Bush likely to announce Kyoto alternative next week
Date: 08-Feb-02
Country: USA
Author: Steve Holland
Bush is expected to settle on a goal of gradually slowing U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases - rather than the tough mandatory reductions in emissions under the Kyoto accord - on grounds that to do otherwise would hurt the U.S. economy.
The basic Bush approach was outlined earlier in a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and government officials said he was likely to announce his proposal next week before leaving on a trip to Japan, South Korea and China.
The economic advisers' report said a modest U.S. emissions goal could help improve the environment "without putting the economy at risk." It said an emissions reduction target could be indexed to economic output.
Global climate change experts, however, questioned linking emissions reductions to output. Dan Lashof of the global climate change unit of the Natural Resources Defense Council said it was was tantamount to proposing "continous increases in U.S. emissions of heat-trapping gases as far as the eye can see, and it's not going to solve the problem."
"If there's something positive here it is the administration appears to be acknowledging that global warming is a problem that requires mandatory limits on emissions. And if they are going to take that step and propose mandatory limits, you have to say that's a step forward for them. It's not completely clear yet that they have taken that step," he said.
Eileen Claussen of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change doubted that tying emissions cuts to economic output would have much impact on the greenhouse gas problem.
She said it was unclear as yet what level of reductions the administration was likely to embrace and whether the goal would be mandatory or voluntary.
Claussen said a reasonable, aggressive target of reductions coupled with a requirement that companies disclose their emissions levels would be helpful, because past experience has shown when companies have to disclose emissions, they do a better job of controlling them so as not to appear to be a polluter.
Carbon emissions from gasoline, coal and other fossil fuels are blamed for trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Warmer temperatures could sharply alter weather patterns and raise ocean levels.
Bush last year rejected the Kyoto treaty saying its emissions reductions would be too costly for the U.S. economy and that too many developing nations like China and India were exempt. His rejection of Kyoto stirred global anger that the United States, the world's biggest polluter, was unwilling to do its share to try to head off global warming.
Bush eight months ago directed his Cabinet to come up with a Kyoto alternative. Since then the already-weak U.S. economy was jolted by the Sept. 11 attacks.
"The president is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and doing so without harming the economy and doing so in a manner that includes the nations of the world as opposed to exempting them," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
The White House still finds itself on the defensive about the Kyoto treaty.
"In the president's mind it doesn't make sense to think about policies that wind up suppressing consumption of something simply by diminution of economic growth," said Glenn Hubbard, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.