This one really confuses the Hell out of me.

If they tasted good there'd be a season for them....

Administration to List Polar Bears as 'Threatened Species'

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
WASHINGTON —

The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses, meaning, he said, that the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.

But Kempthorne said it would be "wholly inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.

The Endangered Species Act "is not the right tool to set U.S. climate policy," said Kempthorne, reflecting a view recently expressed by President Bush.

The department outlined a set of administrative actions and limits to how it planned to protect the bear with its new status so that it would not have wide-ranging adverse impact on economic activities from building power plants to oil and gas exploration.

"This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," said Kempthorne. He said he had consulted with the White House on the decision, but "at no time was there ever a suggestion that this was not my decision."

Kempthorne, at a news conference, was armed with slides and charts showing the dramatic decline in sea ice over the last 30 years and projections that the melting of ice — a key habitat for the bear — would continue and may even quicken.

He cited conclusions by department scientists that sea ice loss will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century. The bear population across the Arctic from Alaska to Greenland doubled from about 12,000 to 25,000 since 1960, but he noted that scientists now predict a significant population decline. Studies last year by the U.S. Geological Survey suggested 15,000 bears would be lost in coming decades with those in the western Hudson Bay area of Alaska and Canada under the greatest stress.

But when asked how the bear will be afforded greater protection, Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had difficulty coming up with examples.

Better management of bear habitat on shore and making sure bears aren't threatened by people including hunters, more studies on bear population trends and their feeding habits were among the areas mentioned. "I don't want to prejudge recommendations for (bear) management," said Hall whose agency administers the Endangered Species Act.

Environmentalists were already mapping out plans to file lawsuits challenging the restrictive measures outlined by Kempthorne.

"They're trying to make this a threatened listing in name only with no change in today's impacts and that's not going to fly," said Jamie Rappaport Clark of Defenders of Wildlife and a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director.

Members of Congress also were skeptical.

The Bush administration "is forcing the polar bear to sink or swim," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., chairman of a House committee on global warming.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called it "a lifeline for our last remaining polar bears" but said the bear's survival won't be assured without limits on oil development in the same Arctic waters where the bears are found.

Despite the new listing, the announcement underscores the need to approve climate legislation that would limit the release of greenhouse gases and avert the future effects on climate change, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Environment Committee.

"It remains to be seen how much this belated listing decision will improve protection for polar bears and their rapidly shrinking habitat," said Clayton Jernigan, an attorney for Earthjustice. He said the Interior's announcement made clear steps would be taken to avoid interfering with offshore oil development in waters where bears and oil drilling are expected to coexist.

Kempthorne proposed 15 months ago to investigate whether the polar bear should be declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

That triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects at a time when scientists predict a continuing warming and loss of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic sea ice serves as a primary habitat for the bear and is critical to its survival, scientists say.

"The science is absolutely clear that polar bear needs protection under the Endangered Species Act," said Andrew Wetzler, director of the endangered species program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A decision had been expected early this year, but the Interior Department said it needed more time to work out many of the details, prompting criticism from members of Congress and environmentalists. Environmentalists filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing a decision and a federal court on April 29 set a May 15 deadline for a decision.

A species is declared "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act if it is found to be at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. If it does not make progress toward recovery, it can be declared "endangered" meaning it is at risk of extinction and needs even greater protection.

whatever we can do to help the creatures with fur is fine with me......

Polar bears are so well protected from the cold that they have more problems with overheating. Even in very cold weather, they quickly overheat when they try to run....not from global warming but because they are out of shape.
I know some out of breath, overheated,when they try to run... Americans that could stand a little protection from the Dept. of the Interior...just a thought.

"Polar bears" is not just another euphemism for Santa Monica party-goers, is it?

Independent George wrote:

"Polar bears" is not just another euphemism for Santa Monica party-goers, is it?

You know, we may need to start providing footnotes. It took me an inordinately long time to figure out what this meant.

For those who don't know, please trust me, you are better off. It would just produce another jarring and scarring mental image.

We could issue a handbook.

Please refer to Article XII, Subchapter B, Line 4 for the appropriate commentary.

My apologies...I will try to be more inclusive in my snide, inappropriate, and otherwise unprovoked attacks.

Amazon is out of Cliffs Notes as well.

Independent George wrote:

We could issue a handbook.

Please refer to Article XII, Subchapter B, Line 4 for the appropriate commentary.

My apologies...I will try to be more inclusive in my snide, inappropriate, and otherwise unprovoked attacks.

Oh no, I wasn't complaining. I enjoy the mental exercise. I just wish so many of these exercises didn't result in such troubling mental images as a payoff.

Dire Fromage wrote:

Polar bears are so well protected from the cold that they have more problems with overheating.

So its fat bears causing the ice to melt and NOT global warming?? Maybe A'ls ass is adding to the ice melt as well...Should have listened to Becker in the first place.

What I'm getting at is the fact that there are more Polar Bears now than at any other time since we have recorded their populations.

Are there too many? too little? what is the appropriate number?

They have been listed as threatened because we have somehow determined that the loss of Artic Ice will be bad for them. There is no emperical data to support this whatsoever. It is an assumption based on what we think we might know.

Christ, y'all need to stop sniffing the airplane glue and read the Article.

The Earth is getting warmer, it's not the first time this has ever happened. The unique genetic markers that make Polar Bears what they are took an evolutionary process that pre-dates humanity's written history. This isn't their first foray into "sweater" weather.

Plus they're not nearly as cute as pandas, so fuck them.

Cathy Rigby wrote:

Christ, y'all need to stop sniffing the airplane glue and read the Article.

Who's hogging the glue? I didn't get it yet.

Agent 13 wrote:

Cathy Rigby wrote:

Christ, y'all need to stop sniffing the airplane glue and read the Article.

Who's hogging the glue? I didn't get it yet.

really. cath needs to sniff some more and get with the humor. It was too long to read, I got bored and lost my place and couldnt remember what I was suppose to post so I jsut winged it. sorta like the SAT's

ps your avata looks like a polar bear...

Staying on topic here. Do all the metro areas get these ?

Tomorrow, Friday, May 16, is a Spare the Air Day in the Xxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxx Area.

Concentrations of ground-level ozone pollution are forecast to be
unhealthy tomorrow. Hot temperatures and light winds will combine to
produce poor air quality for the Xxx Area.

To help prevent smog tomorrow, please:

- Work at home, walk, bike, take public transportation, carpool or link
your errands to minimize driving.

- Raise the thermostat to minimize use of your air conditioner to
reduce power usage and pollution.

.......The only difference I notice is that people call in sick on those days and I hear things like
"I care deeply, so I'm parking the Denali and driving the SL 65 AMG."

They could stay home and sniff glue...

You gotta use a brown paper bag to get that Waaaaaaaahhhh sound in your head. Would that be a form of recycling?

Winona Ryder & Keanu Reeves are rumored as a couple.

Is there any evidence that either one has any sexuality at all ?

I would love to hear that they both are at least are homosexual.

I always felt that they were both non-sexual or asexual (is that a word?)

I can easily picture Ellen gettin' down than either one of these two.

[quote="Bruno Anthony"]asexual (is that a word?)

/quote]

Why yes it is. Can anyone tell the class who came up with the concept of reproducing without sex?

[quote="laststandchili"]

Bruno Anthony wrote:

Can anyone tell the class who came up with the concept of reproducing without sex?

Didnt Bruno just do that ?

Here's what George Will thinks about the polar bears. AL will tell you that anything out of Mr. Wills mouth is fear mongering saber rattling lies (plus his sentence structure makes his head hurt), but I'm not so sure. He's got Nigella's daddy for back up, and thats good enough for me.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/green_fundamentalism.html

(The answer to the assexual reproduction questions is, of cours, Bruno's wife. No partial credit to Chilicat.)

No problem with George. But have yet to read anything from Real Clear that was anything but biased, pandering, right wing, pablum.
I do find it amusing that you now have to admit that it's getting warmer, well except for April, but it's temporary. Now that is funny.

And please, there is no reason to waste your time with any articles supporting your insane beliefs.

Bruno Anthony wrote:

Winona Ryder & Keanu Reeves are rumored as a couple.

I heard she stole his heart.

[quote="laststandchili"]

Bruno Anthony wrote:

asexual (is that a word?)

/quote]

Why yes it is. Can anyone tell the class who came up with the concept of reproducing without sex?

Sponges.

Nope sorry, the answer as posted above is Anthony Bruno's wife. Thank you for playing our game.