because polar bears matter… and other news updates
January 2, 2008
Wind first. There appears to be a bit of confusion out there re the recent Westar/ Kansas Corporation Commission decision on wind power. Near as I can tell, this is what happened: The KCC approved Westar’s plan to install/ incorporate almost 300 new MW of wind (Westar would build a 149 MW wind farm and purchase 146 MW from private wind developers). However, the KCC did not approve Westar’s proposed 1% bonus. Westar has shelved their plans to install an additional 200 MW by 2010, citing regulatory uncertainty as the reason (LJWorld #1, LJWorld #2, LJWorld #3, North American Windpower).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife is considering designating polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (CSMonitor). This listing is controversial because polar bear numbers are not yet in significant decline. However, given the recent and surprising developments in polar ice melt, as well as climate models that are predicting even more melt in the future, polar bear habitat appears to be near a critical tipping point.
It’s all really a question about managing risk, isn’t it? And making tough decisions. How much is enough; in the face of X risk, when is Y justified… On one hand, sure, these controversies are about the actual substance of climate change and global warming. On the other, though, they are also about some fundamentally human dilemmas – how we figure things out, how we get along with each other, and how we get along with the natural world.
— Maril Hazlett
