Salazar announces that ESA will not be used to protect polar bear habitat

May 8, 2:03 PMSeattle Environmental Policy ExaminerJean Williams

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During Ken Salazar’s confirmation hearing, he said that he would not be in favor of using the ESA to regulate global warming and today, he substantiated his position.

Friday, May 8, 2009, just twenty four hours before the 60 day deadline was to expire, the Secretary of Interior made the announcement in a press conference, saying, “The Endangered Species Act is not the appropriate tool for us to deal with what is a global issue, and that is the issue of global warming.”

According to an Associated Press report, Environmental groups said that they had hoped the Obama administration would overturn the rule, which currently only restricts the burning of fossil fuels within the bear’s natural habitat. These groups point out that failure to more broadly regulate carbon dioxide, even those emissions released thousands of miles from the Artic, cripples larger efforts to address the issue of global warming.

Thousands of petitions were signed and letters from congress were submitted, in an effort to convince the Interior Department that removing the “special rule” under 4(9), would help protect the polar bear’s habitat, but to no avail.

Secretary Salazar has had a rocky record with environmentalists. Earlier this year, he decided to remove protection for gray wolves in several states, following a recommendation by the Fish and Wildlife Service that Environmentalists felt was flawed and inaccurate.

Now, the decision not to rescind the “special rule” that Bush enacted just before leaving office, which put restrictions on protecting the polar bear’s habitat and food source. Environmentalists believe that circumventing the ability to protect habitat and food source, essentially takes the back bone out of the ESA for protecting polar bears.

Kassie Siegel, spokesperson for Center for Biological Diversity, said, “We need the change that Obama promised, not more Friday announcements from the Interior Department that they’re going to sacrifice the polar bear and the environment to polluters. This is incredibly disappointing for the Obama administration to adopt Bush’s polar bear extinction program as its own. Salazar’s announcement is the worst kind of doublespeak.”

A spokesperson for Greenpeace said that the bears will be extinct by the year 2050, if drastic measures aren’t taken, and new research suggests it would happen a lot sooner.

Melanie Duchin, with Greenpeace in Anchorage, Alaska, said, “today’s announcement shows a clear willingness to compromise when it comes to global warming science and policy. I expected more from the Obama Administration.”

But Salazar said that rescinding the Bush rule “would provide no more protection for the polar bear and result in uncertainty and confusion about the management of the species.”

President Obama has asked congress to pass strong cap and trade legislation that would curtail carbon dioxide and provide regulation that offers stiff penalties to polluting companies, that don’t comply. And just last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that global warming is harmful to human health and should be regulated under the Clear Air Act.

Unfortunately for polar bears, melting and crumbling polar ice caps will not be held at bay, while the government tries to figure out what to do. Polar bears were listed under the ESA over a year ago and scientists report numerous ice shelves have collapsed in the mean time. Every square inch of ice reduction means fewer sun rays are deflected, causing a temperature increase in ocean water.

Just in the 60 days that it has taken to get to this ruling, the Wilkenson ice shelf, roughly the size of Jamaica, broke apart and toppled into the sea.

NO MATTE WHAT THE POLITICS: POLAR BEARS ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

Center for Biological Diversity response

The 60 day history of this ruling:

Why hasn't Ken Salazar signed the law to protect polar bears

Ken Salazar finally restores ESA, but polar bears lose out

Clock ticks down for polar bears