While people are lining up to see animated penguins with “happy feet,” environmental groups are predicting some breeds of the bird will go extinct because of global warming. Lester Graham reports:
Transcript
While people are lining up to see animated penguins with “happy feet,” environmental groups are predicting some breeds of the bird will go extinct because of global warming. Lester Graham reports:
Penguins are popular these days. Last year people flocked to the theatre to see the documentary March of the Penguins. This year they’re laughing at penguins in the animated movie Happy Feet.
But the Center for Biological Diversity says the penguins are in serious danger. It’s calling for protections for the birds.
Kassie Siegel is Director of the Center’s Climate, Air and Energy Program. The group is petitioning the government to protect 12 breeds of penguins under the Endangered Species Act.
“And we believe if and when penguins are listed, just like polar bears that we’ve also petitioned for, that entities that are responsible for major sources of greenhouse gas emissions would have additional regulation to consider the impact of those emissions on listed species.”
Siegel says some of these penguins will go extinct in coming decades unless greenhouse gas pollution is brought under control within the next ten years.
For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.
