Here is what Bush had to say in response to the Supreme Court’s EPA decision:
President Bush, acknowledging that humans are at least partly responsible for global warming, said Tuesday that he took “very seriously” the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles as pollution.But he attached two conditions that appeared likely to retard EPA regulation of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat at the Earth’s surface: He said any regulatory program should not slow economic growth, nor should its benefits to the atmosphere be offset by mounting emissions from China, India and other growing economies.
Ugh…So here is a president who had no qualms with showing fearless leadership in invading/liberating Iraq, but when it comes to global warming, his hands are tied behind his back because of China and India. Or when it comes to lowering farm tarrifs, he is powerless to do anything until Japan and France steps up to the plate.It is called a first-mover problem for a reason, and there is no huge long-run cost with stepping up to the plate and making the first move.