Winds of Change Newsletter, February 2006     See sidebar for table of contents

We Cant Wait on Warming, Bushs Do-Nothing Policy Unacceptable

Louisville Courier-Journal editorial, Jan. 24, 2006

The utter irresponsibility of the Bush administrations policy of deny, delay and do nothing regarding global warming has become as obvious as the utter irresponsibility of its shoot first, plan later rush into Iraq.

Its become so obvious and so irresponsible, in fact, that the top environmental officials of three previous Republican administrations are speaking out....

To sit back and push this away and deal with it sometime down the road is dishonest and self-destructive, said Russell Train, EPA administrator under Richard Nixon.

Weve got to start on this action. We cant wait, said Lee M. Thomas, who served under Ronald Reagan.

There are all kinds of things we can do right now, and we ought to be taking those steps, said William Ruckelshaus, who served both Nixon and Reagan.

This is a debate we should not be having, said William K. Reilly, who served President Bushs father, arguing for an end to the claims that the science of global warming is bad and the evidence inconclusive.

Global warming is real. The effects are already being felt. The consequences could be dire.

And allowing humankinds emissions of greenhouse gases to continue growing is courting almost certain disaster.

With environmentally conscious Republicans and major business leaders now calling insistently for controls, the Presidents willful refusal to lead is unconscionable.