|
ARTICLE XXXII
MISLEADING CONGRESS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, SYTEMATICALLY UNDERMINING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE.
In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional
oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability,
preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional
duty under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution "to take care that the laws be faithfully executed",
has both personally and acting through his agents and subordinates, together with the Vice President,
ignored the peril to life and property posed by global climate change, manipulated scientific
information and mishandled protective policy, constituting nonfeasance and malfeasance in office,
abuse of power, dereliction of duty, and deception of Congress and the American people.
President Bush knew the expected effects of climate change and the role of human activities in driving
climate change. This knowledge preceded his first Presidential term.
1. During his 2000 Presidential campaign, he promised to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.
2. In 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a global body of hundreds of the world's
foremost experts on climate change, concluded that "most of observed warming over last 50 years (is)
likely due to increases in greenhouse gas concentrations due to human activities." The Third
Assessment Report projected several effects of climate change such as continued "widespread retreat"
of glaciers, an "increase threats to human health, particularly in lower income populations,
predominantly within tropical/subtropical countries," and "water shortages."
3. The grave danger to national security posed by global climate change was recognized by the
Pentagon's Defense Advanced Planning Research Projects Agency in October of 2003. An agencycommissioned
report "explores how such an abrupt climate change scenario could potentially destabilize
the geo-political environment, leading to skirmishes, battles, and even war due to resource
constraints such as: 1) Food shortages due to decreases in net global agricultural production 2)
Decreased availability and quality of fresh water in key regions due to shifted precipitation patters,
causing more frequent floods and droughts 3) Disrupted access to energy supplies due to extensive sea
ice and storminess."
4. A December 2004 paper in Science reviewed 928 studies published in peer reviewed journals to
determine the number providing evidence against the existence of a link between anthropogenic
emissions of carbon dioxide and climate change. "Remarkably, none of the papers disagreed with the
consensus position."
5. The November 2007 Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment
Report showed that global anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gasses have increased 70% between
1970 and 2004, and anthropogenic emissions are very likely the cause of global climate change. The
report concluded that global climate change could cause the extinction of 20 to 30 percent of species in
unique ecosystems such as the polar areas and biodiversity hotspots, increase extreme weather events
especially in the developing world, and have adverse effects on food production and fresh water
availability.
The President has done little to address this most serious of problems, thus constituting an abuse of
power and criminal neglect. He has also actively endeavored to undermine efforts by the federal
government, states, and other nations to take action on their own.
1. In March 2001, President Bush announced the U.S. would not be pursuing ratification of the Kyoto
Protocol, an international effort to reduce greenhouse gasses. The United States is the only
industrialized nation that has failed to ratify the accord.
2. In March0f 2008, Representative Henry Waxman wrote to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson: "In
August 2003, the Bush Administration denied a petition to regulate CO2 emissions from motor
vehicles by deciding that CO2 was not a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. In April 2007, the U.S.
Supreme Court overruled that determination in Massachusetts v. EPA. The Supreme Court wrote that 'If
EPA makes a finding of endangerment, the Clean Air Act requires the agency to regulate emissions of
the deleterious pollutant from new motor vehicles.' The EPA then conducted an extensive investigation
involving 60-70 staff who concluded that 'CO2 emissions endanger both human health and welfare.'
These findings were submitted to the White House, after which work on the findings and the required
regulations was halted."
3. A Memo to Members of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on May 19, 2008
stated "The record before the Committee shows: (1) the career staff at EPA unanimously supported
granting California's petition (to be allowed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks,
consistent with California state law); (2) Stephen Johnson, the Administrator of EPA, also supported
granting California's petition at least in part; and (3) Administrator Johnson reversed his position after
communications with officials in the White House."
The President has suppressed the release of scientific information related to global climate change, an
action which undermines Congress' ability to legislate and provide oversight, and which has thwarted
efforts to prevent global climate change despite the serious threat that it poses.
1. In February, 2001, ExxonMobil wrote a memo to the White House outlining ways to influence the
outcome of the Third Assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The
memo opposed the reelection of Dr. Robert Watson as the IPCC Chair. The White House then
supported an opposition candidate, who was subsequently elected to replace Dr. Watson.
2. The New York Times on January 29, 2006, reported that James Hansen, NASA's senior climate
scientist was warned of "dire consequences" if he continued to speak out about global climate change
and the need for reducing emissions of associated gasses. The Times also reported that: "At climate
laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, many scientists
who routinely took calls from reporters five years ago can now do so only if the interview is approved
by administration officials in Washington, and then only if a public affairs officer is present or on the
phone."
3. In December of 2007, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a report
based on 16 months of investigation and 27,000 pages of documentation. According to the summary:
"The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has
engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policy makers and the
public about the dangers of global warming." The report described how the White House appointed
former petroleum industry lobbyist Phil Cooney as head of the Council on Environmental Quality. The
report states "There was a systematic White House effort to minimize the significance of climate
change by editing climate change reports. CEQ Chief of Staff Phil Cooney and other CEQ officials
made at least 294 edits to the Administration's Strategic Plan of the Climate Change Science Program
to exaggerate or emphasize scientific uncertainties or to de-emphasize or diminish the importance of
the human role in global warming."
4. On April 23, 2008, Representative Henry Waxman wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen L
Johnson. In it he reported: "Almost 1,600 EPA scientists completed the Union of Concerned Scientists
survey questionnaire. Over 22 percent of these scientists reported that 'selective or incomplete use of
data to justify a specific regulatory outcome' occurred 'frequently' or 'occasionally' at EPA. Ninety-four
EPA scientists reported being frequently or occasionally directed to inappropriately exclude or alter
technical information from an EPA scientific document. Nearly 200 EPA scientists said that they have
frequently or occasionally been in situations in which scientists have actively objected to, resigned
from or removed themselves from a project because of pressure to change scientific findings."
In all of these actions and decisions, President George W. Bush has acted in a manner contrary to his
trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the prejudice of the cause of law and
justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Wherefore, President George W.
Bush, by such conduct, is guilty of an impeachable offense warranting removal from office.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
