Arctic Oil Lease Sale Could Spell Disaster for Polar Bears, WWF Says.WASHINGTON -- World Wildlife Fund (WWF See Windows Workflow Foundation. ) condemns Lease Sale 193 by the Minerals Management Service (MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) An enhanced transmission service that enables graphics, video clips and sound files to be transmitted via cellphones. Developed as part of the 3GPP project, MMS phones are generally backward compatible with SMS and EMS. ) in Alaska on February 6 that opens nearly 30 million acres of the pristine Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea (chək`chē), part of the Arctic Ocean N of the Bering Strait, between Siberia and Alaska, Wrangell Island lies to the west and the Beaufort Sea lies to the east. to oil and gas activities, putting at risk the future of people, polar bears and the magnificent Arctic. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has ignored repeated requests from the American public, Arctic communities and conservation groups to delay or withdraw the lease sale until we have a better understanding of its impact on Arctic wildlife and habitats. In addition, an expected listing of polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. has been delayed. This listing would have recognized the grave threat to polar bears from loss of sea ice and habitats due to global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. . "Selling off our natural heritage to the highest bidder HIGHEST BIDDER, contracts. He who, at an auction, offers the greatest price for the property sold. 2. The highest bidder is entitled to have the article sold at his bid, provided there has been no unfairness on his part. is a sad spectacle and represents a step backwards in our efforts to save the irreplaceable Arctic and the magnificent polar bears for future generations," said Carter Roberts, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of World Wildlife Fund. "We already know the future of the polar bear in the arctic is tenuous due to global warming," said Margaret Williams, WWF's Director of the Bering Sea Program. "Allowing this lease sale to go forward without having proper protections in place for polar bears is extremely irresponsible. The technology to effectively contain and clean up oil spills does not currently exist, so this oil lease is a disaster waiting to happen." WWF has more than 20 years experience in polar bear conservation and a global presence in all the Arctic countries. NOTE TO EDITORS Soundbites, B-roll and high-resolution photographs are available to accompany press stories based on this release and mentioning World Wildlife Fund. About World Wildlife Fund: For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level, from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature. Go to worldwildlife.org to learn more. |
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