press release
friends of the earth international
monday 4 july 2005
bush rejects climate deal
EDINBURGH/LONDON - President Bush's pledge
to put US interests ahead of significant
action to tackle climate change has been
greeted with anger by Friends of the Earth
International. The environmental campaign
group is urging the remaining G8 leaders to
isolate the US administration at the G8 talks
this week.
Speaking in a TV interview tonight,
President Bush is reported to have accepted
that climate change is "a significant
long-term issue we've got to deal with" and
is man-made "to a certain extent". But he
will refuse to support any moves for binding
cuts in greenhouse gases. "If this looks like
Kyoto, the answer is no. [Kyoto] would have
destroyed our economy."
Friends of the Earth International vice
chair, Tony Juniper, said
"The Bush Administration¹s policies on
climate change are shortsighted, negligent
and immoral. The President says that he won't
agree to pollution reduction targets because
he wants to protect the American economy, but
his actions will lead to economic damages of
immense scale, including in the USA. The Bush
agenda is clearly driven by vested interests,
including companies which see America's
addiction to oil as their license to print
money".
"The other G8 leaders must now show
isolate President Bush and find common cause
with those countries who do see the need for
urgent action, including China and India. One
day the USA will come on board, in the
meantime those countries who see the threat
must forge ahead."
Bush's refusal to act flies in the face of
action already being taken in the United
States. Many Republican senators now accept
the reality of human-induced global warming,
while several states have decided to cut
emissions, and more than 150 city mayors have
adopted Kyoto-style emissions reduction
targets. The Governor of California, Arnold
Schwarzenegger yesterday was quoted calling
"Governments everywhere" to tackle carbon
emissions.
A media briefing on the G8 summit can be
found at:
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/g8_summit_media_briefing_280620
05.html
Contacts:
In Scotland
Helen Burley, Press Officer, + 44 (0) 7778
069 930 (m)
Lang Banks, Press Officer, 0131 554 9977/ +
44 (0) 7813 766759 (m
Catherine Pearce + 44 (0) 7811 283641
In London
Neil Verlander, Press Office, + 44 (0) 20
7566 1649/ + 44 (0) 7712 843
209 (m)
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