The Obama administration has decided to keep a Bush-era policy on polar bears -- declining to crack down on polluters on the grounds that their emissions are helping shrink the bears' habitat. 

The problem of climate change is so big and complicated, officials said, that it would essentially overwhelm the bureaucracy created to protect threatened and endangered species.

As a result, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, the bears will continue to be listed as "threatened." But the government will not use the 1973 Endangered Species Act to attack the main problem that threatens them.

"We are disappointed that the Obama administration has chosen to leave the Bush-era polar bear rule in place," said John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Federation. "Polar bears are very much on thin ice, so we need to jettison any rules that limit the Endangered Species Act's ability to do what it does best, protect the critical habitat species need to survive.

"Now more than ever we need Congress to get the whole job done and pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that both reduces emissions and provides dedicated funding to safeguard wildlife and natural resources from climate impacts.

"Any project that adds more carbon to the atmosphere will increase the risk of the polar bear's extinction. Arguing otherwise is akin to saying that adding another pack of cigarettes will not increase a person's risk of cancer."

Conservation leaders representing large-scale aquatic ecosystems restoration efforts from across the country are coming to Capitol Hill to attend the National Wildlife Federation's Great Waters Restoration Fly-In. Activists from the Great Lakes, Coastal Louisiana, Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, Gulf of Maine, California Delta, and Long Island Sound will be urging Members of Congress to pass global warming legislation this year that includes significant funding to protect and restore America’s Great Waters.

 

Wednesday:
House -

Science and Technology subcommitee

10:00 AM, 2318 Rayburn

 

Appropriations

10:00 AM, 2359 Rayburn

 

Natural Resources Committee

02:00 PM, 1324 Longworth

 

Senate -

Appropriations

10:00 AM, 124 Dirksen

House -

opening statements on mark-up of American Clean Energy and Security Act (tentative)

 

Natural Resources Committee

10:00 AM, 1324 Longworth

 

Senate -

Hearing on carbon sequestration liability legislation
Energy and Natural Resources

Governors of Oregon, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Iowa have embraced green jobs as the path to economic recovery.

 

With the manufacturing tax credit provided in the stimulus package, American factories can compete on price with India, according to analysis by Oerlikon Solar, the solar-power part of Switzerland’s Oerlikon conglomerate. Oerlikon Solar makes the machines that mass-produce thin-film solar panels and is targeting the U.S. market.

Republican Utah Governor Jon Huntsman signed two renewable energy bills to upgrade the electrical grid and provide tax incentives to green projects.

Braddock, PA Mayor John Fetterman testified on behalf of green jobs during hearings regarding the American Clean Energy and Security Act. 

And Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic Massachusetts Governor Daval Patrick have both endorsed the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Leading scientists presented their latest research findings and discussed the implications for climate policy at a recent Capitol Hill briefing sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation.

Overwhelming scientific evidence supports reducing carbon pollution that causes global warming as much as possible and as quickly as possible.

New science published after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has shown how global warming is happening faster than anticipated.

Many natural systems—from the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice to widespread stresses on Northern forests—are already being impacted in significant ways. In fact, the planet’s natural ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere may be foreshadowing more rapid warming in coming decades if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed.

Dr. Amanda Staudt, Climate Scientist, National Wildlife Federation, discussed recent analysis of new research showing that global warming is transforming the world's ice sheets, forests, permafrost and oceans faster than scientists have predicted.

talked about how the observed impacts of climate change are happening faster than expected, how we have a much better global understanding of the impacts both from satellite data and from tapping into the knowledge of indigenous people, and the projected impacts if we do not reduce emissions.

And Corinne Le Quéré, University of East Anglia and British Antarctic Survey, talked about how carbon pollution is rising in the atmosphere faster than worst-case scenarios and how the ocean is becoming saturated with carbon pollution. Dr. Le Quéré also gave an overview and commented on the recent issue of Nature, a special collection of recent research and commentaries on the urgency for action and on emissions targets and timetables.