Judge: Climate Change Imperils Wolverines and Feds Must Act

ABC News ^ | April 4, 2016 | By MATTHEW BROWN

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The Obama administration brushed over the threat that climate change poses to the snow-loving wolverine when it denied protections for the elusive predator, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ordered wildlife officials to act as quickly as possible to protect the species as it becomes vulnerable to a warming planet. Wolverines need deep mountain snows to den, and scientists warn that such habitat will shrink as Earth heats up.

The ruling comes two years after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected the views of many of its own scientists and decided not to protect the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act, saying the effects of climate change on the animals remained ambiguous.

The judge said in his 85-page order that the "time is now" to take action to protect the wolverine.

"No greater level of certainty is needed to see the writing on the wall for this snow-dependent species squarely in the path of climate change," Christensen wrote.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

"Honorable" Dana L. Christensen, nominated by Barack Obama, received commission December 6, 2011.

[Da Coyote]

Yup, science illiterate judges are sooooo smart.

[DonaldC]

Amazing how money is poured into a theoretical idea.

[TexasCajun]

I thought it was the Cubans & Russians?

[MotorCityBuck]

I always thought it was poisonous Buckeye Nuts that endangered them......😀

[Blood of Tyrants]

How did the wolverine make it through the Medieval warming period when it was MUCH warmer than now? This judge thinks that the ESA gives her the authority to overthrow the entire economy for an animal? Disgusting.

[PIF]

What about the poor starving polar bears, doesn’t anyone care? People must be forced if necessary to take them in and give them shelter from the terrrible heat melting the planet!

[Buckeye McFrog]

Climate Change Imperils Wolverines

Is that what they're calling him these days?

[grobdriver]

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen: Moron.

[madprof98]

his 85-page order

Every last page paid for by you and me.

[Mich Patriot]

The most “honorable” thing to do would be to KMFA Dana.

[SandRat]

Dana must not have paid attention to last years Winter Weather in Michigan or see the Headline for Michigan Weather (- 9 Degrees Temp) for yesterday morning.

[Tax-chick]

Let the wolverines move in with the judge.

[Mich Patriot]

While they may be poisonous, Buckeye nuts are far too small to cause harm, even to a laboratory amoeba.

[Amendment10]

With all due respect to the referenced judge, please consider the following.

The states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the specific powers to either regulate PC global warming issues, or to define and protect endangered animal species.

[Donglalinger]

[DoughtyOne]

[AnotherUnixGeek]

The ruling comes two years after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected the views of many of its own scientists and decided not to protect the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act, saying the effects of climate change on the animals remained ambiguous.

Members of the weasel family are survivors, and as the largest member of the weasel family, the wolverine is more than capable of taking care of itself. I doubt a little less snow would slow down these ferocious little animals at all.

[Captain Compassion]

How is the government going to increase the snowfall in wolverine habitat?

[Antoninus]

I vote that the judge be ordered to house 15 wolverines in her garage for a year. I’m sure she’ll get along just peachy with the little darlins.