Bush Administration’s Antienvironmental Policies Hurt Polar Bears
By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
There's not an animal in sight the Bush administration doesn't want to send off to extinction on the way out the door. Now it's the polar bear. Yes, let's just slaughter them all, why don't we?
With just more than a month left in office, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on Thursday made
permanent a rule that says the listing of polar bears will not be used to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a leading cause of global warming, and the primary reason for the loss of Arctic sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears.
These "special rules" announced by the Interior Department continue the Bush tradition of selling out science in the name of corporate environmental destruction. They are proposed to "reduce the influence of federal scientists" on endangered species decisions. Yes, let's ignore the scientists, because, after all, what do they know, compared with evangelicals anxiously awaiting the second coming of Christ, right? Kempthorne did so while making permanent a "special rule" to block steps that could protect threatened polar bears.
In case you were wondering, we're now down to 1.74 million square miles of sea ice. This is the second-lowest level on record. It is also 860,000 square miles below the annual average between 1979 and 2000. The ice is what's keeping not just polar bears but much of the Arctic ecosystem alive.
I guess the Obama administration should be thankful it will have so much to do when it takes office, undoing the ridiculous last-minute moves of the Bush administration.
- Read more by Bonnie Erbe.
- Read more from the Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
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Tags: environment | Bush administration | animals
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Reader Comments
Give me a break
According to a 2002 study by the WWF polar bear populations are doing just fine:
http://www.ncpa.org/images/183.gif
Deprogramming is a painful process.
OBAMA AND THE POLAR BEARS
OBAMA IS A SELF THINKING MAN. HIS BELIEFS ON HOW THE POLAR BEAR SITUATION SHOULD BE HANDLED IS NO WHERE NEAR WHAT BUSH HAD IN MIND. All things and situations take time to adjust, and in due time OBAMA will adjust accordingly,all things that need to be adjusted. It will all take time to undue the damage that has been done BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION,and fill up some of the holes that were dug in the last decade or so.OBAMA is a fair, intelligent, honest, and just PRESIDENT, he will do whatever it takes to help the POLAR BEAR, and the invironment, and the many other items that so badly need rectification, OBAMA is made of much stronger metal than bush ever was. These UNITED STATES finally has a PRESIDENT that is invironmentally aware, and is willing to do something about it.He is a man of action and not just retorical words. He IS NOT A WEAK PREDSIDENT, AS UNFORTUNATELY THE LAST ONE WAS. Given enough time OBAMA will restore AMERICA'S PRESTIGE, AND win back its rightful status as the greatest most respected NATION IN THE WORLD TODAY. Decreasing our national debt, and dependency on foreign oil are only 2 of the many issues on his plate, America is slowly being auctioned off to the highest bidder incriment, by incriment, at this rate, if it is'nt stopped soon, even the true owners of the land......THE AMERICAN INDIAN..wont have enough land left to hold a POW WOW on. NOT FUNNY? i agree. But it wasnt funny to the indians either,and it won't be funny to any land owner in the UNITED STATES either if the land carnage doesnt cease. It has to stop, or none of us will own enough land to build a good OUTHOUSE ON. OBAMA is on the right track, and i believe that the course he is on now, with the help of the people, he can and will,succeed. And if you want to take something to the bank, WELLLLLLLLLLLL. "YOU CAN TAKE THAT ONE"
Sincerely
Mr. Larry E.Coats
POLAR BEARS AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
BUSH ONLY CARES ABOUT ONE THING OIL, AND HOW TO LINE HIS POCKETS WITH MORE MONEY FROM OIL EXPLORATION. Anything, animals, people, GLOBAL WARMING, won't stop him from siding with the oil industry. He has made millions and probably billions, from this kind of conduct. All he is interrested in is how can he keep filling his pockets with ill gotten gains. That is why he was such a BAD president. Oil is the main reason the economy went into the crapper, not the MORTGAGE COMPANIES. When the price of a gallon of gas went so high that you could'nt afford to drive to work, even if you still had a job, And trucks, and planes, and trains, couldnt afford to supply the nation with its basic needs because the fuel cost to get back and forth was so far out of proportion that the normal everday joe had no money left over for the basic needs of every day living. Af homeowner or renter had to choose between feeding the family he loves, or paying the rent or mortgage because fuel for your car or truck had to come first in order TO GET TO YOUR JOB, OR DELIVER GOODS TO CUSTOMERS EVEN IF YOU HAD A FAILING BUSINESS. It was'nt the mortgage companies that caused the economical destruction. It was the BUSH ADMINISTRATION and the foreign oil companies. Now he is retired and is so stinking rich that he could care less about a POLAR BEARS NEEDS.AND STILL ON HIS WAY OUT OF OFFICE, ONCE AGAIN HE SIDED WITH THE OIL COMPANIES TO THE BITTER END. IT WOULD SERVE HIM RIGHT IF A POLAR BEAR BIT HIM RIGHT IN HIS BIG FAT GREEDY ASS. The congress was just as guilty as he was for allowing such a thing to happen. As long as the country is being run by GREEDY REPRESENTATIVES LIKE BUSH, OUR PLANET,OUR FOOD, OUR ANIMALS OUR TOTAL EXISTANCE AND SURVIVAL WILL BE IN JEAPORDY. NOTHING OR NO ONE WILL BE SAFE. least wise the POLAR BEARS. This whole mess reminds me of a DICTATOR IN GEMANY, I wont mention any names but thank the powers that be he is gone forever. If we allow this kind of leadership to exist then WE ALL DESERVE WHAT WE GET. It looks to me like we have a leader now called OBAMA that will hopefully stop this out of control greed and fleecing of the people and the destruction of our invironment and out animals and get back to A HONEST COURAGEOUS PRESIDENT that will stand up tall, and proud, and show the world what THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THESE UNITED STATES, REALLY STANDS FOR..SINCERELY MR.LARRY E. COATS.
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