US Wants Polar Bear Listed As Threatened
 

The Bush Administration is going to propose listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16361087/

That's great news for the polar bears, and demonstrates a willingness to rethink the issue of global warming.
Any thoughts of putting Sunnis on the list?

Unhappily, I don't know what good it will do. I think global warming is real, but I think we're so past the time we could have done anything about it.

Though I hope I'm wrong-- nature has a way of surprising when we give her a chance to recuperate.

But good on the Bush administration for moving on this. The Polar Bear is one of the "charismatic carnivores" and it's easier to get people interested in one of them than say, plankton. (Though plankton, in the end, is more important, it's hard to get emotionally interested in it.)

I wish I could disagree with you about this...
but unfortunately I think you are right.:(
I read an article last summer about researchers finding polar bears swimming in open water...that for the first time ever they were finding dead polar bears that had drowned (based on necropsy results)...I don't remember where i saw the article, but it made me very sad.

Speak for yourself!

Plankton has always ranked in my top 5, along with polar bears and koalas and pandas and puppies.

Pretty exclusive company there.

All right, let me amend-- the average American has little interest in plankton, unless said American also has a thing for the letter "P" (Polar Bears, Pandas, puppies). :)

You make a good point. I didn't realize my predilection for "P" species.

I also love Parrots and Platypuses (Platypi?).

I'm dangerous with this.

The bad news, the oceans are getting bluer... Suggesting less Plankton. If Plankton goes, the whole house falls down. So I am a very big fan of Plankton, especially the Phytoplankton.

Yes, but pgardn, you are most definitely above average. :)