Polar Bear Now on U.S. Endangered Species List
Thursday, May 15th, 2008Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has announced that the polar bear will now be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The listing is based on scientific findings that the loss of sea ice is threatening, and will continue to threaten the survival of the polar bear. Studies last year by the U.S. Geological Survey found that as many as 15,000 polar bears could be lost in the coming decades. Given there are only 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears worldwide, this is a huge problem.
The big question appears to be; “When will the lawsuits begin?”.
Adding the polar bear to the endangered species list has a number of repercussions, particularly for the oil companies. About 15 percent of the U.S. oil supplies is produced in Alaska (where polar bears reside).
According to this article, Marilyn Crockett, executive director of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association said:
We now have a species threatened which is both healthy in size and population; the real risk is litigation that will follow,
She goes on to say…
Lawsuits will continue to be filed opposing individual operations, lease sales and permits, and that could have a significant impact on business up here
The Alaska Oil and Gas Association represents 17 oil and gas companies, as well as the owners of a trans-Alaskan pipeline.
Environmental groups aren’t happy either. The problem here is in the wording used in the announcement. The Department of Interior was quite clearly pointed out that this decision is not intended to regulate climate change.
Another big question is; “How accurate is the scientific data?”. Because the polar bear population has actually increased from about 5,000 to 12,000 in the 1960s (depending on who you believe), some people suggest that the Department of Interior’s decision is absurd.
Either way, if this ruling helps prevent the polar bear from becoming extinct, that’s got to be a good thing.
