Polar Bear Protection Delayed. Oil Drilling Okayed.

This letter urges concerned Americans to come to the rescue of the Alaskan polar bear, which is facing extinction due to global warming and is now threatened by the more immediate danger of oil development being rushed through by the Bush Administration.

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Dear Friend,

By speaking out today, you can help save Alaska's polar bears from the threat of toxic oil spills.

The Bush Administration is trying to rush through the sale of oil and gas leases in prime polar bear habitat -- the Chukchi Sea off of Alaska -- before the polar bear can win protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Please join us in supporting legislation -- the Markey bill -- that would reverse the go-ahead for this dangerous sale. Otherwise, the Alaskan polar bear, which is already facing extinction as global warming melts its sea ice habitat, would face the more immediate threat of a toxic oil spill.

There is no proven method of cleaning up oil spills in the Arctic's icy waters -- and there is virtually no way for oil-covered polar bears to survive.

Please speak out now to put polar bear protection ahead of oil and gas development.

Go to http://www.PolarBearSOS.org/takeaction_polar_bears

Thank you for speaking out at this critical time.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council