Hey, fun fact time!   Your fun fact of the day comes courtesy of the federal government, who tells you that the Endangered Species Act isn’t really about protecting endangered species!   Who knew?  The News & Observer has the story, and I may rely heavily on quoting them so this whole post doesn’t slide into deep, deep cynicism.

New legal memos by top Bush administration officials say that the Endangered Species Act can’t be used to protect animals and their habitats from climate change by regulating specific sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the cause of global warming.

So, okay…why is this?  Well, the reasoning is quite simple.   Because greenhouse gasses aren’t really hurting anyone.   Again, I will cede to the article:

One of the memos, from the Interior Department’s top lawyer, concluded that emissions of greenhouse gases from any proposed project can’t be proved to have an impact on species or habitat, so it isn’t necessary for federal agencies to consult with government wildlife experts about the impact of such gases on species as stipulated under the Endangered Species Act.

So, there you have it. I really try to write with an even hand when I post on this site (I’ll let you be the judge of how well I do with that), so I’m going to put away my soapbox, take some deep breaths, and just tell you to takepart and contact your representatives in Washington to tell them what you think about this decision.   And don’t forget the right way to contact your rep!