Same as It Ever Was

Bush's unambitious climate speech bashed by other major economies

Posted at 8:11 AM on 17 Apr 2008

President George W. Bush took his unambitious views and goals on climate and stuck them into one mediocre speech Wednesday. Bush called for U.S. emissions to "slow over the next decade, stop by 2025, and begin to reverse thereafter," an aim far short of what other developed countries are suggesting and what experts think is needed. He relied, as ever, on "accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies." He gave a bear hug to nuclear power and coal. He decried raising taxes. He expressed concern about a patchwork of regulation, without initiating any overarching regulation. If Bush had hopes of convincing other countries that he's working to attack climate change, it was dissuaded at a Paris major economies meeting Thursday, where Germany said the speech was a step backward, South Africa declared the Bush administration "isolated," and an unnamed European official told Reuters, "This is disappointing. But Bush will be leaving office soon. What he says doesn't matter so much any more."

sources: Agence France-Presse, Reuters, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times
see also, in Gristmill: David Roberts on the Bush speech, Various responses to the Bush speech

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Comments: (8 comments)

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Bush Exits Classy

Slow.
Stop.
Reverse.

It's everything we can hope for.

Bush set the stage from Day One for clean air and energy in the 21st Century.

Historians will look back in awe on his foresight and right minded policies.

by jabailo at 9:31 AM on 17 Apr 2008

Bush speech

Historians will indeed look back with awe at the Bush administration, however I doubt it will have anything to do with "foresight and right minded policies". Bush not only had the opportunity to, but promised during his campaign in 2000 to address this early in his administration. He didn't. He lied. Now that he is on his way out and his private little wars haven't gone as planned he needs something positive to hang his hat on. This will not be it. Bush making this speech now is an insult to every rational, thinking American. I would say that this is too little too late but that would also be an insult to everyone reading these comments.

by econpolyeco at 9:56 AM on 17 Apr 2008

Bush exits delusional

After seven years of suppressing environmental solutions he attempts to erase his legacy with a single speech. When future cultures deconstruct the fall of the american empire hopefully they will retain the clip in Farhenheit 9-11 where he sits there like a moron while the WTC towers burn. Said clip should be immediately followed by his guitar playing antics as hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

The man is a bona-fide idiot who can barely put a sentence together and relies on an earpiece to feed him talking points from his aides. He thinks he's somehow "winning" in Iraq even today.

Anybody who believes in George Bush should join the flat earthers, biblical literalists (Adam rode a dinosaur), Elvis cultist and other NASCAR fans in a Texas compound somewhere.

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 10:28 AM on 17 Apr 2008

Bush is not stupid!

He's fleeced you quite nicely as he has served his corporate masters!

by Colin Wright at 10:56 AM on 17 Apr 2008

Environment Or Money?

People have to make a choice, because you can't have both. Any solution to an environmental or ecological problem that prioritizes economic concerns instead of the problem is doomed to fail. Re global warming, emissions should be capped with no exceptions. The economic factors should be dealt with within that framework, not the other way around as not only Bush, but as virtually all politicians are trying to do.

And, BTW, Colin has it (w)right (sorry, I couldn't resist). And never focus on just the president, but focus instead on the entire administration. This one has greatly raised oil prices and secured a major military presence in the Middle East, which were the objectives of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Anyone who thinks people like Bush and Reagan are stupid is a fool. Just because you don't know what the ruling class is doing doesn't mean its members don't know what they're doing.

by Wolverine at 11:36 AM on 17 Apr 2008

Wrong timeframe...

Slow.
Stop.
Reverse.
It's everything we can hope for.

It is everything we can hope for...but in the wrong timeframe.

by Tasermons Partner at 12:14 PM on 17 Apr 2008

What's the Point?

Who does Bush think he's fooling at this point, anyway? The future history books?

Who does he think is actually taking these kinds of speeches seriously and without well-earned cynicism any more?

The guy is an embarrassment to everything the U.S. used to stand for.

by GonzoDon at 9:29 AM on 18 Apr 2008

keep your eye on this date

January 20, 2009. And a new hope begins...

by DannyGirl at 9:47 AM on 22 Apr 2008

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