On thin ice: Environmentalists say polar bears like these in northern Alaska will be in danger if the US allows sales of new drilling leases in the Chukchi Sea, set to begin Wednesday.
steve amstrup/ap/u.s. fish and wildlife service/file
Posted on 02/04/2008 2:01:37 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
On thin ice: Environmentalists say polar bears like these in northern Alaska will be in danger if the US allows sales of new drilling leases in the Chukchi Sea, set to begin Wednesday.
steve amstrup/ap/u.s. fish and wildlife service/file
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The political fight over offshore oil and gas drilling in Alaska intensifies this week.
Native Alaskans and environmentalists have filed a suit to prevent the federal government's sale of drilling leases in Alaska's Chukchi Sea. The sales, set to begin Wednesday, will allow drilling in about 30 million acres, including critical polar bear habitat, environmentalists say. A decision on whether to list polar bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is expected this week as well.
The potential designation has left the Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative public-interest law firm, poised to challenge "any arbitrary, unjustified ESA listing" of the iconic Arctic bear, setting up a likely court battle. Property-rights advocates and business groups have been weighing in as well.
Researchers differing over the impact of climate change also affects the debate. Hundreds of prominent scientists are urging Congress to pass legislation that would curb global warming in order to protect wildlife, including polar bears. But other experts say the data used to bolster the argument for ESA listing – in particular computer modeling showing declines in polar bear populations because of climate change and other factors – are based on "questionable assumptions."
All of this is uncharted territory for government-ordered species protection, which typically is based on numbers dwindling toward extinction.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Maybe they rode the whale taxis to the north....LOL!
Why is it all right to drive people out of their “habitat” to build a new plaza, but not to move the polar bears to provide needed oil to the people?
I recall watching a PBS program a couple years ago where they were documenting some Canadian town that was becoming overrun by polar bears. The bears were thriving and preferred the town dump to the “pristine” (looked rather barren to me) wilderness. Maybe we could drill up there if we were sure to dump a bunch of yummy garbage about?
“Drill a hole, get the oil. This obsessing about the environment is ridiculous.”
But the Bears, the Bears. Oh the suffering and agony!
I am afraid you are proving their point. How many polar bears are left in the Middle East? ;-)
Where are the pics of bears walking on top of the pipline?? Too cruel to publish? Yeah sure
Why are the environmentalists so protective of barren wastelands where no one in their right mind will ever vacation or build a home?????
>>How many polar bears are left in the Middle East? ;-)<<
You owe me a keyboard. It is not a Diet Coke spew puddle. Dang....
The conservationist crazies have hijacked the Gop as well as the demoncratic party. You mean to tell me that we do not have the technology to protect the wild as well as drill for oil and become less independent on foreign oil? This is like the Al gore global warming scam! This is what is killing America, regulation and special interest groups who tie business and capitolism in knots. They have suceeded in nuetering American business’s ability to maintain economic superiority
Uh, here’s a thought. Bears migrate.
I love that sign!!
lol
Love the bbq! I gotta get photoshop.
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