The Mad Rush against Polar Bears
So, what does Rush Limbaugh have against polar bears anyway? Poor Rush. He's now reduced to calling weathermen liars and people who care about the plight of the polar bear wackos. Next he'll be stealing candy from babies.
I suppose it was inevitable that Rush would start to lose it by accusing ABC's Sam Champion and the National Wildlife Federation's John Kostyack of "lying to their audiences" when discussing the science showing that global warming is threatening the future of polar bears in the wild.
His rambling segment on Thursday’s radio show reminded me of someone who likes to shut his eyes tight, stick his fingers in his ears and yell "La la la la la lal a! I can't hear you!!" at any mention of actual facts he doesn't want to accept.
To read his latest rant about polar bears, click here. Without using any actual scientific evidence, he just called the overwhelming scientific evidence linking polar bears and global warming wrong, wrong, wrong.
Well, actually, Rush, I have news for you.
- Current sea ice in the Arctic is declining at a rate of more than 23,000 square miles per year, or nearly nine percent per decade, and according to estimates provided by the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder the Arctic ice melting will accelerate in coming years until there will be no ice during the summmer minimums in late summer, 2040.
- A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Science Center discovered a "very dramatic" change in polar bear cub survival and estimated that only about 43 percent of the polar bear cubs in Alaska' Beaufort Sea are surviving their first year as a result of shrinking ice habitat. Cub survival is down from about 65 percent survival measured in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- And just last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading voice among climate scientists worldwide, reported there is more than a ninety percent chance that global warming is being caused by manmade burning of fossil fuels.
Scientists never give absolute statements so getting about 2,500 of the world’s best scientists and more than a hundred nations to agree a lowest common denominator IPCC statement should be compelling to all but perhaps Rush and his ditto heads.
The evidence for the polar bear’s future is so compelling, that even the the Bush administration is concerned enough to give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the go-ahead to consider listing the polar bear as threatened because of global warming. You know Rush is hitting hard times when he starts going against the Bush administration. This nonsensical rant, from the transcript of yesterday's show, is where Rush really loses it. "Now, if the polar bears are disappearing and you're up there on their turf and you're drilling holes in their turf that they might fall into, and they come along and they don't like this -- and you're trying to protect them and the environment -- let them eat you! It's the least you can do."
Earth to Rush: Elvis is dead. Global warming is real and getting much worse, And you need to take a vacation - why not go to the Arctic while it's still there?
Here's a link to the original Good Morning America segment on polar ice: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/7Wonders/story?id=2648130&page=1
Unfourtunately, NWF is misled by the inaccurate science provided by "peer reviewed" studies. Although wildlife depends on a healthy environment, directly linking NATURAL disasters and habitat degradation to global warming
is false. I'm happy to see now so many people are interested in reducing their carbon emissions but we need to face the facts. Human caused global warming only amounts to 20% at most. The 1900's Industrial revolution is not the trigger for this warming trend. The earth goes through natural cycles of warming and cooling normally. Please don't be decieved. Do your own research instead of getting your facts from a politican with his own agendas.
Posted by: Bleu | March 12, 2007 at 02:03 PM
So - we let the polar bear go extinct and do nothing about it because of a purported "natural" cycle? Sorry, that's not merely wrong, it's also ludicrous.
Posted by: JDM | March 14, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Who said the polar bears are going extinct? This whole thing is about recognizing polar bears as an endangered species as part of a larger scheme to blame humans for ALL global warming. It's a political as well as a natural debate. It's easy to just accept what others say as absolute truth. Instead, do your own research.
Posted by: Bleu | March 14, 2007 at 01:28 PM
Bleu, there is a broad scientific consensus that humans are responsible for global warming. This is evidenced by the recent IPCC report. The global warming issue is moral, not political. Those that don't accept the scientific consensus are the only people trying to make it political.
Posted by: Josh Nelson | March 29, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Why are people even listening to a drug addict? How does he even have a radio show? He's a self destructive, ego maniac. Why are you even getting worked up why what he says? isn't it obvious the he is a heartless, careless person?
anywho. Man made pollutants has raised CO2 by 33%. Yes, the earth has a natural warming cycle, esp since we just left an ice age a few thousand years ago. BUT, that isn't the concern. The concern is the RATE, that the globe is warming.
By looking at ice cores from antarctica, Scientists can see the ancient atmosphere (by studying isotopes, and they have never seen a trend like this.
My opinion is: "global warming" is inevitable, either by human interference, or natural events, the earth is gonna change in a matter of time.
I personally feel like Polar bears are strong animals. I think when the tundra becomes a forested area, they will evolve into a different kind of bear. I mean, it's assumed that they came from Brown bears, and look how different they are.
If not, yes, they will become extinct. It's sad, but true.
But like I have said before. Global warming is not the end of the world. It just MIGHT be the end of mankind, but i doubt it.
things are just gonna change dramatically. I'm not gonna say alot of people are gonna die, because they are. and we're going to get more primal, more competitive, sea levels will change, and our species will have to adapt to the changing climate and limits of land....
i think that's all i have to say.
Posted by: Adda Nanook | April 10, 2007 at 09:03 AM
On environmental issues, Rush
Limbaugh is frustrating, even maddening, to listen to. Schweiger should challenge him to a debate on climate change. On polar bears, the hunting community presents string scientific evidence that some populations are doing very well, particularly in Alaska.
Posted by: Josh | April 12, 2007 at 02:40 PM