The Good: Four months ago a decision about the fate of the world’s polar bears was due. The Endangered Species Act dictates that animals be placed on lists according to population size. When an animal is placed on the “Threatened” list, actions are taken to limit hunting and increase populate. When they reach “Endangered” animals are considered in grave danger. The decision on polar bears is overdue, but it was delayed for political reasons.

Why was the decision postponed for four months? Officials were scared that placing polar bears on either list would lead to the “misuse” of the classification to expedite climate change. The verdict on Polar bears is that they are, in fact, threatened. The Secretary of the Interior though says that the decision “should not open the door to… regulate greenhouse gas emissions”. It makes me laugh to see that this administration is trying to prevent climate control this much. It is my hope that the polar bears being placed on this list will open doors to a marked change in how we use energy on a daily basis.

The Bad: A while ago I wrote about six sea lions that were found in cages, shot, on the Columbia River. These animals were being held in cages pending a decision by the courts as to the preservation of a rare fish species in the Columbia River. The case originally seemed cut and dry, a death by shooting, but necropsies showed that bullet wounds were not fatal. The question now is what killed these beautiful animals and if we can stop it from taking any more victims.