According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, polar bears can’t stop global warming.
Well, neither can any animal on the endangered species list.
On Friday, the department decided to uphold a Bush-era policy that prevents the federal government from using the Endangered Species Act to crack down on global warming or its largest contributors.
The same administration that put the polar bear on the endangered species list took away the protection it was supposed to provide, closing what it called a “backdoor” to climate regulation and opening a door for oil and gas companies, which applauded the decision.
The man behind the decision, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, has directly blamed greenhouse gases for the climate change that is causing the destruction of the ice flows the polar bears need for hunting.
Salazar and other supporters of the policy claim that the Endangered Species Act is not the proper tool to use to combat global warming and to reduce carbon emissions.
At the same time, Salazar is supporting the comprehensive emissions limits being pushed by the Obama administration.
But, is Salazar just playing both sides of the coin — trying to relieve pressure on the oil and gas industry while keeping environmentalists subdued with pretty words?
It would seem so.
If Salazar were really trying to reform the way the government combats climate change, it would be beneficial to provide protection for the environment of the polar bear rather than leave them exposed to the elements of rampant industry.
-Brett Gifford
Staff Writer
