Article: Polar bears' vulnerability at heart of climate change dispute

WASHINGTON - Polar bears, long depicted as the cuddliest of children's stuffed animals and the cute, animated stars of Coca- Cola's wintertime advertising, are taking on a new leading role at the center of the debate on global warming.

Environmental groups want polar bears listed as a "threatened" species under the Endangered Species Act. Critics of the proposal, such as Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., say declaring polar bears as threatened is just a Trojan horse for global warming legislation.

The Department of the Interior, meanwhile, is under fire for taking three years to come to a decision on the issue.

Polar bears depend on sea ice, which has been receding, scientists report. Scientists ...

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