Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Climate Change
President Bush proposed a new target Wednesday for stopping the growth of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. The president also called for putting the brakes on greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants within 10 to 15 years. Bush's goal is to reduce emission levels in the power sector well below where they were projected to be when he first announced his climate strategy in 2002. Also, the president the president remains opposed to a Senate bill that would require mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions, calling that proposal unrealistic and economically harmful. However, maybe mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions would be more beneficial than Bush's proposal. Why is Bush's new target the year 2025 for stopping greenhouse emissions? Can't he propose a new plan that can take affect in a couple years? And do you think we will ever solve the problem of global warming?
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9 comments:
I feel as though he's trying to make up for pulling us out of the Kyoto Protocol. Also, making the goal 2025 will put less responsibility on his part and more for the following president. I feel as though he's slacking a bit now since it's close to the end of his presidency...
A proposal like "stopping the spread of greenhouse gases" is a plan that cannot be accomplished in a short amount of time. Environmentally speaking this plan is not feasable in a short amount of time. I think the presidents time frame is realistic. In answer to Bryan's question about a plan that would work faster; a plan as dramatic as the one the president is proposing cannot be done in a shorter time period. there are actions the government can take to augment the process and environmental recovery.
It is about time for Bush to make substantial environmental plans. Throughout his presideny he was not know as a pro-environmental leader but i think he has realized that society sees the importance of preserving the world around us and he has finally jumped on the bandwagon.
I agree with Kelsey, it takes awhile for a plan to take effect. However, I don't think he should be opposing the mandatory caps. Our environment is in need of drastic measures to undo or at least stop the damage. I find it really annoying that it took the government so long to recognize this problem. By the time their plans take effect it'll probably be too late.
Well, it is global warming, so it's not like us changing will stop it completely or anything, but we are probably one of the biggest problems with global warming. It definitely will have to be some long term plan for the future, but something like a mandatory cap on emissions seems like it would help. The problem is that Bush created this proposal so late into his 2nd term, meaning that he really won't have to worry about it, the next few presidents will.
I think the main problem is the fact that the Bush administration has not even considered doing anything about global warming for the last seven years. Now, like people have said, with nine months left in his term he decides to address this very important issue. Many Democrats criticize Bush for being "too little, too late" with his plan. Although I do agree that it will take time to combat this environmental problem, we need to start working on it now.
Hopefully restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions will go over better than the restrictions currently put on Chinese citizens. Because of the high usage of cars in China the Chinese government has tried to restrict people from only driving on certain days. This, however, has been impossible to enforce. I hope that the same fate won't befall the U.S.
I am frankly quite surprised that he is doing anything at all for the environment. I agree with Gen in that it seems like he's just trying to go out of office looking good, but putting a lot of responsibility on the next president to carry out his difficult plan.
It really doesn't matter what Bush proposes because first, he'll be out of the job in less than a year. Also, I don't think a lot of people, including environmental and economic experts, would take any advice from Bush. He proposes these dates to end emissions, but he also said that our troops would be out of Iraq by now. Bush isn't credible. Bush chose a 2025 target because it allows the U.S. enough time to research and invent new technology while Americans also get accustomed to a new lifestyle. The problem with discussions about greenhouse gas emissions is that everyone thinks that mandatory caps are economically harmful. But the fact of the matter is that the U.S. and other countries are going to have to make economic sacrifices sooner or later to stop or even slow down global warming. Science says that just reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn't good enough. We need to have mandatory caps, and our economy is going to have to take a big hit for it if we ever actuall want to solve the problem of global warming.
I'm surprised Bush is suddenly trying to care about the environment. I think he knows he has received a lot of criticism and disapproval regarding his decision to not join the Kyoto Protocol and now he's trying to make up for it in a time when he wont have to be responsible for carrying out the plan, and the plan itself might not even pass Congress. Or, maybe he is trying to make Republicans seem more eco-friendly to help McCain in the upcoming elections.
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