Bush's Third Climate-Change Fake-Out

"Bush's announcement appears unlikely to contain much in the way of new proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to environmental advocates and industry representatives."

James Gerstenzang writes in the Los Angeles Times: "Bush, who has been criticized for inaction on what is widely seen as one of the most crucial issues facing the world, is seeking to set the boundaries for a debate occurring across multiple fronts, and which threatens to spiral beyond the administration's control."

H. Josef Hebert and Deb Riechmann write for the Associated Press: "The new goal for curtailing greenhouse gas emissions is an attempt to short-circuit what White House aides call a potential regulatory 'train wreck' if Congress doesn't act on climate change. The president's speech is aimed at shaping the debate on global warming in favor of solving the problem while avoiding heavy costs to industry and the economy. . . .

"Senate Democratic leaders plan to begin debate in June on legislation that would cap greenhouse gases and allow polluters to ease some of the cost by buying emissions credits. This cap-and-trade approach is aimed at cutting the emissions by 70 percent by mid-century. The House also is moving toward considering a cap-and-trade proposal. And many industry lobbyists have become resigned to some type of cap-and-trade proposal moving forward, if not this year probably next, and are trying to find ways to limit the damage. . . .

"The Environmental Protection Agency already is under orders from the Supreme Court to determine whether carbon dioxide is endangering public health or welfare. If so, the court said, the EPA must regulate CO2 emissions.

"Carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas, so named because its accumulation in the atmosphere can help trap heat from the sun, causing potentially dangerous warming of the planet.

"At the same time, the Interior Department has been told by another court to decide whether the polar bear should be brought under the protection of the Endangered Species Act because of disappearing sea ice -- a phenomenon blamed by scientists on global warming."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino "says the administration is concerned about a potential regulatory 'train wreck' as a result of climate-related court rulings.

"'Recent court decisions hold the very real prospect that the federal government will regulate greenhouse gas emissions with or without a new law being passed,' Perino said. 'To us, having unelected bureaucrats regulating greenhouse gases at the direction of unelected judges is not the proper way to address the issue.'"

Holly Rosenkrantz of Bloomberg quotes people on both sides of the issue who agree on one thing: "'I think it's a mistake to view what's under discussion as an abrupt shift,' Jeffrey Holmstead, [Bush's] former top official on climate change at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said in a phone interview yesterday.

"'After seven and a half years of being the major roadblock to global warming solutions, it's hard to imagine President Bush will reverse course,' said Daniel Weiss, climate strategy director at the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress."

Weiss was also quoted in The Post as saying: "It's just another way of Bush saying no."