC]

8. Happy to hear this but the core issue and continued threat of

loss of sea ice from warming isn't going to be addressed and in fact the EPA is trying to bend over backwards to claim this should not be considered a precedent to address climate crisis issues.

(snip)
Listing polar bears as threatened under the ESA should help protect polar bear habitat from threats such as oil and gas development, which the Bush administration has proposed in pristine areas including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the primary land denning habitat for the polar bear. Instead, the administration has made it clear that the ESA will not provide any additional protections from these activities than those that already exist under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
(snip)

http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/press_releases_folder/2008/05_14_2008_polar_bear_listed_as_threatened_but_protection_uncertain.php

[progressoid]

9. I'm sure Glenn Beck will be mocking this in the near future.

Douchebag.

[Annces]

10. Great n/t