Polar Bears
March 17, 2008
“In January 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The polar bear depends on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their primary food, and projected loss of sea ice due to global warming was believed to jeopardize polar bears throughout their range.”
USGS was asked to research the potential and concluded and advised to the US Fish and Wildlife Service…
“Projected changes in future sea ice conditions, if realized, will result in loss of approximately 2/3 of the world’s current polar bear population by the mid 21st century. Because the observed trajectory of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative.”
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/special/polar_bears/docs/executive_summary.pdf
The Polar Bear did not make it on the endangered species list…at least not yet. The decision was due the first week of January 2008 and has been delayed…probably until the current administration leaves office.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/08/MN60UAQFJ.DTL
Had to sell those leases in the Chukchi Sea first…
http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/338712.html
If it doesn’t make you angry, you’re just not paying attention
