Polar Bears GONE by 2050 - An entire species!

[autorank]

What a bunch of idiots we have running things. This is a perfect example of the impact of our greedy, narcissistic policies. We're killing off polar bears. I mean, 600,000 deat Iraqi civilians thanks to Bush (the number is higher now) is horrible. Nobody talks about that. And now this, an entire species.

Congratulations ruling elite and USELESS politicians. Your death trip is in full gear.

Most polar bears could be lost by 2050 - report

Expanded story CLG

Fri Sep 7, 2007 6:26PM EDT

Reuters
By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two-thirds of the world's polar bear population could be gone by midcentury if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Friday.

The fate of polar bears could be even bleaker than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be vanishing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species.

"There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears," said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. Arctic sea ice is already at an all-time low this year and is expected to retreat farther this month, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center.

That means that polar bears -- some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing.

[Hydra]

1. Posted within the hour

you may want to have it merged. I rec'ed you anyway

[autorank]

2. Sure how do we do that?

[Hydra]

5. not sure- I think a mod has to do it

it may be that you send an alert on the post- here is the other thread for reference:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1757571

I just looked at their source- climate.org. Almost the same content, though

[Blue Fire]

3. Too bad Polar Bears don't vote or contribute to political coffers.

Then maybe enough of our currently unconcerned leaders might hear the call for help from one of Earth's most magnificent species to make a difference!

[Ghost in the Machine]

7. Maybe lil georgie can wage a war on Polar Bears and convert them to Tropical Bears

:rofl:

Hey, he thinks he can spread christianity to Muslim Nations so why not this?

[Blue Fire]

9. Ya know, that just might work. Polar bears are already white!

And they eat helpless little critters like seal pups. So why doesn't ol' dumya like em'?

[Tanuki]

13. Dead Stupid won't even allow govt. scientists to discuss polar bears!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/09/MNGBQOIBMG1.DTL

<<<"The federal agency responsible for protecting Arctic polar bears has barred two Alaska scientists from speaking about polar bears, climate change or sea ice at international meetings in the next few weeks, a move that environmentalists say is censorship.

The rule was issued last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but was made public this week. The federal government has proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, and the wildlife agency is receiving public comment on the proposal.

"It's a gag order," said Deborah Williams, a former high-level Interior Department official in Anchorage, Alaska, who received documents on Wednesday from Alaska scientists who chose to remain unnamed. The documents make the subjects of polar bears, climate change and sea ice off limits to all scientists who haven't been cleared to speak on the topics.

Two of the memos are copies of those prepared for Craig Perham and Janet E. Hohn, who are traveling to Russia and Norway this month and in April. The scientists "will not be speaking on or responding to these issues'' of climate change, polar bears and sea ice, the memos say. Before any trip, such a memo must be sent to the administrator of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington.">>>

[autorank]

17. They are magnificent. I think PTB has no taste whatsoever.

That they'd put this monster if office, the leader of the tyranny formerly known as "the free world."

Disgusting behavior, insensitive.

[siri2k]

28. Exactly!

n/t

[burythehatchet]

4. It does seem logical that the species which thrive in the cold will

be the first to feel the force of extinction. Maybe we can maintain some species through artificial means.

[greyl]

24. About 200 species go extinct every day as a result of our globalized culture.

They just aren't all as famous and iconic as polar bears.

[HamdenRice]

25. Extremely misleading post on several counts

First of all the best estimate is that the earth is losing about 50 species per day, not 200.

Second, the species being lost are very different from mega fauna like polar bears, and it is misleading to suggest that 200 (or 50) species being lost are just like polar bears other than that they aren't "famous or iconic." The extinction of a species like polar bears is uniquely important.

Most of the species that are going extinct are going extinct in areas that still have exceptionally high bio-diversity -- places like the rain-forests. In such areas, there is a vast amount of specialization. So a dung beetle in one place may have diverged into a different species from the dung beetle just a mile or two away. The same would be true for invertebrates, plants, and other insects. A hydra in a pond in central Congo may have diverged from a hydra in a pond two miles away.

Hence, when even a few acres of rain forest or other hyper diverse regions are cut, species are lost. That is where much of the estimate of species loss comes from. But because of this biodiversity, if we change our impact in the future, a related species (eg of dung beetle or hydra) could invade, colonize and take over the "job" of the extinct species.

Polar bears are not just "famous or iconic." The polar bear is an apex mega-fauna species. The extinction of certain mega-fauna, such as polar bears, can throw a particular regional habitat into complete disequilibrium and possible collapse.

The best scientists, ecologists and activists in the world concern themselves with species like polar bears because of their importance, not because they are blinded by "fame" or "iconic" status.

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. I blame Stephen Colbert and his hatred of bears.

:rofl:

Do I need the sarcasm thingy too?

[autorank]

18. You will...

:sarcasm:
...get your reward in Hell! :evilgrin:

[bleever]

8. K5R.

Would that neocon dodo birds were endangered instead.

[ms liberty]

10. K&R - Thanks for posting! n/t

[autorank]

19. You're welcome. It's amazing isn't it? n/t

[robinlynne]

11. This makes me cry. I think it is worse than the people we are killing.

[FourScore]

12. This makes me want to cry. n/t

[daninthemoon]

14. Folks, alot of signs indicate we are in the midst of a planetary

extinction event. Entire species are dissapearing daily, faster than they can be discovered, thousands of times faster than the planetary norm. Manmade activity is surely the primary cause. Polar bears, magnificent creatures at the absolute top of the food chain, are also only the tip of the iceberg. So to speak.

[nam78_two]

15. Not just Polar Bears either-we are seeing many species dying off

This is very sad.

[Lorien]

23. During the period we are in RIGHT NOW more species have gone extinct and

will go extinct than at any time since the extinction of the dinosaurs. Back in the 70's this would have been front page news-Nixon signed the endangered species act, after all. Now it's barely noticed.

:-(

[dweller]

16. bears, bees, birds ...

will we get to the Bushes soon enough?

dp

[orleans]

20. i didn't get much response here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1728372&mesg_id=1728372

i think it's mind boggling. and sad as fucking hell. check out my link--there is a link to the sierra club on it.

[siri2k]

21. K&R!!

n/t

[Me.]

22. Sigh!

n/t

[autorank]

26. Really1 And that's the response to outrageous scandals after

years of them. Shame on everybody responsible. Too bad there isn't a World Court for animals.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. If the Alaskan polar bears go extinct

can the indigenous peoples of the North Slope (or at least their lifestyle) be far behind? This is very troubling to me. Not to mention the huge amounts of carbon dioxide that will continue to be released into the atmosphere as the permafrost melts. Alaska is the canary in the coal mine.