News Out of Alaska

Ahh, so one of my very close friends lives in Alaska, and I am always on the look out for stories about where she is. Just this past Friday, the federal government proposed listing the ringed seals found in Arctic Basin and the North Atlantic and the bearded seals in the Pacific Ocean as endangered species. The government reasons that these creatures depend on sea ice, and because of the increase of global temperatures, their habitats are disappearing. This is a huge decision, and it is one of importance for the arctic animals. Brendan Cummings, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said his client was pleased that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "is following the science and the law in recognizing the realizing of what global warming is doing to the Arctic and its species."

As a former geology student, a bleeding-heart liberal raised by an environmental scientist, and a lover of all things arctic, I am singing at this proposal, and I hope it is approved. If the ringed and bearded seals are added, then there are more avenues for bringing major environmentally-based lawsuits. We need to protect this earth.