by Devilstower [courtesy of Daily Kos]

Bears.  You know 'em, you know the threat they pose.  But I'll bet you didn't know that bears are to blame for high prices at the pump.  Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute explains why providing endangered species protection to polar bears is a threat to mankind.

The first is the possible wide geographic reach of the global warming argument. The snail darter almost killed a single dam. The polar bear could, in theory at least, stop everything. ...

The second impact of this ruling is that it will likely end all Arctic exploration for oil and gas, at least in the U.S. Given surging world demand for oil, increased supply is the only thing standing between us and $200-a-barrel oil.

You hear that?  It's not conflict in the Middle East, instability in US financial markets, or the rapid growth in India and China that's causing your gas bill to go up.  Hand over the bears, or prepare to pay one million dollars to fill your SUV.  

But wait!  There's really no conflict.  Hassett and his fellow AEI fellow, Kenneth Green, don't believe that the polar bear is in danger at all.  Granted, both of them are known for backing oil drilling at all costs, and couldn't be counted on to say a bad thing about drilling if it used nuns and orphans as lubricant.  And Hassett admits that biologists are convinced the polar bear is in decline because of melting ice.  But they have a professor on their side, as well.

by Plutonium Page [courtesy of Daily Kos]

What a coincidence.

Just as the Alaska State Legislature allocates $2 million for a conference promoting climate change deniers' "expert" analysis of why polar bears aren't really endangered, a poster boy for polar bear junk science emerges from the woodwork.

Enter J. Scott Armstrong, who is a marketing professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His research emphasizes forecasting methods, which he has used as the cornerstone for - you guessed it - claims  that the IPCC climate change projections are actually all wrong.

Now he's extended his "forecasts" to say that polar bears are doing just fine. He alluded to his research when Sen. James Inhofe called him  as an "expert" to testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee regarding the proposed endangered status of the polar bear; now, Armstrong has released an official statement advertising his paper.

Here's the link  (warning, slow website):