Bush's Greenhouse Gas Directive: Complete Crap

George Bush has universally opposed measures that would reduce CO2 emissions. His problem with such measures is simple: In order to reduce CO2, you must reduce fossil fuel consumption. But reducing fossil fuel consumption would, it seems, inherently reduce oil company profits, and that of course, simply won’t do.

But this week, Bush issued a directive instructing the EPA to draft rules that would reduce CO2 emissions. The EPA rules must be completed by the end of 2008, weeks before Bush leaves office.

Interesting. Has Bush seen the light? Become a new man? Decided to stand up to the Oil companies once and for all? Or has he simply admitted defeat?

None of the above, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Recently, the Bush administration argued before the Supreme Court, that the EPA did not have the authority to regulate CO2. Simultaneously, the EPA said that even if they did have that authority, they would not seek to exercise it. The Court found that the EPA must regulate CO2 if it is determined to be a threat to public health. (If it strikes you as bizarre that the administration was arguing that the EPA can not, and should not, address this environmental threat to public health, Congratulations on being at least half-conscious)

Thus, Bush’s greenhouse gas directive was a legal imperative. He had no choice. Unfortunately, the court failed to direct the President to abstain from grand-standing; taking full credit for being a forward thinking visionary who’s fulfilling his commitment to public health and the environment by doing what had to be done, my fellow Americans!

While the Supreme Court’s ruling is encouraging, the thing to remember is that the EPA (Bush’s EPA, mind you) has been directed to come up with a plan only. This is a plan of the Environmental Protection Agency. This is only a plan. If this had been a real action by the Bush Administration, you would have been directed to the nearest medical facility for pulmonary resuscitation.

There is nothing to see here. Please move along.

The EPA will not come up with a plan. They will come up with a ball of shit. Weeks thereafter, Bush will be out of office, and it will be the job of a new president to come up with, God help us, a meaningful course of action, and Bush’s stall tactic will have worked.

The Democrats are introducing several bills to expedite rules on CO2 emissions.