Polar Bears Protected on Threatened Species List

When thinking about Alaska, most people will think of polar bears and couldn't even imagine an Alaska without them. We were definitely headed down that road because scientists were estimating that without any protection polar bears only had maybe 45 years left on Earth.

This is because global warming is literally melting away their habitats. Luckily, someone is finally helping these amazing creatures out. Yesterday, May 13, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced that the polar bear would be placed on the list of threatened species. This is actually very important because it is the first time that a species has been put on the list because of global warming.

The problem is that in their plan the polar bears will only be protected from hunting and a few other activities. For specific details visit http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/080514a.html.

Kempthorne also said, "I am also announcing that this listing decision will be accompanied by administrative guidance and a rule that defines the scope of impact my decision will have, in order to protect the polar bear while preventing unintended harm to the society and economy of the United States."

This harm that he is worried about is Arctic Drilling and gas emission reduction. The Bush administration supports drilling for oil in the Arctic wildlife refuge in Alaska which is polar bear domain, Kempthorne is basically saying that this will not be affected. He has said that it would be inappropriate to use the protection act to reduce greenhouse gases and address climate change.

Both scientists and congress are skeptical. Jamie Rappaport Clark of Defenders of Wildlife is quoted saying, "They're trying to make this a threatened listing in name only with no change in today's impacts and that's not going to fly." The sad thing is that we are lucky to even have this decision because they were forced into it. Environmentalists filed law suits to force them to make the decision and the courts gave them a deadline of May 15, so two days before this deadline they finally came through.