Bush won’t clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions

U.S. president George W. Bush outlined a plan last week to slow the growth of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, emitted by power plants and automobiles.

The plan rejects the mandatory cuts demanded by the 1997 Kyoto treaty, which sets a target for the U.S. to reduce emissions by about seven per cent — below 1990 levels — within 10 years.

Bush says the Kyoto treaty would cost $400 billion to the U.S. economy and 4.9 million jobs. It would enforce arbitrary, impractical and unrealistic targets and exempt developing countries such as China and India, which he said “already account for a majority of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

“I will not commit our nation to an unsound international treaty that will throw millions of our citizens out of work,” Bush said.

But many panned his proposal as insufficient to stop global warming. Industry officials said mandatory regulations are inevitable and that it would be better to start them sooner rather than later.

Bush’s plan would set goals for reductions and give firms incentives to meet them. It would cut emissions of three of the worst air pollutants, but not carbon dioxide, by setting limits, assigning permits for each ton of pollution and allowing firms to trade permits.

The three pollutants are sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, nitrogen oxide, which contributes to urban smog, and mercury.

David Anderson, Canada’s environment minister, said he was disappointed with the U.S. approach. But Ottawa has not yet committed to ratifying the deal.

Anderson said the provinces, public and industry should be consulted first. Nine of 10 provincial premiers have already publicly questioned the idea of ratification.