Yellow Dog

As this article notes, one of the first things Bush did when he became President was lift environmental regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, he made it "voluntary" for big cmpanies and power plants to reduce pollution. Now that the GAO has had a chance to review these voluntary reductions, how are they working? As you might have guessed, not so well.

"The EPA still has no system of tracking how long it takes companies to set reduction goals, which only half of the 74 participants had done by the end of last year. At least 13 companies that joined the program in 2002 had yet to set targets, the GAO found.

The energy department hasn't even established deadlines for trade groups to report their emissions. That seems like one of the first things it would do.

It's hard to believe that these programs were ever about reducing emissions. Rather, they seem designed to provide the administration with political cover, an excuse to do nothing about global warming. If that was the mission, mission accomplished."

At least Bush has accomplished one mission--to increase pollution and increase the profits of big companies. Cough, cough.

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