Oh the irony. For years President Bush has been intertwined with the oil industry.
For years his Administration has done everything in its power to give the industry tax breaks to bolster its profits. Urged by millions around the world to take the lead on climate change, Bush has instead been as sceptical as the dinosaurs that descended on New York earlier this week (see blog).
Now in the dying days of his Presidency, when he begins his lame-duck waddle into the history books, Bush has actually said something meaningful. Addressing the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, WIREC 2008, Bush said “Let me start first by telling you that America has got to change its habits,” said Bush. “We’ve got to get off oil. And the reason why is, first, oil is – dependency on oil presents a real challenge to our economy.”
“The dependency upon oil also puts us at the mercy of terrorists” he continued: “If there’s tight supply and demand, all it requires is one terrorist disruption of oil and that price goes even higher. That dependency presents a challenge to our national security.”
“And finally, our dependence on fossil fuels like oil presents a challenge to our environment. When we burn fossil fuels we release greenhouse gases. The concentration of greenhouse gases has increased substantially,” said Bush.
That’s all very well George, but whose to blame…. And where is the real action of greenhouse gas reduction?
judging this guy by his foolish words, isnt even half as fun as pointing out his foolish blundering actions.
its a shame though, that we and the rest of the world are negatively impacted by each of his fumbles.
Bush at the WIREC: Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Who’s In the Most Denial of All?
The United States is the only industrialized nation to refuse to sign the Kyoto protocol and has objected to a UN proposal to significantly reduce carbon emissions by the year 2020. The Bush administration has slashed budget funding for renewable energy incentives. And Bush’s 2005 Energy Policy Act gave a total of $4.3 billion in tax incentives to oil companies.
Yet, at the March 5th Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, Bush looked the world in the eye and said with a straight face, “America is in the lead when it comes to energy independence; we’re in the lead when it comes to new technologies; we’re in the lead when it comes to global climate change; and we’ll stay that way.”
The Bush administration has refused to come clean about their unwillingness to address the United States’ contribution to global warming. Instead, they rely on a campaign of propaganda, false “science,” and now, outright lies. They believe that if they repeat something often enough, the public will simply accept it as truth. And they believe that the American people won’t bother to check the facts.
President Bush is undermining our society’s commitment to fighting global warming to the world and making us a laughing stock in the international community. And he has made it clear that he has no intention of addressing this impending crisis.
Progressive Future is working to make the United States a true leader in renewable energy. It’s simply a matter of being a responsible member of the global community. Show the Bush administration and the world our commitment to fighting global warming by signing our Priorities for a Progressive Future.
http://www.progressivefuture.org/join?id4=BL