I will not go into the full breadth and depth of the current U.S. government’s failure to put the environment as a priority at any level, however a recent news release underscores the theme: the U.S. does not care about the environment that we depend on to sustain our species. This is disconcerting to say the least.
The Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Greenpeace all intend to sue the government over the failure to reach a decision on placing the Polar Bear on the Endangered Species list. The petition to put the polar bear on the endangered species list was first introduced in February 2005 and has yet to yield a decision. It is this lack of action, one way or the other, that has prompted the three aforementioned groups to take legal action – again. They first sued the government over this very same issue in December 2005 when the U.S. government failed to reach a decision by the old deadline.
You may be asking, “So what does putting the polar bear on the endangered species list have to do with our government’s failure to be a good environmental citizen?” The answer is simple: it displays a general apathetic approach to all issues environmental while we continue to worry about such things as spreading democracy overseas and the paltry housing problem. All of those issues are inconsequential if the place in which we live is being systematically destroyed through willful ignorance, lack of caring and lethargy to promote a sustainable and healthy future; which, is exactly what this administration is doing. Not one animal has been placed on the endangered species list in the past 607 days under Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. There is little doubt that at least one (the polar bear…) should have been added.
It’s not like Kempthorne hasn’t received counsel from multiple organizations stating that the ruling is more than warranted with a plethora of habitat, development and meteorological evidence at hand. Please, Secretary Kempthorne, just make up your mind so we can move on.
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I am no “tree hugger” and there is plenty more that I could do to help the environment. However, I am trying to change my ways. As the leader of the free world, it is long overdue that America takes environmental issues more serious. It should be treated as our duty.
Agreed it is a shame that our government does not take a more proactive approach in improving the interior of the United States. Kempthorne has had almost 2 years to grant environmental organizations requests and he hasn’t. I think the attention that this country spends giving other nations across the globe would be better spent fulfilling the needs of our country’s failing infrastructure.
At some point the majority needs to recognize that animal rights are just as important as human rights. Every species depends on every other species in some way, although the truth and extent of this may be subtle and hard to recognize on the surface of things.
Independence is an illusion. Interconnectedness is the only reality.