Polar Bear Fight: Round 2

The polar bear won't receive unneeded, economically devastating protection without a fight, as litigants are lining up to challenge the Bush Admin's latest cave-in to the radical environmental agenda.

We Republicans used to fight against Statism, working diligently to keep federal over-reach at bay. There were a dozen ways the Bush Dept. of Interior could have denied the environmentalists' ploy to seize control of America's economy through the Endangered Species Act, but they folded. With no true Republicans left in Washington, it's come to this: Alaska and private enterprise are stepping in where the lost GOP fears to tread.

First, Alaska via AP:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The state of Alaska will sue to challenge the recent listing of polar bears as a threatened species, Gov. Sarah Palin announced Wednesday.

I like Palin more and more. Too bad McCain's not inviting her to Sadona.

She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts.

Palin argued that there is not enough evidence to support a listing. Polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation, she said.

On the private sector side, I got this email today from the Pacific Legal Foundation, one of the nation's leading champions of property rights:

PLF WILL FIGHT POLAR BEAR LISTING THAT THREATENS TO CHILL THE ECONOMY

Crushing, economy-wrecking regulation in the name of “global warming.” Is that what the future holds for the United States? Not if Pacific Legal Foundation can help it.

The first big, dangerous step toward oppressive global warming restrictions on economic activity—and personal liberty—came last week. Federal officials bowed to environmentalist pressure and put polar bears on the Endangered Species Act list.

Pacific Legal Foundation is swinging into action to fight this move. We are immediately ready to file the 60-day notice that is required for litigation involving the ESA.

Yes, you do have to give the federal government 60 days' notice that you intend to sue. It would be nice if they'd extend the same courtesy to mere citizens.

Why? Because the listing is wrong—scientifically and legally. And it can be used as a tool by enviro-radicals to curtail vast amounts of productive activity, throughout the country.

The Polar Bear Isn’t In Peril

There simply isn’t verifiable evidence that polar bears are in danger. Quite the contrary. As an editorial in Investors Business Daily reported last week, polar bear numbers “are actually growing. There might be as many as 25,000, and probably no fewer than 22,000, today, while 50 years ago, there were somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000.”

The newspaper went on to quote PLF Principal Attorney Reed Hopper: “ ‘Never before has a thriving species been listed under the Endangered Species Act, nor should it,’ said [Hopper]... . Hopper also notes another reason the listing was unwarranted: The polar bear has already survived two global warming eras that were as hot or hotter than the anticipated coming climate change.”

The government is following questionable computer models that project shrinking ice floes—but ice has been shrinking for a couple of decades already, yet polar bears are increasing!

Meanwhile, the government of Canada—where more polar bears reside—says they’re not threatened. Indeed, the polar bear is already among the most protected species in the world.

They go on to quote the same economic arguments against the listing (not that economic arguments hold any weight in species listings; they don't). They also got this juicy quote from the Center for Biological Depravity:

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned to list the polar bear, a listing could subject “all U.S. industries” emitting greenhouse gases to the “purview of the Endangered Species Act.”

To channel Johnny Cochran: "You're up to your ears in s*** if you emit."

I wrote a check to PLF today to help them with their lawsuit. Won't you, too? Here's their donate page.