Plan to “list” Polar Bears may spell doom for the arctic bruin 

Arthur Smith 1/15/07

Independent Arctic Reporting Service - IARS        

             KAKTOVIK, ALASKA       “Without regard to their habitat, how can anyone expect to protect the polar bears,” exclaimed the Kaktovik resident in response to the Reuters wire detailing the Bush administration’s plan to invoke the endangered species act on behalf of polar bears. “It’s a death sentence for the bears; people have to realize what’s happening up here.”

He read aloud from the wire, “Bush administration officials, however, indicated there would be no new curbs on oil drilling in Alaska or limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.” Eyes welled with emotion, he crushed the printout into his pocket, “If we continue to heat up, the offshore drilling gets this pass, the bears will have nowhere left to go. The threatened listing is being used to mask development that shouldn’t occur.”

In response to the challenge of this offshore/coastal area being critical … “You obviously aren’t aware that this region supports the highest concentration of polar bear dens on the North Slope. It’s no coincidence that the sows should choose an area where the annual ice is reliable, an undeveloped region in which they remain undisturbed for the birth of their cubs. Further deterioration of pack ice will only increase the instance of on shore – near shore denning. Bears can be seen here nearly year around, hell, maybe it’s their nursery for this part of the world. It should already be designated a sanctuary just for the fact of den concentration alone.”

“The need for an immediate moratorium on offshore oil activities is absolute,” he said, “There’s no press to the fact that they’re already planning to drill offshore this coming summer. By the time everyone gets through feeling good about their “intentions” to save the bears, the end to the polar bear’s offshore and coastal habitat will have already begun. I don’t think they’ll ever stop once they start,” he said referring to Shell Oil’s documented 2007 plans to drill offshore within sight of Kaktovik.

When asked of the US Fish and Wildlife’s declaration, All of the 30 years of experience that we’ve had on the North Slope has proven to us that the oil industry has no impact; he shook his head in disgust. “First thing,” he said, “no one has ever had the opportunity to study the polar bears minus the permanent ice let alone denying the undisturbed habitat as it has always existed. That’s the entire issue, the pack ice is melting, it’s only a matter of time until it’s gone but to add insult to injury we’re not only going to deny the bears the only coastal region that, as of yet, has remained undeveloped, we’re going to industrialize the region most likely to hold the only consistent ice in the future.” 

“It's blatant incompetence,” he continued, “to propose such forward looking policy based upon out-dated information, data gathered from environmental conditions that no longer exist. The entire point here is to react to a future problem that’s become reality. The government’s solution is to make it worse. As long as people think the bears will be aided by “listing” and don’t know any better, the government will enact policy that will effectively accelerate the bear’s demise. How stupid do they think the American public is? We won’t stand for it.”

“This entire matter is only raised due to the enormity of global climate change.  No one, not even the oil companies have the power to hide that fact. It’s a shame to think that this is what it takes to focus attention upon a desperate situation.  I’m half convinced the government is playing the “listing issue” to screen from the public the rest of what is happening.

When asked to comment on the “second thing”, he answered with two words, “Exxon Valdez.”                

In what appears to support this challenge to the Bush administration’s policy toward the future of polar bears, highly placed officials with the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) privately admitted that Shell Oil is fully proceeding with offshore oil exploration and development. According to ASRC, drilling operations are to begin sometime during the ’07 summer season with Shell planning to utilize the concept of undersea pipelines to transport the oil to Prudhoe Bay.

Further investigation confirms from sources within the MMS (Minerals Management Service, Dept of Interior) that Shell Oil has in fact designated the locations of its four proposed well sites as “Olympia” and “Siv Ullig” (Hammerhead).