This is why people should care more about polar bears beyond just seeing them jump into the deep blue water tank at their local zoo. See, polar bears may end up being the trumpet pronouncing a radical shift in how the United States deals with global warming.
A U.S. District Court has ordered the Bush administration to determine by May 15 whether polar bears are endangered due to global warming, a case that would be immensely difficult to argue against. Placing polar bears on the endangered list is not just simply adding their name to a piece of paper. The Associated Press explains:
A decision to list polar bears due to global warming could trigger a recovery plan with consequences beyond Alaska. Opponents fear it would subject new power plants and other development projects to federal review if they generate greenhouse gasses that add to warming in the Arctic.
In other words, if it’s determined by the U.S. government that global warming has contributed to the mass fatalities of polar bears to the point of extinction, the federal government is forced to act. Expect a lengthy legal fight to follow, but this may just be the pebble that starts an avalanche of activity to change the focus of the feds onto combatting global warming in a more pro-active way.
This may be the one time environmentalists are hoping an animal’s existence is considered endangered.
