Bush And The Environment

Beating Around the Bush

In his three years as President of the United States, George W. Bush has managed to completely eliminate the ambivalence many American people have always felt towards the leader of their country. Perhaps this is why John F. Dickerson and Karen Tumulty refer to him as "the Great Polarizer" (28). His policies have divided the country into two fiercely opposing groups: those who feel his confidence and forceful personality make him the ideal president, and those who believe his stubbornness, coupled with his public speaking abilities, are an embarrassment to the nation. No president in recent history has come close to separating the American people in such an acrimonious way. One major source of controversy caused by President Bush is the condition of the environment. Most people would agree that protecting the natural world and its resources is essential to the American way of life and the survival of future generations. However, the conflict arises when discussing to what extent it is our responsibility to control the amount of environmental destruction that occurs. Those who support Bush and his regulations assert that an unconscionable amount of environmental safeguards will inhibit the growth of our businesses and, therefore, our economy. People who oppose Bush rationalize that the condition of the environment directly reflects the overall quality of life in our country. America cannot be successful without caring for the most important aspect of our lives: the land itself. Although it is necessary for Americans to use nature in order to provide affordable products and services to its people, the Bush administration's current environmental policies are inadequate in keeping the country clean and safe for its inhabitants. The ridiculously excessive use of natural resources in addition to the exorbitant amount of pollution and waste discarded destroys the land and its nonhuman inhabitants, puts the health of our people in severe danger, and causes numerous damages that will eventually lead to large-scale environmental crises in the future.

Even before he was elected, George W. Bush began discussing his views on environmental policy and its effect on the American people. He made many promises to protect the environment of the United States throughout the course of his presidential campaign, including the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions into the air, which inevitably causes global warming. Before Bush became president, there were many laws in place that protected the environment. The Clean Air Act, for example, was established to regulate the amount of pollution released into the air. This act instructed the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, "to publish National Ambient Air Quality Standards for specific pollutants. The decisions on which pollutants to regulate and at what level they were to be regulated are based on health and welfare criteria" ("The White House"). Another law, the Clean Water Act, prohibited the release of pollutants into water that would destroy the fish and plant life, which would cause it to be unsafe for swimming or boating. At the time it was enacted, its main purpose was said to be "to maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's water" ("The White House"). After Bush was inaugurated, he made several changes to these established laws as well as adding a few new "protections" of his own. The Clean Air Act would be replaced by the Clear Skies policy, and the terms of the Clean Water Act were changed. The Bush administration also signed numerous neoteric acts into laws that would greatly change the way the environment was treated by large corporations in our country.

Bush's policies are focused on the needs of America's industries, which are crucial to the growth of the economy. Strict environmental policy would not be cost effective for American businesses because the increase in equipment needed to lessen the amount of pollution released and natural resources used would greatly increase the cost of American-made goods and services. Our companies would become uncompetitive with companies in other countries who have more lenient environmental regulations and can sell their products at a lower cost. This would eventually put many American enterprises out of business. Bush's changes and additions in environmental policy are said to "use a proven, market-based approach that will reach the Nation's air and water quality goals while keeping energy affordable for American consumers and businesses" ("The White House).

However, in its attempt to improve the profits for businesses of this country and to keep the costs of products and services low for consumers, the Bush administration has weakened our nation's environmental laws. The Friends of the Earth report Bush fought "to pass an Ð''economic stimulus package' that proposes $2.4 billion worth of tax breaks, credits and loopholes for General Electric, Chevron, Texaco, and Enron," many of America's highest polluting companies. In working to help the profits of big businesses, Bush has indirectly contributed to the high amount of pollutants discarded into the land, air and water. Additionally, a recent White House study reported on the National Resources Defense Council website suggests "the benefits of environmental regulation far outweigh the costs." Not only will the cost of more effective machinery that reduces the amount of pollution released benefit the environment, it will also prove to be profitable for the country as a whole. The Office of Management and Budget reported "each dollar spent on environmental regulation returned more than six dollars in health care savings and improved worker productivity." It is crucial to American life that the effort to aid American business does not undermine the environmental laws which protect the health of our people, plants, animals, and quantity of limited natural resources, which are necessary sources of energy for industries.

Concern for the high costs forced upon companies because of environmental policy additionally influenced the replacement of the Clean Air Act with the Clear Skies policy. The White House website informs its readers that this new policy "only requires a handful of EPA employees to operate. This approach is vastly more effective, and cheaper Ð'- two-thirds cheaper Ð'- than the traditional approach." The Bush administration is genuinely considerate of the interests of America's largest businesses, which are undeniably important to the economic success of our country. The Clear Skies policy states "electricity generators must hold an "allowance" for each ton of pollution they emit Ð'-