
Bush vows to stop emissions growth by 2025
President George W. Bush has announced a goal of stopping the growth of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.by 2025 but made no mention of any specifics on reaching that promise. Stating the U.S. was in fact serious about environmental awareness, Bush was quick to reiterate that any new legislation to help the goal shouldn't negatively affect American industry.
Environmentalists were quick to slam the move as a shallow and undeveloped plan - and you can see their point. After dismissing the Kyoto protocol almost seven years ago, Bush's new plan outlines no strategies or methods of achieving the goal. While nations that signed the Kyoto protocol are moving onto new and more effective frameworks as part of a 2012 update, the U.S. will still be 13 years away from achieving any semblance of the same environmental success, reports the
Associated Press.
The plan would also allow the U.S. to continue to increase emissions until the 2025 cutoff date while many other countries have already starting reduced their own levels.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has praised the new mandate but others have been critical including presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both
Clinton and
Obama have promised to bring environmental issues to the fore, as well as subsidize the U.S. auto-industry in this period of transition. George Bush has previously opposed any government bailout of the Detroit 3 but if the economy is to be rescued while reducing emissions this may be the only solution.
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!
By chris Posted: 4/17/2008 9:11am PDT
By bambam Posted: 4/17/2008 9:14am PDT
first over the line by then.
By zack Posted: 4/17/2008 9:19am PDT
By chris Posted: 4/17/2008 10:52am PDT
the bigger they are, the harder they fall. think what you will about unions, the big three, their products, their technology, reliability, value, or what not. but realize that detroit for one would become a ghost town or a video game inspired crime haven if the big 3 were left to their devices.
GM is the only company turning a profit, and their investing that profit into a single platform, carte blanche. if the volt busts, the america you know is going to go bubyes. If gas prices continue to rise, I worry that ford won't be able to offer an advanced enough hybrid system on time to keep this rebound going. chrysler, is really teedering right now.
By mr.ed Posted: 4/18/2008 3:59am PDT
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!