Polar Bears Threatened: Million Of Acres To Be Opened To Oil And Gas Activities
The US government issued its Final Notice of Intent for the Chukchi Lease Sale 193 opening approximately 29.7 million acres of the pristine Chukchi Sea to oil and gas activities on January 2. This controversial announcement comes just days before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is due to decide if the polar bear should be listed under the Endangered Species Act due to severe habitat loss from melting sea ice in Alaska’s Arctic Ocean caused by global warming.