Scientists say that global warming and habitat loss could drive America's polar bears to extinction by the end of the century. Yet, so far, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has stopped short of reversing an 11th hour regulatory change by the Bush/Cheney administration that denies polar bears important Endangered Species Act protections from the threat of global warming.
The polar bear 4(d) rule exempts activities outside the Arctic that cause global warming from ever being considered a violation of the Endangered Species Act. But the rising temperatures from global warming are robbing polar bears of vital habitat and melting the sea ice they use for hunting and raising their cubs.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar can reverse this awful rule under authority granted by Congress, but he only has until May 9th to act. Please sign our petition to Secretary Salazar and urge him to give America's vanishing polar bears a vital lifeline by extending full protections to these iconic ice hunters under the Endangered Species Act.
Dear Interior Secretary Ken Salazar,
As a supporter of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and someone who cares about America's vanishing polar bears, I strongly urge you to use the authority that Congress has granted you to extend full protections under the Endangered Species Act.
[Your personal comments will be added here.]
The polar bear 4(d) rule exempts activities outside the Arctic that cause global warming from ever being considered a violation of the Endangered Species Act. This makes no sense, given that the principal threat to polar bears is the melting of their Arctic sea ice habitat due to global warming.
Our polar bears are running out of time. Scientists say that they Alaska's polar bears could be extinct in the wild by the end of the century, but the impacts of global warming on these ice hunters can already be seen.
Rising temperatures are robbing polar bears of vital habitat and melting the sea ice they use for hunting and raising their cubs. These strong swimmers are even drowning in their search for adequate sea ice or starving to death. It is so bad that some are even resorting to cannibalism to survive.
You can reverse this awful regulatory change under authority granted to you by Congress, but you only have until May 9th to act. Given the dire threat to our remaining polar bears, the Interior Department should immediately revoke the polar bear 4(d) rule.
Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to your reply.
