Bush unlikely to back ocean reform

[baby_bear]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/200493_oceans20.html

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Bush unlikely to back ocean reform
Critics fear they'll get no protections, just status quo

By JOAN LOWY
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

<snip>
Despite warnings that the nation's ocean territories are facing an ecological crisis, President Bush is unlikely to endorse major reforms in federal oceans management recommended by a landmark commission. James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has been spearheading an interagency effort to respond to more than 200 recommendations made by the congressionally mandated U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, whose members were appointed by Bush.
...
That response is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled on Dec. 20, but commission members and oceans experts who have been closely following the interagency effort said it appears the White House will not propose the key reforms or seek the significant increases in funding recommended by the commission.

Instead, the White House appears to be leaning toward "giving us a menu of all the wonderful things they are doing right now and saying they believe they can handle it within the current (government) structure and so forth," said retired Adm. James Watkins, a former secretary of energy who was chairman of the oceans commission. "We would be very upset to see the status quo being delivered publicly as an adequate response," Watkins said.
...
Connaughton, an attorney who represented major manufacturers and oil and mining companies before he was tapped by Bush to head the environmental council, said he is functioning as the White House's ocean adviser and may continue to serve in that role.
</snip>

The last sentence says it all....

s_m

[GregD]

1. Newsflash: Bush unlikely to support

anything that does not line the pockets of him or his buddies

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. Who needs plankton, anyway?

Let the plankton die. We'll see how long we last.

[The Zanti Regent]

13. Oh, so what if plankton die en masse? Jesus is coming back next week!

and when He comes back, he'll see something that will make THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW look like paradise!

[Solitaire]

3. not surprised...

He doesn't at all care about this planet

And, obviously, a lot of the people who live on it.

[barb162]

4. he's never done one damn thing pro-environmental;4 more yrs.

of this assault on the planet with shrub

[bluedeminredstate]

5. And another giant Middle Finger

he sends as a response to a serious problem. What's this? The 100th? 1000th? since he was crowned King of the World on November 2nd?

:grr:

[radfringe]

6. it's fuzzy science

doesn't meet down to his standards of what is real science

besides he has a pile of other scientists that specialize in butt-kissing and will rubber stamp whatever he wants

[Califooyah Operative]

7. this cant be true.

hes what you call a steward of the land.

[VegasWolf]

8. awol says seafood is no good anyway, eat steers! n/t

[Khephra]

9. Under this administration status quo is something to be happy about

Usually Bush just makes things worse when it comes to the environment. I'll take status quo over things getting worse anyday!

[Lindacooks]

10. Bush unlikely to do anything right

is a better headline.

[pinniped]

11. I was just going to ask about the background of this fucker...

and my suspicions were confirmed.

--Connaughton, an attorney who represented major manufacturers and oil and mining companies before he was tapped by Bush to head the environmental council--

These assholes should rename the council, anti-environmental council.

[joedemo]

12. concerned about nonlinearity

The oceans and the creatures in them form a very complex system and I expect the system to sometimes behave in nonlinear (abrupt) ways. My concern is that many decision makers expect this system to always respond linearly (gradually). "That species is declining slowly, so we have several years to avoid the issue". The trouble is that species may cross some threshold and suddenly drop below the level of recovery

[VegasWolf]

14. Yes, but this admin has put the curve in exponential! :)

[Dem2theMax]

15. What a shocking subject line!

"Bush unlikely to back ocean reform"

That HAS to be one of the 'duh' statements of the year.

When has he ever done one thing FOR the earth and her people?
I can think of zillions of things he's done against it/us.

What was that statement he made at one of the debates -- about how he was a 'good steward of the earth.' Can I :puke: now?

[hatrack]

16. Well gee whiz! Who could have predicted it?

More arrogant bullshit from Chimpboy on the environment.

Can't wait for him to mention the hydrogen fuel cell "miracle" in the next SOTU, or for his next Earth Day tree porn photo-op. Yes, then we'll all know just how much he cares.

[VegasWolf]

17. But, but, I thought awol was just going to hold his hand out over

the ocean and cure it. We don't need no stinkin scientists.

[Ms_Mary]

18. You know he doesn't believe in all that environment stuff.

What do you expect from a man who denies that global warming exists?

[GoSolar]

19. Not surprising.

Bush is a moron.

[Deja Q]

20. Fuck it, if they're not going to care, just have them nuke the world and

be done with it already.

[daleo]

21. Bush is against ocean reform

But he thinks he can part the Red Sea.