Michelle Malkin » You go, girl: Alaska GOP Gov. will sue Bush administration over polar bear listing (bumped)

You go, girl: Alaska GOP Gov. will sue Bush administration over polar bear listing (bumped)

By Michelle Malkin • May 22, 2008 09:26 AM

Posted 5/22 12:06am

Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin is taking on the Bush administration’s eco-pandering decision to put polar bears on the threatened species list. Via Reuters comes news that Alaska will file suit to block the move. With staunch, sane, principled conservatives like Gov. Palin and Sen. James Inhofe taking a stand, there’s hope–however dwindling–for the GOP yet.
Keep hope alive:

The state of Alaska will sue the U.S. government to stop the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species, arguing the designation will slow development in the state, Gov. Sarah Palin said on Wednesday.

Palin said the state will file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington challenging U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne’s decision to grant Endangered Species Act protections to the polar bear.

The Republican governor has argued that the ice-dependent polar bear, the first mammal granted Endangered Species Act listing because of global warming, does not need additional protections.

“We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models,” said Alaska Assistant Attorney General Steven Daugherty.

Even though Kempthorne enacted a rule aimed at precluding any new restrictions on oil and gas operations as a result of the listing, the Palin administration believes a wide variety of other development activities in Alaska would be hampered if the listing goes through, Daugherty said.

Any development or activity requiring federal permits or using federal funds would have to engage in a “consultation” process to ensure that polar bears are not harmed, he said.

That consultation, mandated by the Endangered Species Act, “is a long and time-consuming process,” he said. “It’s just, basically, a big time-and-money-waster.”

The Bush administration’s listing was an act of submission in the face of lawsuits from environmental activist groups.

As usual with acts of submission, this one didn’t satisfy the demanders. They’ve gone back to court to sue because the listing doesn’t “include steps against global warming.”

In court documents filed late Friday, the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups asked a federal judge to reject Interior Department actions that were announced last week.

Polar bears are threatened with extinction in many areas because of the melting of their sea ice habitat. The groups say greenhouse gas emissions have led to rapid melting in the Arctic.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, facing a court deadline because of the groups’ earlier lawsuit, had announced Wednesday that polar bears would be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Among the steps he proposed to help them were increasing research and working with Canada to help the bears survive in the wild. But he rejected the addition of broad steps to reduce greenhouse gases, saying he would not allow the Endangered Species Act to be “misused” to regulate global climate change.

Kassie Siegel, climate director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the administration’s proposal “violates both logic and the law” because it did not address the primary threat to polar bears. The listing of polar bears under the law is significant, she acknowledged, but the groups want them classified as endangered, a more serious category than threatened.

Joining in the court case were Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council. They announced their new federal court filing on Tuesday.

GOP presidential candidate John McCain supported the listing: “He said that he strongly supports the move and believes it should have happened ‘long ago.’”

Does he support his radical environmental friends’ latest round of lawsuits?

Ask him!

Posted in: Enviro-nitwits

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#101

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:09 pm, JBro said:

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 am, spo-con said:
I think American conservatives are more endangered than a bunch of white bears.

At least inside the beltway!
#103

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:19 pm, Barry F. said:

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm, Ordinary Coloradan said:

Politicians, like diapers, MUST be changed regularly.

Your post reminds me of one of my favorite Ronald Reagan quotes, OC…

“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.“
#104

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm, Thunder_Run said:

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 05/22/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
#105

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 pm, rightwingrocker said:

Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin is taking on the Bush administration’s eco-pandering decision to put polar bears on the threatened species list.

This is a name that’s been floated for VP.

Let’s just put her on the top of the ticket … (if the rest of her ideas stack up)

RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
#106

On May 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm, max said:

On May 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 am, spo-con said:
UUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMM, Sen. Obama was not available for comment…………

it’s racist to imply Sen. Messiah only cares about black bears
#108

On May 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm, Fat Jolly Penguin said:

Good heavens. McCain has an “Eco-store.”
#109

On May 22nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm, Straight_Talk_Luigi said:

LLAAAAWWWWOOOOOUUUHH I’m trying to keep the thread on topic. Were I to say we are a democracy, you certainly would jump in to call me a moron for not knowing we’re a republic.

No, you’re a moron because you don’t support the troops and think al quedia are freedom fighters.
#112

On May 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm, starlightwoman said:

Good for her and the State of Alaska. I went to a GOP meeting last night and the theme was ” Conservative Principles, Conservative Values, Common Sense” perhaps that’s the one that the National GOP should adapt!
#114

On May 23rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm, Soliel said:

I am for the polar bears on this one. I bet you she is fighting this because of all the money they get from trophy hunters who will no longer be able to kill these beautiful creatures for “fun”.

From the Humane Society Website:

“The decision will save these magestic creatures from the bullets of American trophy hunters. The listing closes an unacceptable loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a loophole exploited by wealthy sport hunters who killed and then imported more than 900 polar bears from Canada as trophies over the past decade. One less threat to their survival”.
I am a conservative on most issues…but I think killing animals for fun is sickening, barbaric and depraved, just completely and utterly selfish. For these reasons, I hope the polar bears win out over selfish bastards who kill for childish fun.

Remember religious Christians…the commandment “thou shall not kill”…it does NOT say “only humans”, it’s killing in general. There is a reason why they cover up slaughterhouses and killing because it’s repugnant to the soul.
#118

On May 29th, 2008 at 5:17 pm, papertiger said:

Soliel here’s were a cuddly polar bear launchs himself thirty feet through the air in the hope of making a Japanese girl into a meal.

The way I remember it “thou shall not kill” is a misinterpretation from the original Hebrew. The original is more accurately translated as “thou shall not murder”, and it specificly refers to humans killing humans.
Here it is reiterated in Roman’s 13:9 -For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Also there is this from Genesis 1:28 -And God {u} blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.