A missed opportunity

San Jose Mercury News: President Bush attempted to wrap himself in green with his Rose Garden speech Wednesday outlining his strategy on climate change.

But it was another example of too little, too late. The speech by the lame-duck president confirmed that significant U.S. progress on global warming will have to wait for the next administration.

Denial

After seven years of denial and inaction, Bush called for a halt in the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Allowing emissions to rise for the next 17 years is not a plan; it’s an abdication.

Bush offered no specifics on how to achieve major emissions reductions. He flunked a key litmus test by (once again) failing to support a mandatory cap on emissions.

Bush once again said that the United States should agree to a binding international agreement to cut emissions only if other nations, such as China and India, sign on. That’s a cop-out.