Friday afternoon, the Obama administration announced that it agrees with the Bush administration's position concerning the Endangered Species Act as a tool to address global warming.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, "We must do all we can to help the polar bear recover, recognizing that the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change," Salazar said in a statement. "However, the Endangered Species Act is not the proper mechanism for controlling our nation’s carbon emissions.
Environmentalists, upset with the decisions, said they would oppose the rule in court.
"We need to use every tool at our disposal, including the Endangered Species Act," Andrew Wetzler, wildlife conservation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement. "The rule endorsed today is illegal, and we will continue to fight it in court."
Read Associated Press coverage at the link below.
