Offshore Drilling Ban to be Lifted by Bush

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Well, by gosh- according to David's photos, the animals are flocking to the oil fields! It's so heartening to see a bear hugging an oil-filled pipeline- it really is. Looks so.......natural.

Sorry, David- but those photos kind of made me want to hurl. A bunch of animals hanging around a pipeline doesn't mean shyt, except maybe to a hunter.

Originally Posted by lizziebith

Ah, but anyway, for the colorful pics of animals and pipelines above I do honestly smell photoshop or photo-op. Either way, it looks, frankly, ridiculous, and I'm just a regular consumer of internet images. Happy animals loving the pipeline! Wooooooo! I'll have what you're having.

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

So we should only save land if there are big, cute furry animals providing wonderful photo-ops? Perhaps the animals are in those shots because someone built a big effing plant where they usually hang out and they can't read the signs that say, "Warning toxic chemicals present."

While scaeagles pretty much stated it, I think the point of the photos is being missed: the supposed horrible effects on the environment are grossly overstated.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Polar Bears are close to extinct. They're drowning because the ice is melting.

Certainly debatable - I can find many references to the contrary.

Polar bears thriving as arctic warms up

In the Davis Strait area, a 140,000-square kilometre region, the polar bear population has grown from 850 in the mid-1980s to 2,100 today.

Much of what I've read on the subject says that counting polar bears is very difficult because of the vastness and unfriendliness of their habitat. It also seems as if it isn't actual numbers that appear to be in decline, but that there is more a sense that they will be in danger.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Certainly debatable - I can find many references to the contrary.

Polar bears thriving as arctic warms up

Much of what I've read on the subject says that counting polar bears is very difficult because of the vastness and unfriendliness of their habitat. It also seems as if it isn't actual numbers that appear to be in decline, but that there is more a sense that they will be in danger.

Threatened species - listed in May of 2008 which is a year after your link was published.

[scaeagles]

Threatened is a long, long way from extinct. Threatened has nothing to do with existing populations, it simply means that there is cause for concern about their well being. Your link does not address existing populations.....which granted, could have declined since the article I cited was published.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Threatened is a long, long way from extinct. Threatened has nothing to do with existing populations, it simply means that there is cause for concern about their well being. Your link does not address existing populations.....which granted, could have declined since the article I cited was published.

Threatened is also a long way from not in danger. I suggest you read some of the links on the page I posted. The petition to list them as a threatened species started in 2007 as well.

The polar bear was petitioned to be listed as a threatened species, defined as a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

This is not a good thing

They're drowning.

[Morrigoon]

Alex: great points, as usual!

re: Polar Bears

Bears thrive when seals have a hard time, or vice versa. How's the seal population?

[David E]

The bears can drown if too much ice melts in their area. This happens seasonally, regardless of whether a larger warming trend is occurring; the ice re-forms every year, otherwise the bears wouldn't be there.

With regard to the animal photos, they are not doctored as far as I know. Caribou in more desolate areas also like the warmth of the heated pipelines. I think photos help to demystify a lot of what is being discussed, which can get very abstract and emotional sometimes. I would like to see photos of some of the negative effects such as leaks as well, to put that into perspective too. We have all acknowledged that sometimes things will go wrong.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Here are some enlightening numbers.

According to government statistics, drilling in ANWR will mean, in the best case estimates, that in 30 years we will be importing 46% of our oil instaed of 51% of our oil.

Boy howdy, that'd show Chavez a thing or two!

Oh wait, don't forget the astounding 1% that drilling offshore will contribute. Totally worth risking a few species of animals.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Well, you know, they're just animals. It's not like they're good for anything.


/gag

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

[color="Purple"]Well, you know, they're just animals. It's not like they're good for anything.

Not true. I hear polar bear steak is delicious.