Extinction of Polar Bears - Essay Example

Running head: Polar Bears 19th May Outline Project and the key players A. Natural Resources Defense council B. Arctic Climate Impact Assessment C. United States Geological Survey D. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) II. Important facts A. Section 7 of the ESA B. Population of the polar bears in the world is between 20,000 and 25,000 III. Positive sides A. Collaboration of the various agencies and environmental organizations B. ESA has the capability of changing over time C. Flexibility of ESA IV. Negative sides A. ESA not absolutely effective in curbing the global warming B. Hard to get the connection between melting ice caps and the greenhouse gas C. ESA the costs of regulating greenhouse gases are high V. My stance and rationale for why you support or oppose the project. A. Kyoto protocol will be of great importance in curbing the global warming B.1973 international agreement will result to increase of polar bears in the world. C. Amendments of the Endangered Species Act widen its implications ﾤ­ Introduction In the contemporary world, global warming has not only jeopardized the health of individuals but also it has significantly affected the living condition of the animals especially those residing in oceans, seas and on the ice. Earlier on, human activities were viewed as the major contributors to the global warming. However, due to the industrial and technological developments that have emerged in the world, carbon emissions have been the major trigger for global warming. Despite the engagement of many countries to fend off the challenges of global warming, some countries such as US and China have not taken initiatives to join Kyoto Protocol, an agreement that is focused on mitigating carbon emissions. Major legislations that have been adopted by the US government to reduce emissions include Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). One of the major species that is severely affected by the global warming is the polar bear. These are animal species whose natural habitat is the ice. In their effort to protect polar bears from being extinct, the US scientists and environment groups have for a long time pressurized the government to implement strict legislation. This paper seeks to analyze key legislation and the participants who have launched strong campaign against the greenhouse gases that are key cause of the extinction of the polar bear in the world. Major Players US major players in the protection of the polar bear include Natural Resources Defense council, Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, United States Geological Survey and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Laura, 2008). According to Endangered Species Act, Fish and Wildlife Service should identify the species that are threatened or endangered before they are listed. In this way, the FWS has a clear recovery plan that is aimed at protecting the species. Some of the key factors that are considered during the identification of a threatened or endangered species include the scientific use, modification, predation or diseases, curtailment as well as the ineffectiveness of the regulatory mechanisms. It is important to note that a judicial review is adopted if a decision not to list a particular species is undertaken by the US government. As stipulated by section 7(a) of the ESA, Secretary of the Interior should consult with the Federal agency to ensure that any action taken does not negatively affect any species. In order to protect polar bear from the impacts of global warming, FWS recommended the listing of the polar bear as an endangered species in 2006. This was due to the results of the warming climate on Arctic sea ice among other places. This recommendation by the FWS was implemented in 2008 by the US government (Kuhn, 2010). This resulted in the adoption of various actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the US government imposed restrictions on importing polar bear parts into the US market. Major players in the polar bear management in Canada include academic researchers, government agencies, land-claim organizations as well as aboriginal governments. Additionally, Federal provincial territorial Polar Bear agency and federal provincial territorial polar bear technical committee works together to ensure strong linkage of all the stakeholders in polar bear management. Important Facts As mentioned earlier, the expansion of the industries in US among other countries has highly contributed to global warming. For example, the extraction of minerals at the area neighboring Chukchi Sea, led to carbon emission that jeopardized the existence of the polar bear in the region. This led to intervention of the American Bar Association that ensured the compliancy of the companies with section 7 of the ESA that advocated for actions that resulted in emission of greenhouse gases. The population of the polar bears in the world is between 20,000 and 25,000 (Clark et al, 2008). According to Geological survey in US, if the melting of the Arctic ice continues, two-thirds of the entire polar bear population is under threat of being wiped out. This means that even though the US government is focused on increasing its petroleum volume, it has to adopt proper mechanisms to protect the polar bears (Cole, 2008). This is the base of some critics who argue that the politicians have diverted their attention to petroleum at the expense of the existence of polar bears. Positive Side One of the major benefits of ESA as far as regulation of climate change is concerned is that it covers wide range of issues that are threats to climate change. Additionally, the collaboration of the various agencies and environmental organizations ensures that the recommendations of all the players are taken into consideration. Likewise, ESA has the capability of changing over time. Through its ability to evolve, it effectively meets the environment challenges in the present day. In addition, the flexibility of ESA makes it possible for the FWS to formulate various plans that are vital for the recovery of endangered or threatened species. Additionally, ESA responsibility of protecting wildlife creates economic benefits that include creation of job opportunities especially for the communities that rely on wildlife. For example, in Florida more than $3 billion is generated in Duval, Putman and Clay counties due to effective conservation of ecosystems. Other benefits of ESA are proper management of waste, control of erosion and upholding of nutrients cycles among others. Based on its flexibility, ESA offers exemptions for organizations that play a vital role in protecting wildlife. Some of the activities that ESA considers for exemptions in include protecting of endangered species and habitat conservation. Negative Side Even though ESA offers considerable assistance in regulating greenhouse gases that affects the lives of polar bears, it is not absolutely effective in curbing the global warming. It is worth noting that climate change is an international problem that entails seeking the connection between the climate change and the greenhouse gases at the macro level (Laura, 2008). The major obstacle that is faced by advocates for climate conservation is to draw the connection that exists between melting ice caps and the greenhouse gas emission from a particular facility. In this regard, it becomes difficult for greenhouse gases to fall under the scope of ESA. Additionally, under the ESA the costs of regulating greenhouse gases are high as compared to the benefits attained. It is also vital to note that reduction of carbon emissions requires international cooperation. In this regard, ESA cannot offer significant solution to the greenhouse emissions since it cannot regulate emissions in other countries. Despite its positive repercussions, ESA makes it easier for landowners to lose their land that acts as the habitat of the endangered species. In their efforts to conserve the endangered species such as polar bear among others, governments play a vital role of ensuring that their habitats are not jeopardized. As a result, property owners view the regulation as an obstacle to develop and maximize the profits from their properties. According to the ESA, any person who provides information regarding the destruction of the endangered species is rewarded making thus increasing the overall cost of implementing the regulation. My stance on the project and rationale The efforts undertaken by the US government in protection of the polar bears are essential especially due to the limited number of polar bears in the world today. The recent studies by researchers indicates that in just 40 years, if no proper strategies are undertaken to mitigate global warming, polar bears would be completely wiped out (Jayme, 2011). Based on the fact that pear bears relies on ice to hunt seal their major source of food, I believe that the Kyoto protocol will be of great importance in curbing the global warming that has resulted to the melting of the ice. In the same way, by strictly following the 1973 international agreement that sought to regulate hunting of polar bears, I believe that the number of bears will increase in the near future (Campbell and Lunau, 2008). Even though US and China contributes a lot to the global warming their efforts to curb greenhouse gases are minimal. This means that there is a need for scientists and environment groups to pressure the US and China government to emulate effective policies to curb greenhouse gases. I believe that if more amendments are done on the Endangered Species Act, it will widen its implications to cover other countries thus protecting not only the polar bears but also other species that have become the victim on global warming. I support more amendments of the Endangered Species Act in order to make it cover not only the endangered polar bears but also other species residing in the seas and in cold regions. In order to protect the endangered species and increase their number in the world, it is my perspective that the fine imposed due to the violations of the act be increased to $150,000. As a result, private property owners and other organizations will be discouraged from interfering with the habitat of the polar bears and other species. It is also essential to initiate adequate monitoring of the organizations or individuals who have been licensed to import or export species that are rare in the world. It is also imperative to streamline the process of listing the endangered species. In this way, more species that are exposed to extinction will be protected from the human activities that endanger their survival. References Campbell, C and Lunau, K. (2008). THE WAR OVER THE POLAR BEAR. Maclean’s, 121(4/5), 46-52. Available from http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/media-archive/PolarBearMacleans1-23-08.pdf. Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Clark, D. A., Lee, D. S., Freeman, M.R and Clark, S.G 2008. Polar Bear Conservation in Canada: Defining the policy Problem. Arctic, 61(4), 347-360. Available from http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Farctic.synergiesprairies.ca%2Farctic%2Findex.php%2Farctic%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F43%2F109&ei=Um-3T7WQL6Oe0QWaxYGFCA&usg=AFQjCNGZlV9bQf7Nyrz3HNOa7GHO2DA3vQ Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Cole, D. (2008). Polar Bears Adrift. Science & Spirit, 19(2), 18-25. Available from http://planetsave.com/2009/01/26/polar-bears-adrift-on-londons-thames-bring-attention-to-global-warming/ Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Jayme, H. (2011).Polar Bears Kept On Threatened Species List, Making Them Even More Threatened. Science/Natural Science. 7(15), 22-32. Available from http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/polar-bears-kept-on-threatened-species-list-making-them-even-more-threatened.html Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Kuhn, M. (2010).CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE POLAR BEAR: IS THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT UP TO THE TASK? Alaska Law Review, 27(1), 125-150. Available from http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=alr Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Laura N. (2008).What about the polar bears? The future of polar bears as an endangered species. New York: Villanova University Press. Available from http://www.animallaw.info/articles/arus19villenvtllj169.htm Retrieved on May 19, 2012. Read More