Bush holds the line on Kyoto as debate grows in US public

[paineinthearse]

Police look at a defaced poster of U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites), while environmental activists protest against Essso's alleged lobbying of the U.S. President to refuse to abide by the Kyoto Protocol (news - web sites). With the pact on climate change set to take effect, the Bush administration still rejects it as too costly for the US economy and based on questionable scientific hypotheses(AFP/File/Gerry Penny)

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Bush holds the line on Kyoto as debate grows in US public

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/unclimatekyotous

14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - With the Kyoto Protocol (news - web sites) on climate change set to take effect, President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s administration still rejects it as too costly for the US economy and based on questionable scientific hypotheses. But criticism of the White House stance is growing, even from the ranks of the Republican majority in Congress, and in a handful of states where critics say US environmental policies are too often shaped by economic concerns.

"There is no serious initiative that the administration has proposed that will come anywhere close to dealing with the soaring US emissions," said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an influential professional association. In his view, the voluntary programs for reduction of emissions set forth by Bush in 2002 are toothless. But Bush continues to oppose caps on carbon dioxide emissions, largely deemed responsible for the greenhouse effect and global warming.

The United States initially signed up to Kyoto's framework but in one of his first acts after taking office, Bush abandoned the accord in March 2001 on the grounds that it would be too costly for US industry. Congress, where a majority opposed US participation in the treaty, was compliant. A bipartisan Senate resolution, unanimously adopted in 1997, said the president should not even sign an accord that forced the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without developing countries, including China, shouldering the same obligations.

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Thursday, Republican Senator John McCain and Democrat Joe Lieberman presented draft legislation that would establish caps on 80 percent of polluting emissions in the country. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who opposed Kyoto, called in a speech Thursday for new public and private actions including in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

[paineinthearse]

1. please delete

oops....I posted twice (see General)