6 things you can do listed below.  Phyllis



While polar bear mothers and cubs were nestled in their dens, the
Bush/Cheney Administration auctioned off key habitat for these struggling
animals to Big Oil --despite the opposition of tens of thousands of
activists like you. 

As a warming climate takes its toll on polar bear habitat, federal
officials are selling off the very places these great white bears depend
on for hunting, denning and survival.
America’s polar bears will likely be extinct in fewer than 50 years,
according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists. Yet federal officials
have once again delayed action to protect these struggling animals as
“threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. 
Instead, officials auctioned off millions of acres of vital habitat in
Alaska’s Chukchi Sea to Shell and other Big Oil companies earlier this
month -- and yet again, President Bush has included dangerous drilling in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in his budget. 
Increased drilling in these critical habitats could devastate America’s
polar bears. But ExxonMobil, Shell and other Big Oil companies continue
to use their billions in profits to press for harmful drilling in the
places polar bears need to survive -- and continue our dependence on the
fuels that spur rising temperatures that are causing the bears’ demise.
Here's a hint of what our polar bears are up against: Royal Dutch Shell
bid more than $105 billion for a single tract of drilling acreage in the
Chukchi Sea. [1]
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
...work to prevent Arctic Refuge drilling language from entering the
federal budget.  ..work to pass the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness
Act, a bill to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
and continuing to battle efforts to open this special place to Big Oil’s
dirty rigs. ..work to pass the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act --
already passed by the House of Representatives, this legislation is a
vital first step to ensure that polar bears and other wildlife can cope
with a changing climate. ...work to pass the Polar Bear Protection Act,
legislation to stop wealthy U.S. trophy hunters from killing polar bears
in Canada and returning with their quarry. ...work with Congressional
staff to find sensible energy solutions to reduce our dependence on
fossil fuels, help combat global warming and protect our wildlife.
...hold our elected officials accountable for their actions on global
warming and other wildlife-related issues.

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