"ALL CAPS IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE."

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

GREENIES HIT NEW LOW: CHARGE POLLUTION CAUSES HERMAPHRODITISM IN POLAR BEARS

UK INDEPENDENT:
Wildlife researchers have found new evidence that Arctic polar bears, already gravely threatened by the melting of their habitat because of global warming, are being poisoned by chemical compounds commonly used in Europe and North America to reduce the flammability of household furnishings like sofas, clothing and carpets. ... Studies are still being carried out on what impact the chemicals might be having on the bears, but tests on laboratory animals such as mice indicate that their effects can be considerable, attacking the sex and thyroid glands, motor skills and brain function.

There is also evidence that compounds similar to the PBDEs have contributed to a surprisingly high rate of hermaphroditism in polar bears. About one in 50 female bears on Svalbard has both male and female sex organs, a phenomenon scientists link directly to the effects of pollution.
WHAT'S NEXT, CHARGING THAT POLLUTION CAUSES ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION IN PENGUINS!? Sheesh.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I was up in the Arctic all alone I'd want to be a hermaphrodite!

Pastorius said...

But, I thought we're supposed to be tolerant of hermaphrodites.

:)