Are polar bears headed for endangered list?

A federal judge in California has ordered the Bush administration to decide by May 15 whether the polar bear deserves protection under the Endangered Species Act.

If the polar bear is labeled as threatened, it would be the first species to be listed because of the threat of global warming.

As temperatures warm, the Arctic sea ice that supports the polar bear shrinks, leaving the animals to drown as they are forced to swim long distances between the ice, or simply starve to death.

There are groups that say placing the polar bear on the endangered species list will increase oil prices because it will shut down any possibility of further oil exploration in Alaska. Many Native American groups and the Alaskan government oppose the listing.