Polar Bears Listed as Threatened
It's official! The polar bear has been given a listing of threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It would seem as though it's the first animal to be listed under the act due to loss of habitat because of climate change.
A listing of threatened, means that a species is at risk of becoming endangered in the near future. It is listed as endangered when it faces imminent extinction.
The polar bear now comes under federal protection, but officials were vague about what that would mean in practice, and said there would not be a stop to oil and gas drilling in the bears' habitat.
"While the legal standards under the ESA compel me to list the polar bear as threatened, I want to make clear that this listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a news conference.
"Federal protection represents only the tip of the iceberg if Americans want to save the polar bear," said Betsy Loyless, senior vice president of the National Audubon Society.
As of now the US have no plans toward a policy shift to attack global warming.
A listing of threatened, means that a species is at risk of becoming endangered in the near future. It is listed as endangered when it faces imminent extinction.
The polar bear now comes under federal protection, but officials were vague about what that would mean in practice, and said there would not be a stop to oil and gas drilling in the bears' habitat.
"While the legal standards under the ESA compel me to list the polar bear as threatened, I want to make clear that this listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a news conference.
"Federal protection represents only the tip of the iceberg if Americans want to save the polar bear," said Betsy Loyless, senior vice president of the National Audubon Society.
As of now the US have no plans toward a policy shift to attack global warming.
About this blog
Roxanne Kotzman is a Daily News Photo Department veteran of nine years. When she and longtime friend Stacy Long
discovered their love all of all things environmentally responsible, they launched Happy Monkey Planet and jumped head-first into the vibrant eco-community.
Wow, so much to learn! But initially the idea is a pretty simple one: Let's change the world through information, education and action.
Rox & Stacy are a lot like you: ecologically minded but sometimes just plain overwhelmed when charged with the task of making a far-reaching difference in the environment. They have jobs, families, homes, lives and pets.
But what if doing better was a simple as a light-bulb change, a reusable canvas grocery bag, recycling that soda can or a cold-water wash?
These eco-chicks just hope to have a little fun, learn a little more, share a lot of information and maybe make the planet a happier, greener, cleaner place.
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