Here’s the report: http://green.yahoo.com/news/ap/20080514/ap_on_sc/polar_bear.html
“…Kempthorne said it would be “wholly inappropriate” to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.”
Why not? I mean, I understand that the ice has been declining for decades now – but why can’t we acknowledge that this could very well be due to the climate change AS WELL AS nature in its own right. I don’t understand.
“Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called it “a lifeline for our last remaining polar bears” but said the bear’s survival won’t be assured without limits on oil development in the same Arctic waters where the bears are found.”
I completely agree with this: so why can’t we combat the climate change, in turn, helping polar bears? Why is this government so proud as to not admit that they need to change their policies?
I think it will only be a matter of time before the polar bear moves up to the Endangered list. It seems that a lot (of the democratic leaders anyway) are behind this move to really put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and start changing things. Speaking of, John McCain is now green? I first heard about this on The Daily Show with John Stewart (Link), but I also found a CNN article about the speech McCain gave in Oregon about Global Warming (Link). He’s also endorsing the cap and trade program. According to the article, he wants to get greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020.
“However, McCain is not completely breaking with Republican orthodoxy on environmental matters. He agrees with the Bush administration’s position on the Kyoto Protocol, which the United States has refused to ratify because large polluting nations like China and India are not obligated to reduce emissions.
McCain is also an ardent supporter of expanding nuclear power, a fact he mentions at nearly every campaign stop.”
It’s also a good idea to hear Stephen Colbert’s feelings on McCain’s Global Warming issue (Link). Not only is it hilarious, but he addresses McCain’s choice on words – calling Global Warming a “National Security” issue.
