It wasn’t too long ago the eco-Marxists were telling us about the plight of the poor, poor polar bears. If you remember, they wanted them to be labeled as an endangered species in order to make carbon producing industries, well, stop producing carbon or pay a fine.
The Bush administration said they were threatened, but not endangered. The environmentalists were not happy:
"Secretary Kempthorne threw a bone to the polar bear, and the polar bear really needs a life vest," Cindy Shogan, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, told Grist. "If they are acknowledging that the polar bear is threatened, they need to do something meaningful to help the bear, and it sounds from the statements today that it’s going to be business as usual."
But then came Obama, which would lead to a change in the policy and save the endangered polar bear. Only it didn’t.
So the polar bears must be on the verge of extinction by this time, right? Not so much. In fact, they are thriving:
The cooler-than-usual summer produced thicker ice on Hudson Bay, giving the area’s polar bear population several extra days to feed on tasty ringed seals.
"This is the time of year when polar bears eat the most, and the ringed seals are so full of fat and energy," said Daryll Hedman, the northeast regional wildlife manager for Manitoba Conservation.
Hedman said polar bears stay on the Hudson Bay ice for as long as possible so they can feed, adding this year the ice was so thick that the bears stayed out for an extra two weeks.
That’s resulted in fatter, healthier bears this summer, Hedman said. He added, however, the development is not likely a long-term trend.
"It’s probably a blip," Hedman said of the thicker ice and cooler temperatures.
He said polar bears that wandered into the northern Manitoba community of Churchill this season appeared fatter and healthier than in past years.
"Every bear we handled (in Churchill) was in amazing good shape," Hedman said.
Hedman says it is probably a blip, but, as the eco-Marxists are quick to point out about skeptics, he’s not a climatologist.
Once again I refer you to the real reason polar bears are even in this debate: they are a prop.
