Hot on the heels of listing America's elkhorn and staghorn corals as "threatened" -- and with news everywhere you look about how global warming is quickly killing the world's coral (and even the fish) -- some unlikely people are beginning to encourage President Bush to step up to the plate and create the World's Largest Marine Sanctuary, something Teddy Roosevelt began in the beginning of the 20th Century. Admittedly, the process has already begun, but Bush could easily fan the flames and accelerate the process.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently sent a letter to Bush, alerting him to the "marvelous opportunity to leave a historic mark on U.S. and world conservation history." Gingrich urged the President to provide permanent protection to the chain of islands, atolls, banks, and surrounding waters that we all know as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In his letter, Gingrich pointed out that:

• the region is home to 10% of the coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction;
• the area constitutes the most remote large-scale coral reef ecosystem on the planet; and,
• it harbors the highest proportion of un-described reef species of any reefs on the planet.

While piecemeal efforts have long been taken to protect the area, Gingrich envisions a "marine equivalent of Yellowstone National Park," fully protected from all "extractive activities, such as commercial fishing, seabed mining, coral removal, and the like." If President Bush followed Gingrich's advice, it would make the region the largest protected area in the world.

Laboring under a dwindling popularity, this might be a good way for Bush to gain polling points with the public. What do you think? Will Bush do it?