U.S. Interior Department proposes international ban on the trade in polar bears

Animal rights groups today praised the U.S. Department of the Interior
for submitting a proposal to ban the international trade in polar
bears.

If approved by the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora at its meeting next March
in Qatar, the proposal would make commercial trade in polar bears
illegal. Currently, international commercial trade is regulated.

The ban would not apply to native subsistence hunting of polar bears.

"International trade in polar bear parts and products is exacerbating
the devastating impact that climate change is already having on the
polar bear," said Teresa M. Telecky, director of wildlife for Humane
Society International.

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full story:
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/us_interior_department_propose.html

Human Pollution Causes Cancer in Wildlife

Cancer in wildlife caused by human pollution is on the rise, according ot Newsweek. Our impact on the environment is leading to health problems in wild animals, especially considering much of our trash contains carcinogens. A report titled “Wildlife Cancer: a Conservation Perspective” published in Nature Reviews Cancer found “mounting evidence of human’s contribution to carcinogenesis in wild-animal populations across the globe, thanks to man-made toxins dumped into wildlife’s natural habitats.”

» See also: Do Hot Dogs Cause Cancer? Jersey Residents Demand Warning Labels

Last year, it was discovered that Tasmanian devils may become extinct in 20 years due to an infectious cancer called devil facial tumor disease, but many other species are also experiencing increased rates of cancer. For example, 17 percent of San Francisco’s famous sea lions die from renal failure or paralysis caused by genital carcinoma. A majority of these sea lions’ bodies contained high concentrations of PCBs and DDT. The report’s lead author Denise McAloose warns:

I am concerned that we as humans continue to impact the environment quite significantly,. As the human population continues to grow and utilize resources and damage the environment, I do believe that we will continue to see the emergence of disease, including cancer in wildlife.

If pollutants are causing cancer in wildlife, imagine what it is doing to the human population as well.