Hybridization

Are hybrids bad? No, I'm not asking about the Prius or the Honda Civic. I was reading an issue of Nature from December (only 6 months old!) and there was an article about hybridization in Arctic species. Apparently there have been some polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids spotted, as well as a seal hybrids and whale hybrids. The authors were concerned that as climate change causes more Arctic ice to melt, species from the north Atlantic and north Pacific will come into contact more often and create more hybrids. Hybrids can threaten the genetic integrity of species and are worrisome when rare species get involved; a lot of hybridization can lead to the loss of a very rare species. However, what if hybridization is the only way for that species to deal with climate change? I don't have any concrete examples of a hybrid that is better adapted to climate change, but I can imagine that it could exist. I know it is troubling to think that human-induced climate change could cause the complete loss of certain species, such as polar bears. But I'm not sure that limiting hybridization or culling hybrids is the right answer. After all, we're not forcing the animals to mate. If they mate and reproduce, then let nature take its course. Hybridization can be important for making new species, and humans even find some hybrids useful. A lot of people depend on mules, after all!