“Polar Bear Habitat Proposed for Alaska”

On October 22, 2009 the Interior Department proposed to give the polar bears more than 200,000 miles of ice, land and sea on the northern coast of Alaska. This is because of the shrinking population and habitat for the polar bears. This area will encompass two different species of polar bears, the Chukchi Sea and Southern Beaufort Sea. Within these two groups are only about 3,500 polar bears. Officials say that the polar bears’ shrinking habitat is due to global warming. According to the article, “In May of 2008 the Interior Department declared, under the terms of the Endangered Species Act, that the polar bear was threatened with extinction.” However, the Bush administration along with Thomas Strickland does not think that it should be classified under the Endangered Species Act since it is addressing global warming. The Obama administration thinks otherwise. I understand the thinking of the Bush administration by saying that it should not be classified under that act because it is dealing with global warming, however, the issue of the decreasing population of polar bears needs to be addressed under the Endangered Species Act. We have to protect these creatures’ habitats so that they can survive for many years to come. The proposed protected area for the polar bears is not protected from the oil companies at the moment. That same week of the proposal, Shell Oil Company was given permission to drill in the polar bears’ habitat. This activity is not only harmful to their environment but could also possible be as dangerous as climate change because they are going into their home directly and taking over and as a result this forces the polar bears to go somewhere else. Now government agencies and commercial interests are required to show that their activity, including drilling for oil, will not harm or destroy the polar bears’ habitat in any way. That is a step forward in helping the polar bears. Other things must and can be done to save the polar bears. This may mean that more “green” products will have to be created. Having electric powered cars and automobiles will reduce the pollution rate substantially which will decrease climate change. Another way to help decrease climate change is if people would recycle more and use more environmentally friend products. The bottom line is that the polar bears are decreasing in population along with their habitat and something has to be done to stop this from continuing.