In about turn, Bush signs climate change bill
Pastor Dale Morgan
In about turn, Bush signs climate change bill*
· Energy law sets efficiency levels for cars and homes
· Environmentalists say measures are too limited
Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Thursday December 20, 2007
The Guardian
President George Bush, after years of holding out against proposals to
combat climate change, yesterday signed into law an energy bill
establishing higher fuel-economy standards for new cars and other
conservation measures.
Bush described the bill as "a major step toward energy independence and
easing global warming". The White House claimed it went part of the way
to fulfilling promises made at the environmental conference in Bali last
week.
The legislation, though limited in scope, represents the biggest fuel
efficiency push by the US since the 1970s oil crisis.
The new law also contains provisions to increase the use of ethanol as
an alternative to petrol.
Other measures in the legislation include a statutory target of a 70%
increase in use of energy efficient lightbulbs and improved energy
efficiency targets for fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Federal
buildings will also have to become more energy efficient.
The reaction of environmentalists was mixed: grateful that the White
House has belatedly adopted some of the policies they have been
advocating but warning that the measures were too limited and not due to
be implemented for years.
Throughout most of his presidency, Bush has disputed scientific evidence
about global warming, refusing to sign up for the Kyoto treaty setting
targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Over the last year, he has
publicly softened his stance, acknowledging there is a crisis, though
administration officials say that in private he continues to be sceptical.
The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday by 314 to
100, with 95 Republicans supporting the Democrats. The Senate approved
it last week by 86-8.
The bill was sent to the White House in a hybrid car, using a mixture of
electricity and petrol.
As well as the Democratic-led Congress pushing proposals to tackle
global warming, individual states, with California in the vanguard, have
been putting in place energy-saving measures at variance with the Bush
administration's position.
The new legislation requires cars and light trucks to increase fuel
efficiency by 40%, setting a standard of an average of 35 miles a gallon
by 2020, as opposed to 25 miles at present. Bush had previously opposed
regulations on petrol use.
The Democrats said the legislation will reduce US demand for oil by 4m
barrels a day by 2030, more than twice the present daily imports from
the Gulf. They said the fuel economy requirements will save motorists
$700 to $1,000 a year in costs.
In order to get the bill through, Democrats had to drop from it a $21bn
(£10.5bn) tax package that would have reduced breaks for the biggest oil
and gas companies and extended breaks for wind and solar projects. Bush
threatened to veto any bill containing these measures.
While championing the domestic industry, Bush has acknowledged
throughout the year that the US has to reduce its dependence on oil
imports. The legislation addresses "our vulnerabilities and dependency
on foreign oil by reducing demand for gasoline and diversifying the
nation's fuel supply," he said.
He regards a switch of cars from petrol to ethanol as a way to help
achieve this.
But environmentalists question its value, arguing that the increased
growth of corn for ethanol has resulted in higher use of fertilisers,
which has contributed to the poisoning of rivers.
The new legislation envisages a six-fold increase in ethanol production
to 36bn gallons a year by 2022. Of that, 21bn gallons has to be from
alternatives to corn, such as prairie grasses or wood chips.
In a separate development, Democrats decided not to carry out their
threat to withhold military spending until Bush agreed to a resolution
that would see US troops out of Iraq by the end of next year.
Anxious to complete business before Christmas and to avoid accusations
of short-changing troops, the Democrats signalled they are to approve
the $70bn for US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Financial support for the wars has been bundled into a $555bn "omnibus"
appropriations bill that primarily provides for domestic spending.