Dubya Rejects Science to Protect Corporate Polluters
Last month I wrote this in a posting on the environment, "George the Shrub will leave the American people yet another catastrophe, this one, environmental. It's a disaster that he and his administration refused to help prevent that affects current and future generations.
"This is an environmental crisis that impacts the health and longevity of everyone living in the US and people of other nations, the ecology, the survival of nature and its multitude of species...ultimately the survival of the earth.
"Who will hold Bush and his Bushites accountable?"
Bush's manipulation of and interference with science to achieve his damaging political goals has been another menacing hallmark of his administration. He and his cohorts have no interest in the safety of the air we breathe because they are too busy protecting the polluters, their profit-ahead-of-people corporate buddies, like coal-fired power plant companies.
This from Reuters via CommonDreams: "President George W. Bush’s decision to intervene in setting air pollution standards is part of a longstanding administration pattern of meddling in environmental science, watchdog groups said on Friday.
"Bush overruled officials of the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken U.S. standards for smog-forming ozone meant to protect parks, crops and wildlife..."
Of course, a Bush loyalist flunky spins, tap dances, lies and insists that up is down trying to defend Bush and his decision to reject science, protect the corporate polluters, and the hell with the health of the American people and safeguarding the planet.
The Reuters article continues, "Asked why the president intervened, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said: 'What we were trying to do on the smog decision was try to have a decision that was consistent with our interpretation of the statute. This was not a weakening of regulations or standards governing ozone, but it was an effort to make those standards consistent.' ”
"Environmental and scientific groups disagreed, saying the decision benefits coal-fired power plants and other industries that emit ground-level ozone. In addition to harming plants, ozone smog endangers human health, especially the young, the elderly and those with respiratory problems.
“ 'This is a pattern unfortunately that extends across the Environmental Protection Agency, across pretty much every science based agency in the federal government,' said Tim Donaghy of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“ 'In the last several years, there has been an epidemic of interference in the work of scientists,” Donaghy said by telephone. 'And often this happens because interfering in the science is an easy way in winning the battle over the policy.'
"The ozone decision showed that 'real science appears to have been tainted by political science,' said Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch.
"Mark Wenzler of the National Parks Conservation Association concurred. 'The scientists carefully explained what needed to be done to protect plants and wildlife and the administration completely ignored the science and decided it would protect industry from having to do anything in addition to what they’re doing,' he said."
And impeachment is still off the table.
"This is an environmental crisis that impacts the health and longevity of everyone living in the US and people of other nations, the ecology, the survival of nature and its multitude of species...ultimately the survival of the earth.
"Who will hold Bush and his Bushites accountable?"
Bush's manipulation of and interference with science to achieve his damaging political goals has been another menacing hallmark of his administration. He and his cohorts have no interest in the safety of the air we breathe because they are too busy protecting the polluters, their profit-ahead-of-people corporate buddies, like coal-fired power plant companies.
This from Reuters via CommonDreams: "President George W. Bush’s decision to intervene in setting air pollution standards is part of a longstanding administration pattern of meddling in environmental science, watchdog groups said on Friday.
"Bush overruled officials of the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken U.S. standards for smog-forming ozone meant to protect parks, crops and wildlife..."
Of course, a Bush loyalist flunky spins, tap dances, lies and insists that up is down trying to defend Bush and his decision to reject science, protect the corporate polluters, and the hell with the health of the American people and safeguarding the planet.
The Reuters article continues, "Asked why the president intervened, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said: 'What we were trying to do on the smog decision was try to have a decision that was consistent with our interpretation of the statute. This was not a weakening of regulations or standards governing ozone, but it was an effort to make those standards consistent.' ”
"Environmental and scientific groups disagreed, saying the decision benefits coal-fired power plants and other industries that emit ground-level ozone. In addition to harming plants, ozone smog endangers human health, especially the young, the elderly and those with respiratory problems.
“ 'This is a pattern unfortunately that extends across the Environmental Protection Agency, across pretty much every science based agency in the federal government,' said Tim Donaghy of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“ 'In the last several years, there has been an epidemic of interference in the work of scientists,” Donaghy said by telephone. 'And often this happens because interfering in the science is an easy way in winning the battle over the policy.'
"The ozone decision showed that 'real science appears to have been tainted by political science,' said Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch.
"Mark Wenzler of the National Parks Conservation Association concurred. 'The scientists carefully explained what needed to be done to protect plants and wildlife and the administration completely ignored the science and decided it would protect industry from having to do anything in addition to what they’re doing,' he said."
And impeachment is still off the table.
Comments