Polar Bears : SOS As Their Habitat Melts Away

  

The polar bear is the world's largest bear. It is considered  a mammal  --  like walruses , seals and whales --  because its main habitat is sea ice. Polar bears spend most of their time roaming the arctic  on large chunks of ice . Yet that ice  --  so crucial for the bears survival -- is now melting under their feet due to global warming.

Over the past three decades , the Arctic ice cap has shrunk by a size equivalent to six Californias . As the sea ice disappears, scientists are finding more evidence of polar bear drowning , starvation and cub deaths.

Unless we take effective action now , the polar bear will likely become extinct in Alaska by 2050.

In 2008 , as a result  of three years of legal pressure  - and our grassroots Polar Bear S.O.S. campaign  -  the Bush Administration was forced to give limited protection to the polar bear as a "threatened species."

NRDC Members and environmentalists worldwide had hoped the Obama Administration would further come to the polar bear's rescue.

But instead, Interior Secretary  Salazar cut the polar bear's lifeline by adopting a Bush era policy that prevents the government from using vital Endangered Speices  Act protections to save  the polar bear from two deadliest threats it faces; global warming and  Arctic oil development.

Letting these disastrous  loophopes stay in place is like sending a leaky lifeboat to save drowning polar bears . It won't protect them - and may even accelerate their rapid slide toward extinction.

That's why the NRDC has been fighting in court for more than five (5) years to protect polar bears  and ensure their survival.

On October 20, a federal court judge will decide in court,  once and for all, whether these dangerous loopholes should be closed , and whether the polar bear should be given full-fledged protection.

The court will also decide whether trophy hunters --  hunters who travel to Canada to shoot and kill polar bears for sport -- should be allowed to bring  polar bear parts back to  the United States . Canada kills about 300 polar bears a year  for trophy hunting and to feed the international commerical  trade in polar bear parts.

We will, of course, bring you the outcome of this momentous court case  as soon as we hear.  Meanwhile, tell the Interior Secretary to give the polar bear  and its Arctic habitat  full-pledged protection...lets take action now , tomorrow may be to late. Write letters, send Emails and Tweet him.

We have the power;

Positive

Observant

Willing

Enthusiastic

Resourceful

Lets take a stand  and be heard  because the next endangered speices we save may be us.... the way the climate is changing ...we may be too damn late, stay tuned, updates as they become available . But hey, that's just me.