WASHINGTON (AP) - The Interior Department has declared the polar
bear a threatened species, one that must be protected due to the
decline in Arctic sea ice from global warming.
Polar bears are the first species affeced by global warming to
be protected by the Endangered Species Act. Some business leaders
worry this could have a far-reaching impact through stricter
environmental regulations.
It was thought that the Interior Department was going to make
this announcement earlier this year, but it then said more time was
needed before a decision was made. That generated outrage from
Congress and as well as a lawsuit from environmentalists. Two weeks
ago, a federal judge gave the department until tomorrow to rule one
way or the other.