Polar bear listed as threatened species
Originally published Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 11:42 a.m.
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Stumble It!WASHINGTON -- The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday, saying it must be protected because of the decline in Arctic sea ice from global warming.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses. These declines, he told a news conference, mean the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.
Kempthorne also said, though, that it would be "inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.
Reflecting views recently expressed by President Bush, Kempthorne said the Endangered Species Act was "never meant to regulate global climate change."
He said the decision to list the bear includes administrative actions aimed at limiting the impact of the decision on energy development and other climate related activities.
"This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," Kempthorne said. He said he had consulted with the White House on the decision, but "at no time was there ever a suggestion that this was not my decision."
Kempthorne cited as support for his decision conclusions by the department's scientists that sea ice loss will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century.
Notwithstanding the secretary's disclaimers, this is the first time the Endangered Species Act has been used to protect a species threatened by the impacts of global warming. There has been concern within the business community that such an action could have far-reaching impact and could be used to regulate carbon dioxide.
Kempthorne proposed 15 months ago to investigate whether the polar bear should be declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
That triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects at a time when scientists predict a continuing warming and loss of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic sea ice serves as a primary habitat for the bear and is critical to its survival, scientists say.
"The science is absolutely clear that polar bear needs protection under the Endangered Species Act," said Andrew Wetzler, director of the endangered species program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
A decision had been expected early this year, but the Interior Department said it needed more time to work out many of the details, prompting criticism from members of Congress and environmentalists. Environmentalists filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing a decision and a federal court on April 29 set a May 15 deadline for a decision.
Community Discussion
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crazy
I agree that polar bears are a threatened species and the cause is at least partly global warming. But there are many endangered (much worse off than “threatened”) species that are helped by global warming, such as many species of beetles and amphibians. The “environmental” groups purposely ignore this fact as they just want a cute animal to use to push their anti-human agenda.
A carbon tax is a good idea if it replaces a less efficient tax (like the corporate income tax), but environmental policy should not be made in the courts by groups who use cute animals to trick headless but big-hearted people into donating money to them. And the Endangered Species Act was not intended to dictate federal economic policy.
The truth needs no defense...Wake up.
Go spend some time up on the North slope - talk to the people who have lived there for their whole lives - they will tell you this was the right decision.
Yeah...and here's a bunch of those terrible environmentalists in the AK Dept. of Fish and Game saying the polar bears are also endangered, a report that Palin did her best to sit on:
However, in e-mails the state did release yesterday, it is clear that state marine mammal biologists agreed with federal studies last fall that concluded that 2/3 of the world's polar bears "would likely be extirpated by mid-century" due to loss of sea ice, including all those off Alaska.
That quote is from an article released earlier this week by Prof. Rick Steiner, UAA, a marine conservation specialist with a bachelor's in ecology and a master's degree in fisheries. But, I'm sure omniscient experts such as aknatuff will dismiss that expertise and experience with some remark straight out of the George Bush "Invirunmental Stuff Study I Done".... *Grin*.
Another version of the "Spotted Owl" Anyway WTF do any of these Environmental Terrorists know about "alleged" global warming?
Does this mean Alaska and Canadian natives can no longer kill Polar Bears? How will I get fly tying material?
MEL1776...it's interesting you characterize this as "anti-human". Tell me....on what do you base this when we have Native elders along the Northern Coastal Plain who have been warning us for the past several years that the ice pack is receding, the polar bears are suffering, the seals both the bears and the people depend on hunting are much harder to find? Or maybe you're referring to the Gwichi'in who have strongly opposed any drilling in ANWR because they know the fragility of the existence of the caribou herds that calve there, a calving ground and a herd they depend on for their subsistence that could easily be lost to development . Maybe you can explain how these two groups are being "anti-human".
It would be more honest of you (and quite a bit more accurate) to describe these efforts as anti-destruction or have you already forgotten the Exxon Valdez oil spill? You know you only have to dig about a foot down in the sands along many parts of Prince William Sound to find oil from the spill still seeping out. Perhaps you've forgtten how helpless Alyeska and the feds were in trying to clean that up and how they really only skimmed off the surface oil, leaving much to form balls of crude that sunk to the sea floor but still release toxins into the water.
"Anti-human"? No. More like very pro-human because in case you haven't noticed people don't do too well in an oil-drenched environment, either. The salmon populations in PWS still haven't recovered from the spill. There are a lot of fishermen whose livelihoods were destroyed and who have been waiting for decades while Alyeska used their teams of lawyers to drag out the legal process until any money they may get in settlement will be useless. Or are those fishermen also part of your "anti-human" scheme?
You might want to add "warm Alaskans" to that list this next winter, when we start ringing up those fuel oil bills.
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) amphibians are amongst the most remarkable and unusual species on the planet and yet an alarming 85% of the top 100 are receiving little or no conservation attention. The top 10 endangered species (in the List of endangered animal species) are amphibians. Global warming would likely benefit many of these species by lengthening their active periods. Again, a carbon tax is a good idea but the Endangered Species Act is the wrong way to implement it.
Dobieman- I only care about humanity as a whole when it comes to global and national issues.
Some environmentalist should hug one of them to give them comfort. Then let them take a couple of them in fully grown to live in there homes. Since they always know what should be done.
Good deal
I think I'm going to write Al Gore and ask him to change it from "Global Warming" to "Global Climate Change" you could even abbreviate it... GCC
The climate around the world is changing and I'm a contributor I admit it but I try to do my part.
The NY Times just published an article that contains more information. Apparently the decision will not force the government to take action on global warming even if it is a cause of the polar bears threatened status. Only the standard protections are being implemented (no hunting, stopping development of areas with polar bears, and so on). Thus I no longer have any disagreements with the decision.
Now hopefully the political process will eventually be used to create a carbon tax, use its revenue to eliminate the corporate income tax, and open up ANWR to drilling.
Why don't you tree huggers read the article on line:
Study: Migration from rural Alaska to cities increasing
I don't think you will have anyone up there to look at them in 20 years, unless you go up on a ship burning thousands of gallons of diesel fuel. I hope Hugo is still willing to sell us oil and NG next year!!!!
The decision to list the Polar Bear as threatened could have the most detrimental effect upon the people who actually live along the Arctic Coastline. Apparently the Inuit in Canada are rather unhappy with the efforts of U.S. environmentalists:
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/2...
How much impact have the Russians had on polar bear population? For years they have used the northern Seiberian coast as a dumping ground for nuclear subs and allowed unlimited hunting of polar bears and walrus. We probably will never know since they will not allow studies on this. How about the air pollution that impacts the people of Alaska from Russia. Why isn't Russia held accountable for it's negative impact on Alaskans. Maybe, Alaskans need to be placed on the endangered speces list.
Oh good this ought to raise fuel prices another buck or two per gallon.
There are more animals that have gone extinct then there are currently alive. I feel sorry for the Polar Bears but there is nothing we can do.
Yea the pack ice is melting, and so are the glaciers but can anybody tell me why the glaciers in SD, ND, Minn, and Wisc melted?, or why they have dug up palm trees on the north slope during oil exploration in the 60's.
It's obvious that the earth has warmed and cooled during it's life span,and it's even more obvious that the liberal scientists don't have a clue or that they can back up any of their evidence regarding climatic change.
I would gladly save one from his long term suffering and make my family a new white polar bear rug! :) Can I please?
The one thing that is paramount appears to be beyond the capacity of our politicians to voice. Namely, that villages need the right to shoot nuisance polar bears. Relocation does not work since they are great navigators and will return time and time again to known sources of food. Just recently, for instance, a polar bear was shot in Fort Yukon, because he went there in search of human food. To protect them means that Alaskans will no longer have the right to manage their own wildlife. If the citizens are to be the owners of the state's resources they should object to this interference from outside. This is nothing less than a takeover by the feds again. And last time they tried to divide our people by making subsistence hunting a racial issue instead of a regional management issue. Tony Knowles had many faults, but this is one issue he saw clearly and I applaud him for his efforts. The feds want to say that Alaska is inept and incapable of managing our own resources, whether they be alive or fossilized. And our current delegation, in years past, allowed the feds to abrogate our statehood act by agreeing to a 50-50 split instead of the 90-10 used to entice us into statehood. Not to mention that they are collectively (except for Lisa) facing possible prison terms. So I am finding it difficult to imagine just who will speak up for us? Even our governor whom I respect and admire, has just issued a statement which puts us immediately subordinate to the powers that be 6000 miles away. I think the battle may already be lost, but there are some of us who will feel a real sense of loss at watching justice thwarted once again here. If we really want to assert our rights to resource development in a responsible fashion it needs to include all our resources and not just those which have a high market value. Maybe I am being idealistic, but then again so were those who decided to invest in the Permanent Fund so we could preserve our options in the future. I am sure they would not have wanted to allow the feds to make a takeover bid (and it is just a bid at this point - nothing has yet been set in legislation) without considering the legal authorities ensconced in the formation of our statehood and the rights due our sovereignty. I don't see anyone with the stature to stand up for us at this point, and I believe this bemoans the decline of our state as a separate entity, as we become homogenized into the ever-increasing federal USA government which seeks to tell us about every aspect of how to live our lives.
I am glad they are trying to protect the bears. I don't think taxing Americans only for global climate change will solve any issue without adressing the global development.
Since the Federal law only affects America's Polar Bears we will be the only place that has them in 50 years and you can get your fly supplies from the people with subsitance permits. I didn't know they lived that long, but you learn something new everyday. Ha
Liberal "Champions" dress up teddy bear costumes and prance around capital hill! Keep it up, you limp-wristed democrats! You're unintentionally hilarious!
Who in their right mind expects to be taken seriously when dressed in a Polar Bear Costume? If that worked, maybe we should send someone down there in carharts and a flannel shirt to represent Alaska's interest.
Hybrid-
The costumes seemed to have worked... or was that the science?
Who cares, gas is near $4 a gallon. Do YOU really think I care a wit about a polar bear I will never see? BTW, I hope the nuisance deer disappear with them.
I dont see how the polar bear on the list will affect me. But the aforementioned amphibians and such....when I cant build on my own property because some endangered critter pops out eggs there, then I have a problem.
I think they found another way to subvert property rights.
Hey jim1946 i have a small piece of real polar bear fur about two by two square inch i dont know how many flies it will make but you can have it. Its not one of them gifts things you buy it is actual fur
What type of a civilization are we if we don't take care of what we have been blessed with? I know our family does everything it can to protect the earth & the nature we are so fortunate to co-exist with here in Alaska. Mankind seems destined to destroy the world he has been given. I am very glad that the polar bear has been put onto the list, FINALLY!!
i still have a hard time believing in this global warming ideal. i think the earth has changed many times over and over and this is the cycle were in!
but again what do i know about anything :)
There is good news tho all the polar bear pelts have no just skyrocketed in value! Polar bear meat well be more valuable the Oil of course dried smoked then vacuum sealed. I can see one ounce of Polar Bear Jerky being worth more then gas prices. It'll be worth $10 per ounce smoked jerky. Don't believe me sell some on E-bay. Then sell a pelt you've been saving. You'll see a renewable financial resource thank you environmentalist where's my gun!!!! Then get ready to ship it anywhere to on E-bay under real polar bear! Then you can see why environmentalist
can be useful. Thanks!
este, you are sure right when you say this is just another way the feds are stealing our State's rights. I think I will never comprehend the 50-50 split. We should have never accepted it and demanded the 90-10 promised at statehood. I feel for the bears to some degree, but if it were roaming around the village I was living in, it would have to go, without a doubt.
There called food there useless as there cubs being cute after I shot them. They'll still be cute after you get the skull. Only thing cute about them is saying sharks are cute. Then maybe everythings was once cute. I was also as an Athabaskan but you don't see me rushing to hug a bear. Why because they prey on the weak. Like I've said before tell an environmentalist hug one since there so concerned! Then say where all idiots for not caring there wild you where once called that also. I call them all food I can't wait to prove it!
Well, once again looks like the folks who want to preserve nature against the folks who want progress against the folks who just want to get by against...there's got to be a happy medium someplace here. There's a magnificent animal threatened with possible extinction, along with a few others, I'm sure. There HAS to be alternate means of drilling INTO ANWR without having to set up rigs and equipment IN ANWR. There's a world that is more and more dependant on oil that WILL keep on running even if it has to pay more for it. I'm afraid in the end it's going to be the need versus the desires and the needs are finally going to outweigh the desires. I sometimes wonder, what if it were human beings that were on this "threatened" list? What happened to alternate energy sources? Big Oil puts a squash to that every chance they get. We have quite the energy crunch on Guam here now that oil is so high, we went out looking for alternate energy sources and Mobil and Shell told us not to even think about it, that the legislation to mandate looking for alternate energy sources would be "lost" somewhere. There are alternatives, even if global warming isn't a factor and it's just cyclic nature, it's a wake up call. In my opinion, we'd best heed it..."tree-huggers" or not.
Several people made comments that this will not affect them. Just wait until we need a permit for our gas line on the North Slope.
Ok i might tell you if you not Alaskan you going to die why because you lack the things you need to make survival work. You have took be able to take all then if you have to take there means to excess. Their food like everything where where promised I'll be happy to send the bones to California environmentalist.
They won't now you see the other environment's saying we can afford $6.75 a gallon. This is just was said a pandoria's box of things to come. 75% of native Alaskans have to get marketable goods I can buy like a bread there $2.50 here low as 35 cents a loaf. Corn whole 75 cent there 1.50 so who are the environmentalists caring for there souls maybe because they want to think they where doing something.
You'll need more the a permit you'll need a key to do anything from now on. I-t's almost over. She's scared of the fight. Making anyone mad at her but i've seen a lot mad at her decisions. She's called skurd to be able to say she's one of the better Bush foxy failures. Which she is. She never cared about Alaskans like she said she just wanted to get here fricking hands on the oil that was there. Like a red headed pornstars step child we let her have it. By the way Northern Slope how's Halliburtin doing?
blue5011 - "Who cares, gas is near $4 a gallon. Do YOU really think I care a wit about a polar bear I will never see? BTW, I hope the nuisance deer disappear with them."
holy nonsequitur. here are some other equally valid reasons to "not care"...
- Who cares, i just ate some corn flakes.
- Who cares, the moon appears to still orbit the earth.
- Who cares, i already have my GED.
- Who cares, my friend Trevor once saw William Shatner at the airport in 1989.
- - -
hambone - "i still have a hard time believing in this global warming ideal. i think the earth has changed many times over and over and this is the cycle were in!"
care to cite your sources? or is it just a "feeling" you have? not saying it isn't true but that is a good example of what separates actual science from punditry and rhetoric. the latter is much more popular among those that don't have the time or inclination to actual bother learning anything.
in your example ... you saying "i think the earth has changed many times over and over and this is the cycle were in!" is an example of the *first steps* in the scientific method not the beginning/middle/end of a "fact". an actual scientist would then move on to designing an experiment to test that "feeling" and go about collecting data. sometimes it isn't instant gratification however. it can take decades even centuries or millennia to have enough data to prove/disprove your hypothesis.
meanwhile in this sound-bite world of instant gratification and science-phobic talking heads ... it is much easier to just say "i think the earth has changed many times over and over and this is the cycle were in!" and be done with it ... say it with enough conviction and fervor and toss in something about science being inherently "secular" or "communist" and you get a world of "experts". experts of what exactly... i don't know. as much as you want it to be true... testable / observable data in legitimate science doesn't really care that you think Al Gore is a nerd or who you voted for in the last election.
"but again what do i know about anything :)"
good question.
I've never actually seen a Polar bear in person, and I'm guessing that a HUGE majority of ALL people haven't either. They don't impact my life in any way, shape, or form and they never have. This also can be said for the HUGE majority of ALL people. Why do humans feel it is their responsibility to "cool" the earth for these animals. They've already got a name for whats going on, it's a little thing called EVOLUTION.
Dont worry, BUSHCO will just use the old signing statement and do another endo around the laws.
The fuel prices continue to climb, maybe Alaskan residents should get some kind of endangered species act. A lot of us are leaving, can't afford to live here. Lower 48 are talking about all the ways they can Save, but here in the Interior Mass Transportation is a Joke. Buse don't run everywhere, and would take 2hours just to get somewhere.
The temperature of earth is controlled by the sun not the actions of mere mortals. There were millions upon millions of species that had gone extinct before man even appeared on the scene. This is crap and a way for the environmental movement to increase donations from those who feel guilty for their success.
Democrats beg to be taken seriously while dancing around in teddy bear costumes! LOLOLOL!!!
Hey, Bush has pretended to be President for the past 7 years. Why can't these guys pretend to be bears?
I pretend that Polar Bears exist. I have to pretend, cuz I've never seen or been affected by one.
I think there is a lot of pretending in this world.
Things will be a lot better when we've killed all the animals.
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