The Environmental Destruction Agency -- to use Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's new coinage -- denied California the waiver it needed to move ahead with aggressive efforts to cut emissions of greenhouse gases from vehicles. That's the subject of our editorial today.
It's not that surprising, given the dreadful record of the Bush administration in all matters environmental. California immediately began plans to appeal, file lawsuits and generally erupt all over the EPA and its bosses in the White House. Other states will follow suit. The early consensus is that California is likely to prevail in court, although that's never certain.
But the upshot is that, even if the state wins in court, the new standards it wants to impose on vehicle emissions will be delayed. That's something of a win for the Bush/Cheney Pollution 'R' Us team, the wholly owned subsidiary of the automobile industry.
Although autos do have pollution problems and should have emission regulations I am tired of driving behind buses and trucks that blow nasty black smoke at me and into the air we breathe. I remember when I was little police pulled over cars that smoked and cited them but now they don't seem to care.
California tried to lead the nation in requiring car manufacturers to be responsible and begin to address greenhouse gasses. But president Bush continues to deny the seriousness of global warming and climate change. The president and his cronies lobby EPA to ignore the unanimous advice of its own scientists.
Then Bush and the GOP turn around and talk about the nation's shortage of scientists. Would you go into a profession where the president belittles your advice?
Much of the rest of the world including many poor nations wonder why the U.S. won't act responsibly and display a leadership role. Thus once again Bush's policies terrorize the rest of the world.
Perhaps when Bush's term is up, it would be nice to tie him down on the beach in Florida or Texas, and let him experience the "waterboarding" of the coming global rise in sea level. Many inhabitants of low lying islands and coastlines will seee their homes and way of life altered, due in part to our president's allegiance to corporate interests, above the public interest. There is no reason, he should not be allowed to live with the results of his decisions.