Select Committee to Examine Global Warming's Threat to Polar Bears; Bush Administrati

[Ladywriter 7,783]

WASHINGTON -- Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will question members of the Bush Administration regarding the delay of a decision to list polar bears under the Endangered Species Act until after a controversial lease sale for oil drilling off of Alaska. The hearing will also feature experts on wildlife protection and oil drilling.

Earlier this week, the Interior Department announced it would miss the statutory deadline to reach a decision on listing the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), saying it would take up to a month more to reach the decision. That would put the listing decision one day after the sale of oil drilling rights in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, scheduled for February 6th. The Chukchi Sea is a sensitive polar bear habitat.

In the most thorough study to date, the Interior Department determined that under current trends, disappearing sea ice would result in a two-thirds drop in the world population of polar bears resulting in the disappearance of polar bears from Alaska by 2050.

http://www.globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases?id=0154

[Myk JL 1,731]

I feel sorry for the ice caps.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Unfortunately I don't think it matters. In a matter of years the only place polar bears will be observed is a zoo. Its to late to save them, many other species too. Makes me wonder if humans will even bother to save themselves.

[Myk JL 1,731]

Unfortunately I don't think it matters. In a matter of years the only place polar bears will be observed is a zoo. Its to late to save them, many other species too. Makes me wonder if humans will even bother to save themselves.

Screw the bears. Save the ice caps! As far as it goes all predators should be behind bars.