A Make or Break Moment for Polar Bears

by Frances Beinecke
President, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Polar bears need our help more than ever.

Trophy hunters kill hundreds of them every year — and sell their skins, teeth, claws and skulls to the highest bidder on the international market. Believe it or not, it’s all perfectly legal.

The world doesn’t have any polar bears to spare — and certainly not to end up as rugs in front of someone’s fireplace. But right now, we’ve come to a make or break moment for polar bears. The Obama Administration is deciding whether or not to propose a worldwide ban on the commercial trade in polar bear parts at the next meeting of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

This is no time for our government to be on the fence about polar bear protection. As if the gruesome trade in polar bear parts isn’t bad enough, the bear’s very existence is also gravely threatened by climate change, toxic pollution and oil development. They are already drowning and starving as a result of melting sea ice. Scientists predict that rising temperatures alone will cause two-thirds of the world’s polar bears to go extinct by 2050.

Combined, these threats amount to a perilous existence and an uncertain future for polar bears. We should be doing everything we can to save this already vulnerable population — not killing these magnificent creatures simply for sport.

In 2010, at the last meeting of CITES, the United States led the way and sponsored a ban — but the effort fell short of the votes needed. Since then, the polar bear’s plight has only grown more dire.

We must urge the Obama Administration to lead the way again and pursue a ban — and you can help make that happen. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comments on this issue until June 11 — less than a week from today. Take action and urge the Fish and Wildlife Service to propose a worldwide ban on the gruesome trade in polar bear parts. Join over 100,000 activists across the country who have already signed the petition and make your voice heard today!

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Muriel S.

1:08PM PDT on Jul 26, 2012

Why not hunt the hunters and send their skins, for a change? Hunting polar bears really makes me sick.

July 26
send a green star

1:03PM PDT on Jul 26, 2012

Killing polar bears that are so threatened already is something I find unbearable.
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated". If we follow that point of view, the United States are as low as can possibly be.

Reinhard B.

6:00AM PDT on Jun 16, 2012

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

"Die Größe eines Volkes und seine moralischen Fortschritte können daran gemessen werden, wie es seine Tiere behandelt."

Those who are cruel to animals cannot be righteous human beings.

Wer gegen Tiere grausam ist, kann kein guter Mensch sein.

June 16
send a green star

Carrie-Anne B.

2:53AM PDT on Jun 14, 2012

thanks for sharing

June 14
send a green star

Dave B.

10:29PM PDT on Jun 13, 2012

No human should kill any other animal except for food.
If they want to hunt for no reason but their enjoyment then they should be allowed to hunt!!!!!!!!!!

But on one condition.................................................................... The animal that they hunt has only the natural weapons of tooth and claw. If the human animal wishes to hunt then the stipulation should be made that the only way they are allowed to hunt is with...................................................................................................................................... THE WEAPONS THEY WERE BORN WITH............. TOOTH AND CLAW
Lets see how far they run in the opposite direction ;-)