The animal, whose habitat has been shrinking with the melting of Arctic sea ice, is the first to be designated as threatened with extinction mainly because of global warming.
A federal judge, in setting a May 15 deadline for a decision, rejects the Bush administration’s plea for additional time. The order is a victory for 3 environmental groups.
The chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee on Wednesday criticized Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne for failing to appear before her panel to explain why the Bush administration had delayed a decision on whether to protect polar bears under the Endangered Species Act.
The Bush administration is nearing a decision that would officially acknowledge the environmental damage of global warming, and name its first potential victim: the polar bear.
