Give the ESA the power to protect Polar Bears from greenhouse gas emissions

On February 19th, the Obama administration officially declared that greenhouse gas regulations are outside the scope of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), stating that activities outside of the bear’s natural habitat should not be regulated. In particular, the ruling is meant to point out that coal plants from, for example, central US should not be under regulation by the ESA despite the fact that the coal plant’s emissions are directly contributing to global warming.

This new ruling by the Fish and Wildlife Service will have a direct impact on polar bears since global warming and shrinking ice caps are the animal’s major cause of death. This ruling stems from a court-ordered review by the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Ultimately, the court agreed with the ruling that the ESA is not an appropriate piece of legislature for regulating greenhouse gases.

Despite being listed as threatened in 2008, and despite comments by the Obama administration stating concern for the polar bear’s survival, it seems that the new ruling will ultimately render the ESA useless in protecting the polar bear from extinction. Without stricter regulations that protect the bear’s natural habitat, more than two-thirds of the planet’s polar bears will be gone by 2050. In 2012, the area of sea ice across the arctic reached a record low – a mere 1.32 million miles, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre. By comparison, the average size of summer ice between 1979 and 2000 was almost 3 million miles, double last year’s area. To recall, polar bears depend on arctic ice as a natural habitat and as a means for hunting. The rapid reduction of arctic ice due to global warming translates into rapid ecosystem changes, in turn sending polar bear populations into abrupt decline.

Dear Mr. President,



We the undersigned respectfully request that you reverse the ruling that puts greenhouse gas regulations outside the scope of the Endangered Species Act.  Without this protection, 2/3 thirds of the world's Polar Bears could be extinct by 2050.



This new ruling by the Fish and Wildlife Service will have a direct impact on polar bears since global warming and shrinking ice caps are the animal’s major cause of death.



Despite being listed as threatened in 2008, and despite comments by the Obama administration stating concern for the polar bear’s survival, it seems that the new ruling will ultimately render the ESA useless in protecting the polar bear from extinction.



Please, Mr. President, don't let this icon of our arctic regions disappear.  That would be a tragedy that no one wants to see happen.



Respectfully yours,


The People









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