There's a reason polar bears and penguins live at opposite ends of the earth. 
Posted on 12/27/2006 10:54:58 AM PST by presidio9
The Bush administration has decided to propose listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the U.S. government on record as saying that global warming could drive one of the world's most recognizable animals out of existence.
The administration's proposal -- which was described by an Interior Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity -- stems from the fact that rising temperatures in the Arctic are shrinking the sea ice that polar bears need for hunting. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the department will submit the proposal today for publication in the Federal Register, after which it will be subject to public comment for 90 days.
Identifying polar bears as threatened with extinction could have an enormous political and practical impact. As the world's largest bear and as an object of children's affection as well as Christmastime Coca-Cola commercials, the polar bear occupies an important place in the American psyche. Because scientists have concluded that carbon dioxide from power-plant and auto emissions is helping drive global warming worldwide, putting polar bears on the endangered species list raises the legal question of whether the government would be required to compel U.S. industries to curb their carbon-dioxide output.
"We've reviewed all the available data that leads us to believe the sea ice the polar bear depends on has been receding," said the Interior official, adding that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have concluded that polar bears could be endangered within 45 years. "Obviously, the sea ice is melting because the temperatures are warmer."
Northern latitudes are warming twice as rapidly as the rest of globe, according to a 2004 scientific assessment, and by the end of the century, annual ocean temperatures in the Arctic may rise an additional 13 degrees Fahrenheit. As a
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
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I don't know, I think the "global warming" angle is disinfo.
And recent stories about polar bears have been debunked by actual bear experts.
And it's the Washington Post.
But if true, could be Bush's backdoor way to shove us into a corrupt carbon trading racket?
Last time I checked, there were towns in Canada that had such a bear problem at their garbage dumps that the had to shoot them. Also, bears do not hop from ice flow to ice flow like in a Chilly Willie cartoon. They get in the water and swim. A lot. There's a reason why thier latin name is sea bear, and not ice bear (as would seem more appropriate). They are capable of swimming many miles.
Well, catch them all and keep them in zoos and circuses for the time being.
Polar bears have been on the protected list for decades. Is this an upgrade?
Intenseracer and I stopped by the local Blood Bank just before Christmas to leave our gifts (a pint each of prime American Rare), and the man on the next table was an EMS on the Slope, where i/r works. His OTHER job, interestingly, was scaring the polar bears away from the camp. No, thanks...
"As the world's largest bear and as an object of children's affection as well as Christmastime Coca-Cola commercials, the polar bear occupies an important place in the American psyche."
The seals need a better marketer.
get used to this, the enviros scored big time on election day, just ask former house chairman pombo or new senate chairwoman boxer
Polar bears do not rely on seals and the ice flows for their main source of food either. Seals are only there for a short period. They are land animals like regular bears the rest of the time, eating salmon during salmon season, following carabou, etc etc.
They are just regular bears, except white.
Do these enviro wienies mean to tell us that bears don't adapt and evolve like other animals, that somehow, they are immune to this "evolution" they keep crying about?
I'm gonna bet that the polar bears will be able to adapt.
The STUPID commercial where they have polar bears living at the SOUTH pole with PENGUINS!!!
Goes to show the sheeple are too stupid to notice that and tell coca cola to get it right.
Omigod, It just occured to me: If polar bears go away who is coca cola going to use to sell their product???
Rap dancing penguins.
In the finest tradition of objective journalism, one can only hope a method for the total destruction of U.S. industry will be found.
Perhaps we can all agree to exhale less frequently and thereby reduce our CO2 emissions and preserve the polar bear's vital function of preserving our fragile collective psyche.
How about we start by shuttting down all the pulp and paper mills that the media relies on to put that wasted ink onto paper?
Shut down Hollywood and all the carbon it wastes on letist geared fag films, all the chemical pollution it produces developing film, the electricity it gets from coal plants, wasted wood on elaborate sets that get torn down tossed away after half a forrest is cut down to make the wood.
I know where to start.
There's a reason polar bears and penguins live at opposite ends of the earth.
When my uncle Eddie died he had six polar bears to carry his casket.
I thought it was Stans dads fault! He's a geologist ya know!
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