Environment

Protecting the Iconic Polar Bear

by clorenz1 | December 27, 2006 at 10:11 am

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After intensive pressure by environmental groups (the Centre for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defence Council and Greenpeace) the Bush Administration has agreed to place Polar Bears onto the Endangered Species List. This may be one of the biggest stories of the day on many fronts. The Bush Administration is essentially acknowledging that Global Warming is alive and well. The large scale pollution coming from America is effecting other species, the global climate, and most importantly something can be done about it if enough pressure is put on Washington. Species like the polar bear are a big indicator of what may be our own fate in the near future if the issue of emissions, and pollution are not addressed immediately. Essentially whatever befalls the polar bear may be a window into our own human extinction.

Do you have a Polar Bear story? Polar Bears are a major draw for eco-tourism, and it is now possible to view these large bears in their natural habitat. Do you have photographs to help contextualize this story?

Polar bears, an iconic and cold-dependent animal, are dropping in numbers and weight in the Arctic. In July, the House approved a U.S.-Russia treaty to help protect polar bears from over hunting and other threats to their survival.

That vote put into effect a 2000 treaty that sets quotas on polar bear hunting by native populations in the two countries and establishes a bilateral commission to analyze how best to sustain sea ice. It also approved spending $2-million (U.S.) a year through 2010 for the polar bear program.