Industry Groups Suing To Reverse Polar Bear Protection
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA 
on 09. 1.08
Photo credit: Getty Images
The embattled polar bear is on thinner ice than it's ever been. Five industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, filed suit Thursday against Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall in an attempt to reverse listing the polar bear as a threatened species.
This give Alaska Gov. (and vice-presidential hopeful) Sarah Palin's administration's own lawsuit opposing the polar bear's listing a boost. On August 4, the state of Alaska argued that the animal's populations are stable and that melting sea ice isn't an immediate threat to their survival.
The petroleum institute was joined in the lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Mining Association, the American Iron and Steel Institute, and the National Association of Manufacturers, the last of which recently praised Palin's Republican vice-presidential nomination because of her support of Alaskan oil and gas exploration.
The industry groups' main objection is to what they call the "Alaska Gap," a special rule issued by the federal government meant to prevent the polar bear's protected status from being used to impose greenhouse-gas limits. Because the ruling exempts projects in all states except Alaska from undergoing emissions reviews, NAM vice president Keith McCoy says it unfairly subjects Alaskan industry to greenhouse-gas controls and may open a backdoor for tighter emissions regulations nationwide.
"This could significantly curtail oil and gas exploration," especially on Alaska's North Slope, he's quoted in The Washington Post as saying. "It's discrimination against the state of Alaska. During a time when gas prices are high and we need to look at all options, to issue something that shuts off a viable resource" is ill-advised.
To add insult to injury, Palin chose the grizzly bear over the Arctic resident for the state's commemorative quarter, which was released into circulation last week. ::The Washington Post
Update, Sept. 3, 2008: The Washington Post has submitted a correction to its story:
An Aug. 31 A-section article incorrectly said that the American Petroleum Institute and four other business groups seek to challenge the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species. The groups are trying to enjoin the federal government from implementing a rule they call the "Alaska Gap," which subjects projects in Alaska to extra scrutiny. The federal government issued the rule in May in conjunction with the announcement of the polar bear's protected status.
According to a statement from the American Petroleum Institute, it's not challenging the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species. It believes, however, that the Interior Department's "determination that the Endangered Species Act is not the right tool to set U.S. climate policy makes sense, and that the interim final rule issued by the Department needs to be expanded to include Alaska as the Act is implemented." To the polar bears we say, hang on to your fur (and icebergs), because this is far from over.
More on the polar bear
US Department of Interior Lists Polar Bear As Threatened
Follow the Ice and Save the Polar Bears
Polar Bears on Thin Ice
A Picture is Worth... Playful Polar Bear
European Kids Track Polar Bears to Understand Global Warming
Living on Thin Ice: The Observer on Polar Bears’ PR Image
Flakeshake: An Online Game for Polar Bear Fans
Knut: A Great Book for Kids
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If McCain wins in November we can basically kiss goodbye to any chance of Environmental stewardship. Big Oil is now pushing drilling and Polar Bear Protection reversal, and their powers will be much more powerful under a McCain administration.
how long will we let big business gobble up the earth for every little profit possible???
To Quote Margaret Cho: "AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
It is funny that, and I do not know the figures, that so much money will be spent on trying to find a resource that is colectively destroying the world. Just imagine if that same amount of money is spent on building the new Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactors which are extremely safe since they can not overheat due to their design (reaction runs a Sine graph, if I remember correctly). That way, even though it is not the perfect technology (produces 90% less waste than traditional nuclear reactors, those that can over-heat) it will buy us valuable time in developing clean power generation. Also, just imagine, the auto industry will be turned on its head, for they will have to move the multi-billions of Dollars they spend trying to increase the efficiency of the internal combustion engine and inventing ever more parts to manufacture to fit to teh car to reduce emmisions, on a clean technology, electric cars. But hey, what do I know, living in South Africa? Besides, if we can't change now that it is necessary, just imagine how wasteful we wil live when we know enegy is abundant and 90% clean!
Why does it seem that I'm one of the only people in my school who actually wants to do something about things like this?
We DO NOT have to stand for this. We have the power to make an enormous and immediate difference because we are the people who are educated on the matters and GET IT.
With Republicans, the dollar speaks far louder than the picket sign or blog post. BOYCOTT oil and petrolium products. INVEST in renewal sources rather than mining, and drilling. Show them through EXAMPLE that we do not want their old, tired, and greedy ways.
The only way I see us getting through to them is by using our savvy to make them less money.
Lastly ENCOURAGE all young folks you know to vote. This election will be a matter of getting young voters out there.