The Harry Potter Alliance

By Andrew Slack

April 30, 2008

Iorek Byrnison Would Support Polar Bears

I think if Iorek Byrnison from The Golden Compass, ever met our beloved Rebeus Hagrid, they would make terrific friends. How could Hagrid not like a giant, loyal,and ferocious beast like Iorek? And how could Hagrid not have been outraged when Iorek and his kingdom of armored bears were forced from their home due to melting ice in the Arctic?

Now fast forward over to our world. We also have enormous bears living in the Arctic. And they are losing their homes and drowning due to ice melting in our Arctic as well.

Our “scholars” have determined that the source of the melting that could be taking polar bears off the map is not coming because someone named Lord Asriel has blown apart the barriers between dimensions. It’s coming because we are putting so many carbon emissions into the air that the sun’s rays are getting trapped and the entire planet is experiencing a global warming. Polar bears are amongst the first victims (though arguably humans have already paid a heavy toll for this warming in Indonesia, New Orleans, and across Northern Africa). In the end, Global Warming if left unchecked seems likely to cause the deaths of millions of human beings, the destruction of countless cities, and the dramatic beginning of an entirely different state of living on Earth for all creatures. Pretty darn frightening and yet the US government has lifted about as much of a finger as Cornelius Fudge in the wake of Voldemort’s return — treating Global Warming as That-Horrific-Thing-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Taken-Seriously-In-Policy-Decisions

But now things are changing in an unexpected way and it’s thanks to the polar bear.

A US Court has ruled that the US government needs to actually do something about the polar bear NOW.

Here’s what this may likely mean:

The US government may have to officially classify the polar bear as an endangered species and as a result, may have to prevent any drilling in Alaska and even more important cut down on all carbon emissions. This would be a huge step in the battle to protect our planet and it’s because of the Endangered Species Act.

It turns out that by making the polar bear an endangered species we may actually be saving human beings before we become an endangered species. Oh irony of ironies! In working to save the polar bear, we may be inadvertently saving ourselves.

I believe that Iorek and Hagrid would be pleased with this news. And perhpas somewhere out there, an old Wizard with twinkling eyes and a long crooked nose is smiling. There is still hope!