President George W. Bush Drives Bandwagon to Cull Gas Use

President Bush appears to be on the bandwagon for conservation reports Marketplace. The reaction is not surprising, following in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision saying that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can regulate greenhouse gases. Bush has directed the secretaries of Transportation, Agriculture, and as well as the newly-empowered EPA to create a plan to encourage the use of alternative fuels that would cut pollution by the end of 2008. He has also asked the members of his cabinet to come up with ways to cut gas consumption in the United States by 20 percent within 10 years.

Some environmentalists are skeptical. They believe that the Bush Administration is actually delaying a remedy to the global warming issue. One environmentalist, Darren Lovaas of the Natural Resources Defense Council, pointed out that the Congress is already considering legislation that would encourage the manufacturing of more efficient cars and alternative fuels. And the states have already been pushing for permission from the federal government to regulate more on air pollution. (Basically, Bush's pronouncements already back up the status quo.)

Our take? We're with the environmentalists on this one. It's the results that we want to know more about, Mr. President, not a reiteration of the same plan.

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