Mozo: There is an interesting book by Alan Weisman called "The World Without Us" which addresses this, including the residual effects of our current infrastructure.

Hunting for food, and food alone, I get. In fact, it is more humane than the ways in which meat is currently mass produced. Hunting for sport? WTF.

Alice
she can't read that would make her perfect to work for palin...

I now love Richard Ellis too! This interview was amazing. You can hear the bitterness and righteous anger in his voice. More people need to take on the reptilian ideologies of ignoramuses like Sarah Palin with the intelligence and toughness of this guy. Bravo!

From the Adventures in the Wild website, 4th line down below the title:

"If you would like to go hunting in Canada, we offer hunting adventures for polar bear, black bear, whitetail deer, caribou, muskox and moose."

Maybe she can't read? Wouldn't be surprised.

Kathy
are u for real or do u work for sarah palin. it's right on the home page!

I don't see anything about hunting polar bears on the Adventures in the Wild website. At all.

What would happen, frank, if there were no more homo sapiens? I wonder how that would impact the environment.

Okay, I officially love Richard Ellis now!

Thank you for addressing the pathetic macho madness that is trophy hunting.

These are the Wasilla rednecks offering polar bear hunting trips: http://www.adventuresinthewild.com/

Disgusting.

is it true that polar bears are the only animals that will actively hunt humans?

i heard that somewhere. makes me think they are super cool!

as for their dying away, it's a big deal when a mamallian species dies away and it's totally an indication in this case that something is terribly wrong.

a better question i think is why is shooting them so damned important to anyone?

Palin is a tool. So sad that Americans believe she has political credibility.

Are there less seals than they used to be? Is it just climate change that hurts them or is it a food issue?

Also how do they drink water? Do they eat the snow?

Why are Polar Bears now so contaminated?

Thank you for this story. The plight of the polar bear is heartbreaking. I marvel at how people can think that the extinction of various species won't eventually matter/catch up to our species.

I'd love to see a story about how Rancher (Secy.) Salazar has removed the endangered species for wolves. They are being hunted/killed as we "speak".

frank
why is "a gauge for overall Arctic health" a " weak arguement"

What would happen if there were no polar bears? I understand the environmental implications of development in the arctic, but why is the preservation of polar bear populations a vital goal in and of itself? I read an interview of Mr. Ellis' on Amazon, and it would seem it simply boils down to either sentimentality, or the labeling of polar bears as a gauge for overall Arctic health. Is there any reason beyond these weak arguements?

Could we build rafts for the polar bears ?