The United States government on Wednesday designated "critical habitat" for polar bears.

( Ganuk, the polar bear cub, at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec )

The US government on Wednesday designated "critical habitat" for polar bears who live on Alaska's disappearing sea ice, a move that could impact new oil and gas drilling projects in the Arctic. US environmental advocates earlier this month warned that polar bear habitats could be disrupted if oil companies eager to exploit the Arctic for fuel were to experience an accidental spill like the BP gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.