With the fall season in full swing, amidst a collage of vibrant orange, red and yellow hues, President Bush has begun to think green. While Sens. Obama and McCain prepared for the cold battle on Election Day, the current president began a push to enact new environmental policy changes before he leaves office. Among the proposed changes are getting wolves off the endangered species list, allowing power plants to operate near national parks, loosening up regulations for factory farm waste, and facilitating mountaintop coal-mining operations. But if you’re scratching your head reading this thinking, “These ideas don’t seem like they’re all that groundbreaking or environmentally sound,” rest assured, you are not alone.
Though he was undoubtedly trying to do something to soften up his image on the environment before leaving office, he has failed to address issues that get at the heart of the matter. Specifically, the one change that most environmental advocates believe would be most effective — a mandatory program to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions — was not mentioned, causing some people to reflect back on the Bush of yore who refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol and wonder just how much, if at all, he has changed since those days.
For starters, with the exception of raising the quality of life for American wolves — which, if you think about it, is a startling metaphor for the way President Bush has run the country thus far, handing out government contracts to dubious contractors such as Halliburton and turning a blind eye to corruption in many instances — all of these proposed “changes” chiefly benefit the leaders of industry. Allow us to suggest that these policy proposals are nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They may be masquerading as progressive environmental policy, but they will only erode the protections for endangered species in favor of industrial interests. Think about it, how could loosening regulations on factory farm waste — which is already wreaking havoc on water supplies near these farms —going to have any positive impact on the environment.
Every president is guilty of some transgression late in their career — remember Clinton and all those presidential pardons back in the good ole’ days? But Bush, who has been largely absent from the public view these last two months, should certainly have tried to dig a little deeper before pulling this one on the American public. It shows how out of touch he has been with the average citizen. He’s become complacent with the fact that he will in all likelihood be retiring from politics after January, and he’s throwing a bone to some supporters while grinning through his teeth about how it’s all for the good of the environment. Oh well. Good-bye, George, we’ve expected as much from you: Just try not to trip over the stoop on your way out of the White House.
Bush’s ‘green’ thinking
Published: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Updated: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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