Kerry Statement on Fish and Wildlife Hearing Regarding Polar Bears

Kerry Statement on Fish and Wildlife Hearing Regarding Polar Bears

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) today offered the following statement on the proposal to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal will be debated at the US Fish and Wildlife public hearing at the Department of Interior.

"Polar bears are disappearing and we are to blame. It is crucial to take responsibility for the damage already done, and list the polar bear as a threatened species. From melting ice caps to disappearing plants and animal species, the signs of climate change are all around us and we have to acknowledge them. It's just sad that the Bush Administration won't enact the one measure that would actually ensure polar bears are around for future generations: mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

"We know that unless we take immediate and drastic steps to reverse climate change and identify its effects, life as we know it will be very different. The time to act is now."

http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=270108