U.S. wants polar bears on endangered list: “The Bush administration has decided to propose listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the U.S. government on record as saying that global warming could drive one of the world’s most recognizable animals out of existence.”  I wholeheartedly support this listing, but I’m also a realist who knows there is very little chance polar bears will survive ongoing climate change.  It is far more probable they will be extinct long before this century is through—more likely in the next few decades.  Bush has squandered our chances to take strategic action on this issue while simultaneously ignoring the many endangered species that should have been listed years ago.  I hope this listing takes place and makes a difference; even if the former happens, I doubt the latter will be true.  [via John Lynch at Stranger Fruit]

You can find more information on the threat to polar bears as well as why the Bush administration is finally taking action (legal threat; no surprise there) at Discovery News.

And on the topic of climate change, go read Climate change at crisis level: “Global warming is the greatest environmental threat that humanity has ever faced. [. . .] The United States produces about one-fourth of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, yet we’re the only major nation that officially denies there’s a problem. This is the year for all of us — government, business, individuals — to aggressively attack global warming.”  It’s an excellent piece.  At this point, you can’t be too alarmist about what we’re doing to the planet.  If we don’t mend our ways immediately, we push the balance too far toward catastrophe to stop disaster.  Things already are going to get bad no matter what we do, but at least we can do our best to minimize it.  [via Matthew Nisbet at Framing Science]

Grand Rounds 3.14 is now available, so head on over and check out the best from the medical blogosphere.

Some really cool weather photos.  [via Mark at Biomes Blog]

And something else via Biomes Blog: beautiful landscape photos.  Wow!