We Can Save the Polar Bears -- and Ourselves

Earlier this year, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the Bush Administration's intention to list the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, citing global warming and the significant loss of sea ice the bears need for hunting as the principal reason. We support all efforts to protect the polar bear -- including this listing effort, even though designation as an endangered species without bold, comprehensive action on global warming will not be enough to save the animal.

Until our nation decreases its reliance on the polluting energy sources that cause global warming, the polar ice caps will continue to melt away. Some analysts believe the arctic icecap could totally disappear by the year 2050, which would be a catastrophe for polar bears and our planet.