Bush Gets Schooled by the Senate On Environmental Policy
The Senate met today to review Bush’s environmental record. It was sparked by the EPA’s denial of a California waiver to regulate automotive greenhouse gases.
The committee entitled, “Bush Administration Environmental Record at Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency,” met today. Senator Barbara Boxer called the hearing to explore how the administration has held up with respect to environmental integrity. A driving force behind the committee was the denial of California’s petition to curb greenhouse emissions by allowing the state to regulate vehicular fuel efficiency. The hearing was also looking into a proposal to loosen rules protecting endangered species. You can watch a full video of the hearing here.
Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, wasn’t too happy when two high-level officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior failed to show up for the hearing.
“They’re cowardly and they have been a danger to the people of this country,” Boxer said.
Below is just a taste of what Bush and Co have been up to since taking office.
A History of Bush’s Environmental Record
- Proposed drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - October 2000, this was a campaign trail proposition!
- Blocks safeguards on arsenic in drinking water, sulfur in diesel, and releases of raw sewage - January 2001, Inauguration Day
- Bush repudiates the Kyoto Protocol - March, 2001
- 178 Countries agree to Kyoto, Bush does not - June 2001
- Bush kills more of Clinton’s safeguards on drinking water - July 2001
- Bush cuts funds for renewables - February 2002
- Introduces “Clear Skies” initiative which allows for more air pollution - February 2002
- Bush denies EPA findings on Global Warming - June 2002
- Proposes removing wetland protections - January 2003
- EPA silences effects of global warming in environmental report - June 2003
- Creates “Healthy Forrest” initiative which allows more logging - December 2003
- Bush delays mercury reduction for 18 years - January 2004
- NASA scientists censored by Administration on global warming effects - October 2004
- Promises more funding for renewables in State of the Union, breaks the promise five days later - February 2005
- Bush supports House bill allowing more smog - October 2005
- Wants to lower the price of gas at the expense of air quality - April 2006
- Cuts funds for wind and geothermal energy - February 2007
- Bush blocks G8 plans to reduce global warming pollution - June 2007
- Bush opposes incentives for renewables - February 2008
- Bush censors reports on climate change, again - April 2008
Oh, and that image was specifically chosen for the “Dance of the Dwarfs” title. Made me think of our little “Decider.”
Image source: umjanedoan on Flickr
The last time this President stood before us and threatened our security with other peoples weapons (Iraq) if we didn’t do as he said, we were blackmailed into war, millions of people were murdered in our name, and the “Weapons of mass Destruction” were never found! This time he stands shoulder to shoulder with his cronies, demanding money or face consequences like financial destruction. I say impeach the bastard and investigate his cronies and put the uber-rich gangsters in jail where they belong. Everything was working well the day before their extortion attempt, and nothing will change the day after it! The idiots that got themselves in a jamb, if it really exists, will lose their jobs for it just like the rest of us. . . Would somebody please give bush a blow-job so we can impeach him before the environment is gone too!
“…if we didn’t do as he said, we were blackmailed into war…”
Hey, Uncle B—The same thing is happening with regard to global warming. We’re being blackmailed into swallowing the GW mantra, despite the fact that:
1. The GW hypothesis cannot be proven (and may never be proven).
2. GW science relies on computer models which, despite their incredible complexity, lack sufficient programming prowess and reliable data inputs, to enable scientists to draw solid conclusions (all we get are whimpy pronouncements such as “may, might, possibly, could, perhaps,likely, very likely, etc.).
3. The GW cure puts more struggling human lives at potential risk in third world counties than the thriving Polar bear populations in the Arctic Circle.
Your crude manner is not becoming to you, and it undermines any chance that your message will be given a second thought. Give some thought to cleaning up your act.
Well, I am going to respectfully disagree with Uncle B here. First off,As for your last comment Uncle B, tasteless, to say the least. If that were the case, then how come Clintons amoral self was not impeached?
If we wanna talk impeachment, we should have impeached Clinton for lying on the stand. Never mind the fact he was a power hungry man ruled by his penis to push his power. Needless to say, he was not the first, nor shall he be the last non-moral president.
Unfortunately, Bush was stuck with the mess that Clinton SHOULD have taken care of. I dont blame Bush for this mess, I blame US, as a nation of ppl. No one put guns to our heads and told us to get ARM’s that we knew full well we would not be able to afford when they came due. Thats our ignorance as a nation. We cant blame the current admin for this. I just want to point out to those who blame Bush, he did not have to give us a nice little tax incentive by July of this year. Did you spend it? Did you ENJOY the extra dough? If so…..then you need to re`think your position, otherwise, you are a hypcocritcal fool!
As for the WMD issue, what makes anyone with any intelligence think this horrible MAN, Rot in peace Saddam, could not hide those weapons? I mean, after all, we gave them plenty of time to hide them. I mean hell…..we TOLD them to get rid of them and gave them PLENTY of time to do so. Clinton SHOULD have had the balls to take care of this. Bush is just the man getting stuck sweeping up the crumbs.
This whole shitty mess could have happened to Clinton, and would you be saying the same thing? Doubt it, cause he was of your party, right?
Dont hate ppl for being rich. You can be anything YOU want to be if you so desire. Those who protest too much, really want what someone else has.
To the author, I agree with you. Being a native american myself, there is alot more we can do. But, at what expense? Its our expense. If we want better cars, we MUST pay for them. If we want better fuels…we MUST pay for them. It all comes at the cost of the consumer. How about the fact that producing those “green cars” pollutes the air just as much,as producing any other “gas” car?
Or, how about those pushing for hydrogen fuel cell cars?
Energy is required to produce hydrogen, and that energy, depending on its source, can create greenhouse gases.
So what the hell do we do? And if we come up with a more viable alternative, how much will it cost the AVERAGE american, of which I am? We most certainly will NOT be able to afford it! Thats the whole problem here. To be Green, we have to pay up the ass for it!
I would appreciate a world in which we could cut the petro need in half, and make up the rest in the Green department. This would make a huge impact in my humble opinion. And make MOST ppl happy. I dont blame the melting of the polar ice caps on greenhouse gases, I blame that on the evolution of the world. Its changing all the time. I dont think we can do anything to change the TIMING of the world. Its gonna do what the hell it wants to do, no matter how GREEN we go.
Do I want a more green world? Hell….YA I do.
I am just as granola as the rest of the world….but I also think we can come to logical compromise, and not step on everyone elses beliefs in the process.
Compromise? Do we as human beings of this great planet called EARTH, know how to do that?
Thats hard to say, since we are so self absorbed, we dont care about anyone else BUT ourselves.
That IS the problem here!.
NO ONE wants to compromise!
Thanks for allowing me to vent my opinion.
Peace out…..From:
One granola crunchy Native American MOM!
[...] the environmental actions and record of the Bush Administration were hammered last week in the Senate, we can only wonder if Bush’s speaking appearance at the opening of [...]