Ah, just a year ago...Great Lakes environmental organizations were excited about rumors swirling in Washington that in his 2004 State of the Union speech, a President running for re-election would announce his support for a major Great Lakes cleanup package. He didn't. But a few months later, he did announce a Great Lakes task force, and it worked: he got the media bump he needed without committing a penny.
Now it's 2005. The election is past, and here's all we hear on the environment.
"Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country, while dramatically improving the environment. (Applause.) I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home. (Applause.) Note: This is a plan to drill in Alaska wilderness, topple key environmental safeguards, and build more nuclear power plants. Why can't he just say what he means?
I have sent you Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70-percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years. (Applause.) Note: This proposal would slow already-mandated cuts required by the Clean Air Act.
I have sent you a Healthy Forests Initiative, to help prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife, and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest. (Applause.) Note: This initiative will turn huge chunks of the national forests over to big timber and do almost nothing to prevent devastating fires.
I urge you to pass these measures, for the good of both our environment and our economy. (Applause.) Even more, I ask you to take a crucial step and protect our environment in ways that generations before us could not have imagined.
In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation. Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles. (Applause.) Note: Bush made a similar proposal last year. The Clinton/Gore Administration spent a comparable amount trying to work with the domestic auto industry on a prototype high-efficiency car and it didn't pan out. This is both another stall and a subsidy. Hydrogen will take 30-40 years to develop on a large scale.
A single chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car -- producing only water, not exhaust fumes. With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. (Applause.)
Join me in this important innovation to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.) Note: "Join me in this program to undo 30 years of environmental progress in the name of clear skies, healthy forests, and hydrogen cars, while ignoring the Great Lakes for four more."