Save Polar Bears and Other Endangered Species
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announces that the polar bear is now classified as "threatened."
Alex Wong / Getty Images.
You have until September 15 to speak out against proposed changes that would weaken the Endangered Species Act.
The Bush administration wants to allow the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to make certain decisions under the ESA without consulting independent experts. The Endangered Species Coalition is calling the proposed changes a "back-door attack on the Endangered Species Act." The proposed changes would also remove global warming from the factors to be considered. This is especially dangerous for polar bears, the only species to be listed under the ESA because of the threat of global warming to their habitat.
Fill out a webform (click on the yellow speech bubble in the first row under "Add Comments") or mail your comment to:
Public Comment Processing
Attention: 1018-AT50, Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222
Arlington, VA 22203
The deadline for comments is September 15. Keep in mind that you do not need to write a novel; if you are pressed for time, a single sentence is fine: "I oppose the proposed changes." Submitted comments are available to the public, but you can comment anonymously if you do not want your personal information to be given out.
Oh, did you want to email your comments? You can't. That's another criticism of the proposal - the lack of public participation, including a short comment period and the refusal to accept email comments.
Although endangered species are an environmental issue and not an animal rights issue, animal activists need to be creative and use the ESA and other environmental laws whenever available to protect animals.
More Reading:
DOI Lists Polar Bear as Endangered, but Drilling to Go On
U.S. Lists Polar Bears as Threatened Species, but Fails to Ban Oil Drilling
Is Global Warming a Hoax?
Vegetarianism and Global Warming
Comments
Hi Doris,
I clicked on the webform link and could not find how to leave a comment. Any clue?
Hi, Deborah,
Click on the link:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=FWS-R9-ES-2008-0093
On the far right side, on the dark blue header bar, it says “Add Comments” in white lettering. Click on the yellow blob immediately below where it says “Add Comments,” (there are lots of yellow blobs. You want to click on the top one.) and you’ll be taken to a form where you can submit your comment. You don’t have to fill out any personal information if you don’t want to.
Thanks, I finally did it.
i think sarah palin is abitch animal hater