Just Another Brick in the Wall

Today, polar bears were added to the Endangered Species list.. No, their number's aren't dwindling. Quite the opposite - populations are up several hundred percent in the last two decades. The reason they have been added is that "Climate Change is melting the polar ice caps". So what does that mean to you?

In the short term, nothing much. To see the long term effects, we have to look at the reason they were added to the list and the history of actions against industries that impact these species. Initial news reports are focusing on how it will affect drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (i.e. ANWAR). Since the Porcupine Caribu and the Bowhead Whale have been effectively employed to prevent drilling (as well and tricky political wrangling in congress), one has to realize that this is about more than the estimated 5.5 - 16 billion barrels of oil off the north shore. (See: Arctic Refuge Drilling Controversy and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for details).

Historically, the government has taken legal actions to prevent activities that endanger a species. For example, banning or limiting whale hunting, banning the import of Ivory (in an effort to stop wholesale slaughter of elephants for their tusks), etc. In some cases, individuals have been prosecuted and their livelihoods taken from them to protect a species. I can't find any web links to the story, but about ten years ago a California farmer was out plowing his field when ran over a mouse that was listed as an endangered species. He was arrested. Although I don't recall the details or the eventual outcome of the story, the point remains that his farm was at least temporarily taken away from him in order to protect a mouse. These are just the facts. They don't constitute an endorsement or a condemnation of the actions taken.

Now we have to question why there has been such a push to put Polar Bears on this list. Although it bolsters the case to prevent drilling in ANWAR, it also provides a major stepping stone to stop all use of fossile fuels. Follow the argument:

1. The habitat of the Polar Bear is endangered by Global Warming.
2. Global Warming is caused (in part) by Greenhouse Gas emmissions.
3. Burning fossile fuels (gasoline, natural gas, etc. in cars and power plants) creates Greenhouse Gas.


Based on this line of logic, you could be arrested for killing endangered animals for using a natural gas water heater in your home. Is it reasonable? No. But mark my words, this is just the thing some environmentalists have been looking to do.