I just received this from "Green Miles" Grant at the National Wildlife Federation:
Hey, just wanted to give you a quick heads up that we're hearing indications that the Bush administration will decide NOT to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A judge has ordered a final decision on the polar bear by tomorrow (May 15 deadline). If it's true that they will move to not list, that decision would completely contradict evidence presented by the administration's own biologists and show the administration is putting obstruction on climate action ahead of protecting the polar bear.The Endangered Species & Wetlands Report recently published this Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Canada, signed May 8th with no public notice that I can find.
Note that the MOU does not mention climate change.
In short, this is looking like a feeble attempt by the Bush Administration to justify a scientifically indefensible no-list decision for the polar bear. "See, we don't need to protect the polar bear - we have a non-binding memo!" All of this would be comical if we weren't talking about the future -- or lack thereof -- of arguably North America's most iconic species. This action also might possibly be slightly less than heinous if it weren't the continuation of the despicable pattern we've seen by the Bush Administration with regard to pretty much EVERY SINGLE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE over the past 7 1/2 years. Utterly disgraceful; Teddy "Greatest Conservation President in American History" Roosevelt must be tossing around in his grave right now, wondering what happened to his Republican Party.
Oh, and for those of you who think John McCain will be significantly better, perhaps you might want to consider McSame's 24% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters. In short, if you care about the environment, do NOT vote Republican. It's as simple as that.
UPDATE: I hear that Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett will host a conference call TODAY at 3:45 pm to discuss Secretary Kempthorne's major announcement on the status of the polar bear. Looks like Kempthorne's deputy is doing his dirty work for him. Cowards.
http://www.tmsfeatures.com/tms...
From what I understand, the rigs are shut down and evacuated - so no oil is flowing to them. Leaks occur from pipelines and then from rigs when they are started back up.
Also, no mention of all the oil that spilled from refineries and holding tanks on the coast.
With both Drake and Gilmore pushing for drilling, I am sure we will se more of this kind of "reporting".
Also, polar bears are my kid's favorite animal and I like them too!
Or is it? Team Dubya probably slipped a phony report that they weren't going to list them as threatened, and then they "surprise" everyone with their great environmentalism and they do list the PBs. All of this is probably to avoid the endangered label while appearing to be pro-PB.
"The department, in deciding to list the bear as threatened, will cite studies by its own scientists that the decline of Arctic sea ice off Alaska and Canada could result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century, said federal officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...
The report also indicates that "endangered" status wasn't proposed by any side.
There are a few other complaints about some details but contrary to the Green Miles' assertions, it sounds like the Department of the Interior made the right call.
National Wildlife Federation experts break it down here.
Polar bear listed as threatened but protection uncertainDefenders of Wildlife welcomes decision to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, points out Bush administration still unwilling to address global warming
WASHINGTON - Defenders of Wildlife today welcomed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This move officially recognizes that polar bears are threatened with extinction from global warming, which is melting the Arctic sea ice where polar bears hunt for ringed and bearded seals, their primary food source. Defenders cautioned, however, that the Bush administration continues to be unwilling to address global warming, which is the leading threat to the polar bear.
"With the USGS predicting the demise of Alaska's bears within 50 years, this decision to list the polar bear is long overdue," said Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen. "Unfortunately, the Bush administration is unwilling to act to address the fundamental causes of global warming."
In September, the U.S. Geological Survey published a series of reports predicting that loss of summer sea ice-crucial habitat for polar bears-could lead to the demise of two-thirds of the world's polar bears by mid-century, including all of Alaska's polar bears. As sea ice disappears, polar bears are forced to spend more time on land in search of food, placing stress on the bears and increasing the likelihood of often fatal conflicts (for the bears) with humans.
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.
"Today's announcement confirms yet again that global warming is already affecting the United States and its natural heritage," said Schlickeisen. "After years of denial, the Bush administration can no longer avoid facing up to the reality that global warming is happening, with long-term and devastating consequences for wildlife and people. However, the Bush administration remains committed to pushing through oil and gas lease sales in prime polar bear habitat. Defenders of Wildlife will do everything in its power to stop this senseless development."