In a stunningly underwhelming bit of news Bush, it seems, wants to green wash his legacy a bit by pretending to care about global warming. In a strange case of reality imitating art Bush announced in the rose garden today that he would be working on regulating co2 emissions by the end of 2008.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA must take action under the Clean Air Act regarding greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. So today, I’m directing the EPA and the Department of Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture to take the first steps toward regulations that would cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, using my 20-in-10 plan as a starting point.
Bush implies that he wouldn’t be doing anything about this problem if not ordered by the court, he then moves on to the backpedal. Its a subtle double speak (by Bush standards) but double speak none the less.
For one the 20-in-10 plan is pretty damn weak, reduce gas use by 20% in 10 years. You could reduce gasoline use by 10% a year if you just made it illegal to buy gas cars and instead replaced them with diesel. That still won’t do anything about global warming. You might think I am reaching, but like his mission to mars, and every other silly thing he proposed in this state of the union speeches, its all about the big flashy announcement. These plans never come with details. Or worse if they do come with details they are always full of exciting loopholes and tax cuts for oil companies. They never seem to be what the country really needs, a leader with a vision and a plan.
What follows is the full speech with commentary, enjoy. Want to skip all that and watch the video, click here. (video link in upper right)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Good afternoon. I just finished a meeting with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Secretaries of Transportation and Agriculture, and the Deputy Secretary of Energy. Thank you all for being here.
translation: We talked it over and decided that are approval ratings are low enough now that we can risk pissing off the few people who still don’t think global warming is real because honestly we have nowhere to go but up.
We discussed one of the most serious challenges facing our country: our nation’s addiction to oil and its harmful impact on our environment. The problem is particularly acute in the transportation sector. Oil is the primary component of gasoline and diesel, and cars and trucks that run on these fuels emit air pollution and greenhouse gases.
translation: All you eco-hippies have been screaming about this for decades, but its serious when we talk about it.
Our dependence on oil creates a risk for our economy, because a supply disruption anywhere in the world could drive up American gas prices to even more painful levels. Our dependence on oil creates a threat to America’s national security, because it leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes, and to terrorists who could attack oil infrastructure.
translation: We talk about foreign oil but we really mean Arab nations. We will continue to conflate them with our problem even though we get the majority of our oil from Canada. But don’t think about that, just remember Terrorists! 9/11!
For all these reasons, America has a clear national interest in reducing our dependence on oil. Over the past six years, my administration has provided more than $12 billion for research into alternative sources of energy. I’d like to thank the Congress for its cooperation in appropriating these monies. We now have reached a pivotal moment where advances in technology are creating new ways to improve energy security, strengthen national security, and protect the environment.
translation: We only care about global warming if it has something to do with terrorism. Check it, 12 billion dollars over 6 years sounds like a lot, huh. That’s like 2 billion a year! I like to use big numbers to make it seem like I give a shit. I hope no one figures out that 12 billion is what we spend in a couple months in Iraq. Or that we have one of the worst environmental records of any modern president. But hey like I said before, even though environmentalists have been saying this stuff since the 70’s Its only now that its serious, you know because we say so. Oh yea, national security, 9/11, terrorist.
To help achieve all these priorities, I set an ambitious goal in my State of the Union: to cut America’s gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years. I call this goal 20-in-10, and I have said — sent to Congress a proposal that would meet it in two steps: First, this proposal will set a mandatory fuel standard that requires 35 billion gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels by 2017. That’s nearly five times the current target.
translation: Numbers are fun, for instance 5 times 1 is five, that’s five times more than 1. The current renewable targets are so small that multiplying them by 5 gets you to the “small and weak” end of the scale. As for 35 billion gallons, Americans use about 400 million gallons of gas a day, not to mention he has no plan for how to do this, and this no-details plan is going to take him ten years.
Second, the proposal would continue our efforts to increase fuel efficiency. My administration has twice increased fuel economy standards for light trucks. Together, these reforms would save billions of gallons of fuel and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions without compromising jobs or safety.
translation: Did you see that, twice we increased fuel economy standards for light trucks, TWICE! We also gave tax breaks for anyone who wants to buy a Hummer or other “big ass” truck. They get about 10 miles per gallon. So you know it all evens out. We like to mention the light truck thing, because it keeps you from asking why we didn’t increase fuel standards on all the other kinds of vehicles. And it keeps you from asking why America has lower fuel efficiency standards than almost any European nation, Japan, and China.
My proposal at the State of the Union will further improve standards for light trucks and take a similar approach to automobiles. With good legislation, we could save up to 8.5 billion gallons of gasoline per year by 2017, and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.
translation: In ten years we could reduce our gas use by a paltry 8.5 billion gallons a year (out of the current usage of 146 billion gallons a year). You know lets just forget about electric cars, plug in hybrids, public transportation, that sort of stuff is for communists and foolish eco-terrorists. Also, I have no plan for what to do about our rampant coal burning, one of the largest sources of co2 emissions.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA must take action under the Clean Air Act regarding greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. So today, I’m directing the EPA and the Department of Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture to take the first steps toward regulations that would cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, using my 20-in-10 plan as a starting point.
translation: Last month I got my ass handed to me by a Supreme Court which I thought I had stacked with enough right wingers to overturn every abortion law in the land. Too bad for me they seem to think the worlds science community knows what they are talking about. Now a month later I am springing into action, I came up with this crappy plan. Hope you like it.
Developing these regulations will require coordination across many different areas of expertise. Today, I signed an executive order directing all our agencies represented here today to work together on this proposal. I’ve also asked them to listen to public input, to carefully consider safety, science, and available technologies, and evaluate the benefits and costs before they put forth the new regulation.
translation: The law is tricky, don’t blame me if this never sees the light of day, I proposed this crappy plan, so even if it doesn’t work out you will have to say I tried. Oh yea, if saving the world costs too much, or requires that I tax polluters, or if the plan would hurt the rich in anyway, fuck it.
This is a complicated legal and technical matter, and it’s going to take time to fully resolve. Yet it is important to move forward, so I have directed members of my administration to complete the process by the end of 2008. The steps I announced today are not a substitute for effective legislation. So my — members of my Cabinet, as they begin the process toward new regulations, will work with the White House, to work with Congress, to pass the 20-in-10 bill.
translation: Remember when I said the law was tricky. Well just thought I would remind you that it also takes forever. Don’t expect to see this sort of law come up till at least the last week I am in office. Whatever members of my Cabinet that have not been forced to resign in scandal will have it done by then.
When it comes to energy and the environment, the American people expect common sense, and they expect action. The policies I’ve laid out have got a lot of common sense to them. It makes sense to do what I proposed, and we’re taking action, by taking the first steps toward rules that will make our economy stronger, our environment cleaner, and our nation more secure for generations to come.
translation: Science is stupid. No one wants to hear a bunch of complicated terms and fancy science talk, we want common sense. The kind of sense that says that global warming is a hoax, and that we should ignore it. The American people want that sort of sense. In parting I would like to sneak in one more reference to security, so in closing 9/11, terrorist.
Thank you for your attention.
translation: I hope Karl has a cookie waiting for me, I love cookies.