Bush quietly changing nation's environmental policies

SJ Mercury News ^ | 1/18/03 | Seth Borenstein

[NormsRevenge]

A buffalo watches snowmobile riders pass by in Yellowstone National Park.

WASHINGTON - Halfway into his four-year term, President Bush has significantly altered the nation's environmental policies, often without attracting much notice.

A handful of his most controversial policies have made headlines, notably his abandonment of an international treaty on global warming, approval of a federal dump for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada and his proposal to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

[NormsRevenge]

LMAO .. ME? Stir things up? ;-o I'm shocked, I tell ya,, I'm shocked! LOL

[sd-joe]

Go George Go.

What is really Wonderful about GWB is that he is effective and gets things done. He does not just talk about them. He is also realistic. When there is no way to do what he really wants, he gets as much as he can, and then comes back later and tries again.

[Grampa Dave]

I never stir things up.

I'm just a warm, nice, old and cuddly Grampa!

[Lizavetta]

But Bush's administration has slipped a number of major policy changes under the public's and the media's radar by quietly issuing executive orders that don't require congressional approval, making announcements late on Fridays, rewriting highly technical environmental regulations and muzzling dissent within the administration.

...all of which Clinton did. His Friday night F***Y**s to the American people were legendary.

• The Bush administration is cleaning up 31 percent fewer Superfund sites per month than the Clinton administration did,

• Rejecting a worldwide treaty to curb global warming and pushing a comprehensive energy plan that stresses reliance on fossil fuels, which cause global warming and air pollution.

• Proposing to weaken the cornerstone air and water pollution laws enacted in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

• Proposing to slash air pollution from power plants by 70 percent and to limit diesel engine emissions.

No liberal bias here.....nothing to see, move on....

According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, the oil and gas industry gave nearly $17 million to Republicans in 2002 and $1.9 million to the Bush campaign. The forestry industry gave $3.2 million to Republicans in 2002 and nearly $300,000 to Bush's campaign.

Bool-sheet. If they were really non-partisan, they'd tell you how much these same groups gave to the Democrats.

Another major change -- an attempt to thin fire-prone forests would weaken the 1969 law that requires the government to file environmental-impact statements before such projects can proceed. That proposal requires congressional approval.

Of course, this article contains no testimony or mention of the areas that WERE NOT thinned and as a result were burned to a crisp. Has everyone forgot those huge forest fires???

Another Clinton rule called for phasing out snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, starting this winter. The Bush administration canceled that rule, proposing instead to allow up to 1,100 snowmobiles a day in both parks combined. On an average day, about 840 snowmobiles total thunder through the parks, and the number reaches 1,650 on busy weekends.

The Bush administration also canceled a Clinton rule preventing companies that cause ``significant irreparable harm'' from mining any more public land.

In addition, Bush's EPA has taken modest steps to reduce soot emissions from diesel engines, which experts say is probably the nation's biggest air-pollution problem.

Drilling.... increased dramatically in 2001 on federal land in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Montana. Oil rigs towered over the outskirts of national parks such as Canyonlands and Arches in Utah.

Other initiatives have made it easier for the mining industry to get minerals from federal lands and for the timber industry to take trees from federal forests.

I thought journalism was supposed to be objective reporting, not using carefully placed emphasis words.

[dixiechick2000]

"Rejecting a worldwide treaty to curb global warming and pushing a comprehensive energy plan that stresses reliance on fossil fuels, which cause global warming and air pollution."

No bias from this writer...

"Anyone, who says there is no difference between GW and the Goron has a very serious problem, and they need professional help!"

Bump! Thanks for the ping, Gramps! President Bush is doing an excellent job!

BTW, all of the babysitting has paid off. Daughter has just been accepted into the Doctorate of Pharmacy School (Pharm-D) at OSU. I guess I'll be babysitting for a while longer.

[Howlin]

Bump!

[Grampa Dave]

Congratulations to your daughter and her proud mother.

That is an incredible degree program for anyone and in particuliar mothers. She can work part time or full time and whenever she wants to work after she gets that degree and is licensed. OSU has had a great pharmacy degree program for a long time.

[Grampa Dave]

Basically every reporter under the age of 50 has been brain washed by the Watermelon greens for decades.

First 99% of reporters are lunatic libs, then if they are life long and card carrying enviral whackos, they will never write an unbiased story to expose the lies, myths and dangers that the Watermelons agendas are.

You did a great job of documenting Seth Borenstein's bias and left wing green bent in his article.

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you! She wants to work in a hospital pharmacy where she can actually work on the floor with patients. She's been volunteering in St. Vincent's pharmacy, and absolutely loves it.

I agree that it is a fantastic degree for mothers.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for the ping! The Stealth President strikes again!

I am bumping this just so the moron types will have to read the title!

[Hila]

GO PRESIDENT BUSH!!! His ideals and decisions are worlds apart from that old soreloser, so glad we have the right President for this eight years.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping for those, what did you call them?

[blackie]

GWB Is The Man!

Be Well - Be Armed - Be Safe - Molon Labe!

[AuntB]

Pres. Bush has done good. It will be to his deteriment by these eco whackjobs, but nevertheless he's stood up to the challenge.

Interesting note about thinning forests, etc. A program on HGTV showed a bunch of burned trees in Montana where they are logging them for use in log homes. The company paid the forest service $425,000. The program stated this will also help hinder all that dead "fuel" to mitigate further catostrophic fires. If I get to it, I'll transcribe it. Every liberal ecofreak should read it. BTW, there are 25,000 log homes being built per year. This could save Oregon's economy if we could get the ONRC to BACK OFF!

[FBD]

"• Loosening environmental restrictions on logging and mining on federal property."

Yeehah!

EARTH FIRST! We'll log the other planets later...

Good Post, thanks!

[FBD]

I love the smell of fresh cut wood in the morning, don't you?

[BOBTHENAILER]

I love the smell of fresh cut wood in the morning, don't you?

(If you don't like logging, then wipe with your bare hand, and go live in a cave with Osama..)

COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

[Grampa Dave]

Of coursem your favorite Watermelon, Andy Kerr and his trained jacka$$es the Oregon Resource Council don't want a single log salvaged from any fire.

Brainstorm had one of their articles discussing how a anti American Club Sierra leader admitted no logs even from dead trees was their goal in Oregon.

I can't find that orginal Brainstorm article that you posted about how Andy Kerr about 5 years ago said that Oregon had too many people living in Oregon. Also, that there were too many jobs available in Oregon. Katznslobber was right there with him and agreed.

If you have a link to that article, please FreepMail sometime. No hurry, I just want to bookmark it.