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Administration Delays Decision to List Polar Bear as Threatened Announcement Expected Within a Month
Washington, D.C.-The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife today announced it would miss its January 9 deadline for recommending listing the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. A "threatened" listing would represent the first major Endangered Species Act (ESA) initiative taken by the U.S. government because of global warming. The ESA defines a threatened species as one likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. A recent U.S. Geological Survey report indicated that if global warming continues unchecked, two-thirds of the world’s polar bears—and all of America’s polar bears—could disappear by 2050. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says it plans to announce its recommendation within a month’s time.
Statement of Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope
“The sooner our government recognizes that global warming is a problem, the sooner we’ll be able to deal with it.
“We can’t wait until the last polar bear drowns before we deal with global warming. Polar bears would be listed today if it weren’t for powerful special interests fighting the decision at every step.
“We have the facts and the science. The question isn’t whether or not polar bears are in danger. The question is whether or not our leaders have the will to deal with global warming and its consequences.
“We have the tools to prevent more Arctic ice from melting. It’s time to use them. We can change the polar bear’s fate, just as we changed the bald eagle’s fate when ESA listing brought it back from the brink of extinction.”
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