May 26th, 2008 · The Phoenix Mars Lander has safely landed on the Red Planet. But getting there is only half the battle. The probe landed in Mars' northern polar region, an area believed to hold a reservoir of ice beneath the surface.
May 14th, 2008 · The Bush administration announces on Wednesday that the polar bear will be protected as a threatened species because of the decline in Arctic sea ice from global warming. It's the first time that the Endangered Species Act has been used to protect a species threatened by the impact of climate change.
May 14th, 2008 · Bush administration officials are under a court order to decide by tomorrow whether to add the polar bear to the list of endangered species. The decision will cap a three-year campaign by environmentalists to show that climate change has the potential to imperil wildlife. Critics say any listing is a bad idea.
May 1st, 2008 · By day, Mike Kelley is a professional viola instructor and performer based in a sedate corner of rural New Hampshire. By night, Kelley Polar, electronic dance musician and "cosmic space traveler," is anything but.
Apr 9th, 2008 · California, which has seen a ban on plastic bags, now could ban a balloon. State lawmakers voted unanimously to ban metallic helium balloons, saying they drift into power lines and cause outages. In New York City, where there is neither a bag nor a balloon ban, an art student has taken to crafting animals from plastic bags. He affixes them to subway grates Passing trains inflate the bags, bringing to life a plastic polar bear and a 6-foot giraffe.
Feb 22nd, 2008 · The Oscar nominees reflect the increasing polarization of the movie business. Only one of the Best Picture nominees -- Juno -- did well at the box office. The rest are limping along, begging the question: Will an audience tune in for an Oscars show about movies it hasn't seen?
Feb 12th, 2008 · The federal government is poised to protect the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, but Alaska's government opposes the listing, as do many Native American groups.
Feb 7th, 2008 · Oil companies bid a record $2.6 billion for oil and gas leases for 29 million acres in waters off the northwest coast of Alaska. Those waters are home to the polar bear. The sale has touched off another round of debate about conservation versus exploration.