| April 16, 2008 |  |
Bush Makes Last Desperate Attempt to Derail Progress on Global Warming
Statement by Alden Meyer, strategy and policy director, Union of Concerned Scientists
WASHINGTON (April 16, 2008) — This afternoon, President George W. Bush is expected to announce a new proposal to halt growth in U.S. global warming pollution by 2025. His proposal is inadequate and falls far short of pollution reduction goals in domestic legislation and international treaties, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). This summer, the U.S. Senate is expected to consider a bill that would drastically reduce global warming pollution by 2020. Internationally, other industralized countries have pledged to reduce global warming pollution 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Below is a statement by Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at UCS:
“President Bush has stayed on the sidelines for the last seven years, and now he’s making one last desperate attempt to change the rules of the game. The Senate is poised to vote on legislation requiring a significant economy-wide reduction of U.S. global warming emissions by 2020. Meanwhile, other industrialized countries are moving forward with negotiations over deeper mandatory emissions cuts under the Kyoto Protocol. Instead of working with Congress and the international community, the president is trying to derail their efforts.
“The best science indicates that to avoid the worst consequences of global warming, we need to cut our emissions by at least 80 percent by mid-century. Unless the president is prepared to support binding emissions reductions of 15 to 20 percent by 2020 to get us on that path, he should do us all a favor and step aside.
“Both here at home and around the world, policymakers and the public are already looking beyond the last months of the Bush administration and its record of denial and delay. All the speeches in the world aren’t going to change that reality.”
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
