Gina-Marie CheesemanPresident Bush’s Speech at the UN Climate Summit: A lot of hot air
September 30th 2007 07:48
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“Last year America grew our economy while also reducing greenhouse gases,” President George W. Bush said during his speech at the UN Climate Summit on September 28. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) released a report February 2007 which indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions actually increased. The U.S. is five percent of the world’s population, but in 2005 was responsible for 22 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, according to the report. Bush did not mention that fact.
“Our understanding of climate change has come a long way,” Bush said in his Climate Summit speech. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2001 report stated that “human activities have increased the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols since the pre-industrial era.”
Bush also cited the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which, in his words, “concluded that global temperatures are rising and that this is caused largely by human activities.” The IPCC’s 2001 report reached the same conclusion, but in 2001 Bush said, “We do not know how much effect natural fluctuations in climate may have had on warming.”
Bush cited developing and using clean energies as a way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. The first two ‘clean’ energies he mentioned were nuclear energy and coal. He referred to nuclear energy as “clean safe nuclear power.” There are three problems with nuclear energy. First, during the process of uranium enrichment carbon dioxide is released. Secondly, uranium and plutonium waste that remain hazardous for thousands of years must be disposed. No one wants nuclear waste dumped in their proverbial backyard. Lastly, the world’s supplies of uranium are limited.
Bush discussed “clean coal technology,” and stated that the “world’s supply of coal is secure and abundant.” To make coal clean 90 percent of its emissions are captured and stored underground. However, as energy specialist Neil Crumpton points out, “This still needs demonstrating at large scale.” Coal is abundant in the U.S., with coal reserves in 38 of 50 states, according to the Department of Energy. Oil was also once abundant in the U.S.
Bush declared at the Climate Summit that his administration has “asked Congress to set a new mandatory fuel standard” which would require 35 billion gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels to be developed by 2017. The Bush administration has also asked that fuel economy standards for cars be reformed “the same way we did for light trucks.” The two measures, Bush said, would reduce “America’s consumption of gasoline by 20 percent in 10 years.” The 20 percent reduction is actually a cut “relative to a projection of future gasoline usage in 2017,” according to Forbes.
“Our understanding of climate change has come a long way,” Bush said in his Climate Summit speech. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2001 report stated that “human activities have increased the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols since the pre-industrial era.”
Bush also cited the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which, in his words, “concluded that global temperatures are rising and that this is caused largely by human activities.” The IPCC’s 2001 report reached the same conclusion, but in 2001 Bush said, “We do not know how much effect natural fluctuations in climate may have had on warming.”
Bush cited developing and using clean energies as a way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. The first two ‘clean’ energies he mentioned were nuclear energy and coal. He referred to nuclear energy as “clean safe nuclear power.” There are three problems with nuclear energy. First, during the process of uranium enrichment carbon dioxide is released. Secondly, uranium and plutonium waste that remain hazardous for thousands of years must be disposed. No one wants nuclear waste dumped in their proverbial backyard. Lastly, the world’s supplies of uranium are limited.
Bush discussed “clean coal technology,” and stated that the “world’s supply of coal is secure and abundant.” To make coal clean 90 percent of its emissions are captured and stored underground. However, as energy specialist Neil Crumpton points out, “This still needs demonstrating at large scale.” Coal is abundant in the U.S., with coal reserves in 38 of 50 states, according to the Department of Energy. Oil was also once abundant in the U.S.
Bush declared at the Climate Summit that his administration has “asked Congress to set a new mandatory fuel standard” which would require 35 billion gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels to be developed by 2017. The Bush administration has also asked that fuel economy standards for cars be reformed “the same way we did for light trucks.” The two measures, Bush said, would reduce “America’s consumption of gasoline by 20 percent in 10 years.” The 20 percent reduction is actually a cut “relative to a projection of future gasoline usage in 2017,” according to Forbes.
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