:: Bush, the Anti-Environment Environmentalist ::

Bush's outrageous statements and claims have got to stop. How does this administration continue to get away with such flagrant, outright lies? Bush now claims that climate change is a top priority for his administration - from day one. What a load of bullshit. And, even doing so, he prevaricates and misleads (read the whole article):

Bush administration put on the defensive over climate change

[excerpt] President Bush gave a nod to the climate problem in his State of the Union address last month, but the clearest sign that he's feeling the heat is a defensive letter put out by the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 7. "Following last Friday's release of a new report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a number of media reports perpetuated inaccuracies that the president's concern about climate change is new," the letter begins. "In fact, climate change has been a top priority since the president's first year in office. Beginning in June 2001, President Bush has consistently acknowledged climate change is occurring and humans are contributing to the problem."

Then there are guys like Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, who are corporate heroes in my eyes. It's rare enough to say that about any corporate leader and it should be applauded:

Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson is dangling $25 million for anyone who can figure out how to scrub vast amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The Virgin Earth Challenge -- which Branson announced today with the ubiquitous Al Gore by his side and which we're pretty sure was also a Star Trek episode -- will be judged by a panel that includes, besides Branson and Gore, NASA scientist James Hansen, Gaia theorist James Lovelock, Aussie scientist Tim Flannery, and U.K. eco-hero Sir Crispin Tickell. "The Earth cannot wait 60 years," Branson said. "If I write this check ... it will be the best check I've ever written." Despite grumbling from some who pointed out that Branson's endeavors, including plans for commercial space travel, don't exactly help the climate cause, others offered praise. "Richard Branson is ahead of the pack in getting to grips with CO2," said University of Edinburgh geology professor Stuart Haszeldine. "I hope all other businesses, large and small, follow his lead."

straight to the source: BBC News, 09 Feb 2007

straight to the source: Bloomberg, Alex Morales and Elliott Gotkine, 09 Feb 2007

straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 09 Feb 2007

tag: richard branson, climate change, global warming, environment, environmentalist, bush, IPCC, white house, greenhouse gas