Starting with May 14, the polar bears have become a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, because of the global warming. This represents an alarm signal that something must definitely be done.

But what are the implied consequences of listing the polar bears among the animals to be protected? What are the measures to be taken in order to protect this species?

For the beginning, the import of polar bears’ heads and hides by sport hunters will stop, as it was recommended by Dale Hall, the director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Additionally, authorities must make sure that polar bears will not come in contact with humans, in order to prevent animals being shot.

However, the most important issue is the oil drilling in the Arctic, which the ecologists insist to be stopped. But the American authorities do not want to stop petroleum exploration and extraction from the Arctic, saying that it did not harm the polar bears.

On the contrary, there would be many other worse problems if they stopped the extraction, according to Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive director, problems such as: the threat of oil spills, boat traffic, seismic blasting.