"A key Democratic congressman accused ExxonMobil last week of pushing junk science intended to fool the public into believing Alaskan polar bears are not in danger. The U.S. Geological Survey recently concluded that climate change and other factors would reduce the global polar bear population by two thirds by 2050, and wipe out the Alaskan polar bear population entirely. Newer research has indicated that could happen even more quickly. But a new scientific paper, funded in part by ExxonMobil, called some of that research into question [...]. Environmentalists have for years pushed the federal government to categorize the animal as "threatened," which would afford it increased environmental protections. That could complicate petroleum companies' efforts to develop oil and gas operations in Alaska [...]."