With the federal government's decision on whether to list the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act expected at any moment, it seems appropriate to step back and assess what the larger consequences of a listing would be for the American people.

Most folks are at least vaguely in favor of protecting the polar bear.

They're willing to sacrifice, through increased regulation and taxes, to bring about that goal. But the public's eagerness to chip in isn't without limit, and few people realize the far-reaching ramifications of a polar bear listing.

The principal basis advanced for protecting the polar bear is that its ice habitat is melting away due to increases in global temperatures.

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